Flags Fly High over Great Hearts Anthem

“Today, we hosted the Our Place, Our Time capital campaign donors to thank them for their generous donations,” said Diane Tyson, the Family Giving Officer for Great Hearts Anthem. “We also wanted to honor four families who sponsored classrooms and flagpoles.”

Great Hearts Anthem moved into their newly built state-of-the-art two-story building on the northeast corner of Gavilan Peak Parkway and Arroyo Norte Drive just over a year ago. The new campus on 10 acres of land houses a large gym, lab rooms, special education rooms, a library, and more space to serve students in grades K-12. While the faculty and student body have settled into the new facility, special touches and new enhancements are still happening to solidify the academy’s continued legacy as a landmark in the community.

It was a beautiful and clear morning for the intimate gathering in front of the school for the dedication ceremony. Upper School Headmaster, Zack Withers and Lower School Headmaster, Teresa Clark addressed the donors, and the plaques were revealed that will be prominently displayed at the school. “Myself and Mrs. Clark are incredibly grateful for the generosity of our families,” said Withers. “They put their trust in us every day to educate their children and support us financially to offer a classical liberal arts education.”

The flagpoles that now tower in front of the stately school building flanked by columns were graced with plaques honoring the families that sponsored them. The Arizona flagpole was made possible by the Cantelme Family and the United States flagpole was made possible by the Fay Family.

The fine arts play an important role in the life of any Great Hearts academy. That’s why the donations made for two music rooms were particularly noteworthy. The Corley Family’s generous donation gave the lower school a music room, and the Durickovic Family made the music room for upper grade scholars possible. Both rooms will receive a plaque with the families’ names displayed.

The dedication ceremony concluded with a reception in the academy library followed by a tour of the campus.

“We started the Our Place, Our Time capital campaign in the spring of 2021 with the goal of raising $200,000 from families and businesses,” said Tyson. The campaign was created to supplement the bond financing secured by Great Hearts. “We received a grant from Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority for $162,500 and the rest came from school families and businesses. In total the campaign raised $280,000.” Tyson said there will be one more opportunity for new families in our community to donate to the campaign before it closes on December 31, 2023. “A lump sum donation of $1000 gets the families’ name on the permanent donor wall in the front office.”

It’s finally Our Place, Our Time to build our legacy at the home of the Eagles. Your support means everything! If you are interested in supporting the campaign, please contact Diane Tyson at dtyson@greatheartsanthem.org.

Do you have a story or know of a story that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts?  Please contact jason.moore@greathearts.org.