Archway Veritas Celebrates Community with First-Ever Patriot Day

Archway Veritas started a new tradition this year by hosting its first-ever Patriot Day, a campus-wide celebration based on their school mascot, the Patriot, and dedicated the day to focus on citizenship, community, and school spirit. The event brought students and staff together for competitions, serving opportunities, and connection.

Headmaster Megan Opitz embraced the theme wholeheartedly, arriving on campus dressed as the Statue of Liberty. The costume quickly became a highlight for students, many of whom were already familiar with the historical figure. “The kids love it. They actually learn about the Statue of Liberty in kindergarten and then also in second grade when they learn about immigration,” explained Opitz. “So, it’s been a lot of fun to be on campus in this costume.”

Patriot Day was designed to tie directly into the school’s emphasis on virtue and civic responsibility. “Being a patriot has been a great mascot for Archway Veritas because it really embodies that virtuous idea and really leads into citizenship.” Citizenship is a core focus across all Great Hearts academies and is one of the network’s nine virtues. “And so that’s part of why we have community service today.”

The community service included many clean-up tasks around the campus that were assigned to and executed by the students, who were happy to join together to get the jobs done in their assigned city-states. “It is just a time to look at what does it mean to be a good citizen,” Opitz shared.

The day also featured a variety of energetic and entertaining events. In the gym, students cheered as teachers took center stage for an inflatable race, where a teacher from each grade level, dressed in inflatable costumes ranging from a hippopotamus to a hand-standing clown, race against one another. This proved to be a hilarious spectacle, with these oversized costumes leveling the playing field and causing many teachers to fall over themselves.

School spirit was on full display as well, with a special student presentation. “We’ll have our spirit line perform for the first time in front of their peers.” Additionally, grade levels came together for some friendly team competitions.

At its heart, Patriot Day was about connection. “It’s really just a day for fun and community building and a day to celebrate being together.” For Archway Veritas, the inaugural Patriot Day set the tone for a new tradition, one that celebrates virtue, citizenship, and the shared life of the school community.

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