Upper School Campus Life

Daily Schedule
The Upper school schedule is a modified block that begins each day at 8:00 AM. The modified block schedule allows for 90 minutes in each class (except on Wednesdays, 45 minutes) that closely resembles the college classroom environment.

The Clubs and Chapel hours give us an opportunity to provide rich spiritual and service opportunities to our student body without the need to interfere with academic time.

 It may be noted that Wednesday schedule does not follow alphabetical order. The order is necessary in order to share faculty between the Middle and Upper Schools .

Campus

The First Academy is situated on 45 fenced acres of a much larger property belonging to the First Baptist Church of Orlando.

The Upper School will be occupying an all-new Upper School building during the course of the 2008-2009 school year. The state-of-the-art concrete construction is designed to provide the latest in safety, maintenance and infrastructure benefits.  

Royal Recharge

Royal Recharge is a snack and break time for students in the Middle and Upper Schools. Middle and Upper school lunches are scheduled late in the day to allow the Lower School students time in the cafeteria. Royal Recharge provides the older students an opportunity for caloric energy that will help them remain focused in class until dismissed for their lunch period.

Library

The TFA Library was updated and expanded over the summer of 2008, and the newly-refurbished, enlarged library was open to welcome students on the first day of school in August 2008. The new design includes areas designed to maximize usage by all three academic divisions of the school and is designed to support the academic curriculum. Computers are available for student research and use. The hours of the library are 7:30 AM – 3:45 PM daily.

Senior Walk and President’s Circle

With the construction of the new Upper School building the seniors of 2008 kicked off a tradition of laying senior bricks that record graduates’ names and the year that they graduated. These bricks will surround the flagpole in front of the new Upper School.

Near the Senior Walk is a President’s Circle, in which a special brick has been placed from all class officers beginning with the class of 2008. Both the Senior Walk and the Presidents’ Circle commemorate the example of excellence that is the TFA graduate.

Dizney Family Tennis Center

Located just across from the Payne Stewart Athletic Complex, the Dizney Family Tennis Center was a gift to The First Academy and church community. The Dizney family generously provided this beautiful home for TF0 A’s growing tennis program. Five lighted and fenced courts provide practice and competition space for our Varsity and Junior Varsity tennis teams.

Payne Stewart Athletic Complex

This world-class facility is named in honor of the late Payne Stewart, PGA championship golfer and TFA dad. The enthusiastic Stewart began the campaign to see a world-class athletic complex on our campus, a dream that was brought to fruition after his passing in 1999.

The complex is home to Warden Stadium, the venue of Royals football, soccer, and lacrosse. A main feature of the complex is the Mondo track, home to several world-class events. Hershiser Field is also within the complex, housing the Royal baseball program and adjacent to softball fields. The venues at the complex have been utilized as a practice facility by visiting Olympic hopefuls as well as NCAA Bowl Championship football teams.

Natalie Thomas Gymnasium

This gymnasium is the venue for our home volleyball and basketball games and our rousing pep rallies. This facility serves the Lower, Middle and Upper School Physical Education curriculum as well as the athletic program. Adjacent to the gymnasium is a world-class weight training facility that serves all of our athletic programs as well as the weightlifting team. Also a part of this facility is the training room where student athletes receive care from world-class trainers.

Faith Hall Food Services

TFA is somewhat of an urban legend in central Florida for the quality of its food service menu. This is not the standard cafeteria food to which many people grew accustomed coming through primary and secondary education. TFA is blessed by restaurant-quality food services provided by the Food Services ministry of First Baptist Church, Orlando. With four food lines and a variety of menu items, students, faculty/staff and guests enjoy great food at great prices.