Great Hearts Anthem Gets a New Start

It was a celebration for a fresh start as families of Great Hearts Anthem returned for their first day of school at their new permanent campus.  There are still a few finishing touches needed to the academy’s newly constructed, state-of-the-art two-story building, but the classrooms and interior spaces opened for staff and students.  The new Anthem site at 3950 W. Arroyo Norte Drive is approximately 2 miles from the school’s previously rented space at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church.

“Finally, after over a decade of rented, temporary space, the families and faculty of Anthem have a permanent home for their Great Hearts school,” reflected Great Hearts Arizona Superintendent Brandon Crowe.  “It has been a long time coming, but we are both grateful and proud to call our new campus the home of Great Hearts Anthem.”

It was refreshing to see life breathed into the previously dormant hallways as students entered the building for the first time.  It was all the anticipation of the first day of school quantified by the excitement and wonder of being in a completely new environment.

It has been a long road to get the academy to this point.  Construction began last year and due to recent setbacks, the first day of school was delayed.  But these minor hindrances have not deterred the faculty who are eager to provide a classical education to the scholars of Anthem. Crowe is grateful for all the patience and support over the last couple months.  “While it is not fully finished, it is nice to move in and begin learning,” said Crowe.

Zackary Withers, headmaster of Anthem Prep grades 6-12, and Teresa Clark, headmaster of Archway Classical grades K-5, said they are thrilled with the new facilities and were excited about the first day of school.

Some of the finishing touches still in the works include the gym and football/soccer field.  Once complete, this will give the athletics program a huge advantage.  Having their own field means that Anthem teams can play their home games at home for the first time.  Hosting home games were not a possibility at the previous location due to shared gym space with the church and the absence of a field.

“What’s so exciting is that we have more space to serve more students and then more amenities to better serve those students,” Withers said. “That’s kind of the big picture, and then that comes out in various ways. We have a bigger multi-purpose room so we can have more performances here and we don’t have all the conflicts like we did at the old location, and we can also have more student body in here for assemblies and so on.”

Great Hearts Anthem’s 82,000-square-foot building should help accommodate its growing enrollment, but the new space is already filling up fast. If you live in Anthem area and are considering a classical education at Great Hearts for your kid(s), you are encouraged to apply today to get in on the ground floor at this new academy.

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