Back to School Information
Welcome to the Back to School Webpage! Everything parents and students need to know for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year can be found here. As the summer progresses, more Back to School updates for the 2023-2024 school year will be shared with families through our Summer Weekly Update emails. Check our Back to School Webpage frequently for these updates and more.
House Bill 1 Information
On March 27, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed new legislation (HB1/SB202) that will dramatically overhaul Florida’s school choice programs. Any student who is a resident of Florida and is eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade 12 in a public school in Florida will be eligible for the ESA. The scholarship amounts have not yet been finalized but could be as much as $8,000 per student or more. We encourage all TFA families to apply. It is imperative that you sign up as early as possible to have your best opportunity of receiving the available funds.
Click here to learn more about how to apply for Florida scholarship opportunities through Step Up for Students.
If you have already completed or renewed your application with the Step Up for Students EMA (Education Market Assistant) Portal, you will receive an email if there is any change in your application status. While the notification should be received via email, it is important to check your account status frequently to ensure there are no delays in receiving updates.
Click here to learn more about the next steps once you have received your award notification.
An Opportunity to Be a Blessing!
We anticipate this change in the law to be a blessing for many of our families. We also have heard from several families who will utilize the ESA scholarships in order to increase their giving towards the TFA Tuition Assistance Fund for current families. More information will be shared throughout the summer and early fall regarding how families can give back to The First Academy. If you are interested in learning more about how you can give back to The First Academy now, please contact our Development Office at 407-206-8819 or email Christina Richart.
Summer Communication
New Here? Learn more about New Family information online here.
New Family Event Schedule:
- Monday, July 31st: Lower School New Family Welcome Event at the Upper School Parking Lot
- Thursday, August 3rd: Middle and Upper School New Student Event ‘Schedules and Snow Cones’ from 2:00 – 3:00 PM at TFA’s Upper School. Parents are invited to the ‘Parent Lounge’ in the Cramer Family Field House.
- RSVP here by August 1st.
- All New Families- June through August: ‘Details & Donuts’ for New Families.
- Click here to learn more and RSVP.
New Family Newsletters:
Need a campus map? View it online here.
FirstWord devotions will return at the beginning of the 2023 – 2024 school year. The Whitakers will share a word of encouragement to our Royals each day. Read or listen to the most recent 2023 devotions here.
Back to School Events
Meet the Teacher for the 2023-2024 school year will be held in “Open House” style, with our teachers and staff looking forward to meeting students and families on Monday, August 7th. Please follow the schedule below.
- 1:45 PM: Meet the Teacher Registration for New Lower School Families
- 2:00 – 2:30 PM: New Families
- 2:30 – 4:30 PM: Returning Families
We look forward to beginning the 2023-2024 school year together as a school family. All families are invited to join us in the Worship Center on Thursday, August 17th at 9:30 AM for the first chapel of the school year, a special All School Worship.
We also look forward to kicking off the school year and welcoming parents, new and returning. TFA Parents are invited to join us for the Parent Kick-Off Breakfast & Volunteer Fair hosted by The Parent Association on Thursday, August 17th at 8:15 AM in Faith Hall.
This is a great way to get connected and learn about volunteer opportunities available across campus. Following the breakfast, families can join us in the Worship Center for the first chapel of the school year, a special All School Worship at 9:30 AM. More information to come and we look forward to seeing you there!
RSVP coming soon!
Helpful Information
In the sections below, you will find the most important information regarding Back to School. As more information becomes available, new information will be added below.
Introducing the 2023-2024 school year theme: Thrive. “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31
We look forward to the 2023-2024 school year!
Click here for the school-wide TFA calendar for the 2023-2024 school year.
Click here for the 2023-2024 main dates.
The Nursery School (TNS) Annual Calendar
The Classical School (TCS) Annual Calendar
The First Hope (TFH) Annual Calendar
Teacher Blessing/Late Start School Days to continue in 2023-2024! On Wednesday, November 1st, and Wednesday, April 17th, the school day will start at 10:00 AM, with arrival and student supervision beginning at 9:45 AM. Further reminders will follow closer to the dates.
Below you will find the supply lists for students. Note, supply lists are linked to Google Docs that may be updated by teachers.
Lower School
- Kindergarten Prep 3’s
- Kindergarten Prep 4’s
- Transitional Kindergarten
- Kindergarten
- 1st Grade
- 2nd Grade
- 3rd Grade
- 4th Grade
- 5th Grade
Middle School
Upper School
Supply lists for grades 9-12 vary with each course and teacher. Upper School teachers will have their supply lists available during Meet The Teacher.
The Classical School
- Kindergarten
- 1st Grade
- 2nd Grade
- 3rd Grade
- 4th Grade
- 5th Grade
- 6th Grade
- 7th Grade
- 8th Grade
- 9th – 12th Grade supply lists will be available at Meet the Teacher.
The First Hope
- TFH Supply List– Your student’s teacher will distribute a class-specific list at Meet the Teacher.
Summer Assignments
Please review the summer assignments for your appropriate grade level or division.
Lower School
Please review your rising grade-level flyer for more information on summer assignments and activities.
Middle School
Upper School
Upper School Summer Reading and AP Assignments
The Classical School
Please view our Tuition Page for more information on grade-level fees, payment plans, and more.
We will continue with our current drop-off and pick-up procedures for the 2023 – 2024 school year. K-Prep 4’s through 12th Grade families will continue using the designated carlines for student drop-off and pick-up. K-Prep 3’s will continue to drop off at the designated side entrance of Lower School.
School Start & Dismissal Times
Start Time
Grades K-Prep 3’s through 12th Grade………… Monday – Friday……….. 8:00 AM
Dismissal Time
Grades K-Prep 3’s through 12th Grade ……….Monday – Friday………… 2:45 PM
These are the arrival and dismissal times for TFA, The Classical School, and The First Hope. For Nursery School arrival and dismissal information, please click here.
*Students may arrive as early as 7:30 AM. After Care is available until 5:00 PM for K-Prep 3’s and until 6:00 PM for students in K-Prep 4’s through 12th Grade.
TFA partners with FLIK Independent School Dining to ensure our students enjoy morning and lunch dining options in the Royal Eatery. You do not need to pre-order lunch for your student. You do need to set up a Prepay Account on the Family Portal.
To assist families with Prepay Account set-up, lunch details, and Q&A, we have updated our lunch webpage to serve as a one-stop-shop for all of your dining needs! Head to thefirstacademy.org/lunch to:
- Add funds to your Prepay Accounts
- View the upcoming lunch menus for all divisions
- Learn more about how to add money to your Prepay Account from a desktop or mobile device, as well as view dining menus and more
- Review the lunch Q&A section to answer any questions that you may have
Positive lunch balances from the 2022 – 2023 school year will be forwarded to the 2023 – 2024 school year in the summer for use when your students return in the fall.
Visit the Royal Store
Visit the Royal Store to get all of your Spirit Wear and TFA gear for the 2023 – 2024 school year. Order online anytime at theroyalstore.org.
Summer Hours (Beginning June 1st)
- Wednesdays 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM in June & July
- Monday, July 31, 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM
- Tuesday, August 1, 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Wednesday, August 2, 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
- Thursday, August 3, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
First Week of School Hours
- Monday, August 7th: 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM (Meet the Teacher)
- Tuesday, August 8th: Closed
- Wednesday, August 9th: 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM (First Day of School)
- Thursday, August 10th: 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
- Friday, August 11th: 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Regular Store Hours (starting August 15th)
- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays Open 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Uniforms & Dress Code
2023 – 2024 Uniform Guidelines
You can visit the Dennis Uniform website or The Royal Store to shop for approved uniform tops.
Our school uniform provider is Dennis Uniforms. They are located at 1101 North Keller Road, Orlando, FL.
- 407-960-1788
- School Code: ETF
- Dennis Uniforms is closed on Mondays
- www.dennisuniform.com
After School Care is available for students of all grade levels K-Prep 3’s through 12th Grade. For more information, click here.
Family Portal is a private and secure website that allows you to see complete information specific to your student(s) such as Attendance, Daily Grades, Progress Reports, Lesson Plans, Homework, Discipline, Teacher E-mail Addresses, and other school information.
Parents can also update their student’s medical and health information on the Family Portal, as well as set up their Lunch Prepay Account.
For more information on using Family Portal by FACTS, click here.
Summer Arts
There are several creative, visual, and performing arts summer camp offerings through Royal Summer. Learn more and register today!
Summer Athletics
Planning on playing a sport during the 2023 – 2024 school year? Make sure you have all of the required Athletic Forms on file. Click here to learn more.
There is a summer workout program for all rising 9th – 12th Grade student-athletes that are enrolled at The First Academy. Exceptions can be made with approval from the performance staff for Middle School students that were on a JV or Varsity roster in the 2022 – 2023 school year. Coach Trey Tyler has put together a great plan for this summer that we would like all of our athletes to be involved in as much as their summer schedules allow.
Students will be grouped together and coached in proper lifting techniques to aid in the development of their athletic abilities. Training sessions will occur every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday (for June and July) with an optional Wednesday Open Gym for those needing to make up a workout. Workouts will be 1.5 hours long with 45 minutes devoted to lifting & technique and 45 minutes devoted to running & technique. The available time slots are listed below for both Middle School and Upper School options. As a reminder, all summer lifting sessions are free to current TFA student-athletes, but a current physical, FamilyID registration (2023-2024), and a current EKG are required prior to participating.
Session 1: May 30 – June 29
Session 2: July 10 – August 3
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday Timeslots:
- 8:00 – 9:30 AM: Football Only (Grades 9-12)
- 9:3O – 11:00 AM: All Male Athletes (Grades 9-12)
- 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM: All Female Athletes (Grades 9-12)
- 12:30 – 1:00 PM: Weight Room Closed
- 1:00 – 2:30 PM: Youth Only (Rising 6-8)
Wednesday Timeslots:
- 8:00 aAM – 12:00 PM: Open Gym for missed workouts
Register here for TFA’s summer workout program. If you have any questions about summer workouts or opportunities in the weight room this summer, please reach out to Coach Trey at TreyTyler@thefirstacademy.org.
Fall Tryout Information
If you are interested in Football, Girls’ Volleyball, Golf, or Cross-Country, you will find all of the information for tryouts linked below. Keep in mind that most sports will start and/or have tryouts before the first day of school.
Please remember that in order to try out for an athletic team or do any summer training activities, students must be registered on FamilyID and have a current physical on file.
This information can also be found on TFA’s website on the Athletics Upper and Middle School pages. If you have questions about FamilyID, please contact Trey Tyler at treytyler@thefirstacademy.org.
JV and Varsity
- Date: Monday, July 31, and Wednesday, August 2
- Time: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Location: Cramer Family Field House
- **6th – 8th-grade girls who would like to try out for JV/Varsity, please contact Coach Casalese for approval.
- Questions: Coach Casalese : joecasalese@thefirstacademy.org
Middle School
- Date: Monday, August 7 and Wednesday, August 9 – Thursday, August 10
- Time: Monday- 9:00 am – 12:00 pm; Wednesday & Thursday- 3:00 – 4:20 pm
- Location: Cramer Family Field House
- Questions: Coach Casalese : joecasalese@thefirstacademy.org
Varsity (no tryouts)– 9th Graders may participate on both teams.
- Practice begins Monday, July 31, and continues Tuesday – Saturday.
- Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am
- Location: Payne Stewart Athletic Complex- Kroy Crofoot Field
- 10th – 12th (9th graders must attend all varsity practices until JV begins).
- Questions: Coach Kinard: leroykinard@thefirstacademy.org
Junior Varsity (no tryouts)– 9th Graders may participate on both teams.
- Practice begins Wednesday, August 9
- Time: 3:15 – 4:15 pm
- Location: Payne Stewart Athletic Complex- Kroy Crofoot Field
- Grades 7th – 9th
- Questions: Coach Schultz: steveschultz@thefirstacademy.org
Flag Football
- Interest Form: Please fill out this form by August 2 if interested in playing
- Grades: 6th & 7th
- Questions: Bo Burgess: boburgess@thefirstacademy.org
JV and Varsity
- Date: Tuesday, August 1 – Wednesday, August 2
- Time: Email Coach Rosado for an afternoon, 9 hole tee time
- Location: TBD
- Grades: 6th – 12th
- Questions: Coach Rosado: robinrosado@thefirstacademy.org
Varsity
- Date: Tuesday, August 8 and Thursday, August 10
- Time: Email Coach Tanco for an afternoon, 9 hole tee time
- Location: TBD
- Grades: 6th – 12th
- Questions: victoriatanco@thefirstacademy.org
Varsity
- 2-mile time trial Date: Wednesday, August 2
- Time: 9:00 – 11:00 am
- Location: Payne Stewart Athletic Complex- Track
- Grades: 9th – 12th * Middle School students may tryout for Varsity- please contact Coach Hudson
- Questions: Coach Hudson: chadhudson@thefirstacademy.org
Middle School
- 1-mile time trial Date: Thursday, August 10
- Time: 3:15 – 4:00 pm
- Location: Cramer Family Field House Lobby
- Grades: 6th – 8th
- Questions: Coach Townsend: terratownsend@thefirstacademy.org
2023 – 2024 iPad and MacBook Information (3rd – 12th Grade)
Please review the iPad and MacBook Guidelines and Acknowledgement Forms for students in 3rd through 12th Grade. Please note, the acknowledgment forms are for new students or students transitioning from an iPad to MacBook for the 2023-2024 school year.
3rd through 6th Grade iPad Guidelines and Policies
3rd through 6th Grade iPad Acknowledgement Form
7th through 12th Grade MacBook Guidelines and Policies
7th through 12th Grade MacBook Acknowledgement Form
For more information, please visit TFA’s Technology Resource page here.
For questions, please contact Will Zavala, TFA’s Director of Technology, at williamzavala@thefirstacademy.org.
The Parent Association Executive Committee has begun preparing for the upcoming school year. In May, communication was sent from Lauren Sorenson, Parent Association President, to each TFA division outlining Committee Lead opportunities. You can view the communication here.
Save the Date! TFA’s Parent Association Kick-Off Breakfast and Volunteer Fair will be hosted on Thursday, August 17th. RSVP and more details to come!
For more information on TFA’s Parent Association (PA), click here.
All parents volunteering in the classroom, on campus, or chaperoning field trips must have a current background check on file. Click here to complete the Parent Volunteer Background Check.
Give Today
Believing there is much left to be accomplished and understanding that we are humbly dependent on God raising up a new generation of Gospel Patrons, we are fully convinced that God has great plans for our future. By His grace, we will continue to pray that current families will be inspired to lead the way with sacrificial gifts so that we can provide an even greater experience for our own children and the children to follow.
Give now to our current campaign- Imagine: A Campaign for the Natalie Thomas Student Center.
Please read the complete Gospel-Centered School Culture document.
The items outlined are designed to bolster the relationship between home, church, and school. These items do not define who is and who is not a Christ-follower. They are not a measure of one’s spiritual maturity. They are simply a set of principles that guide our partnership with parents in raising the next generation of Christian leaders and maintaining a healthy school culture marked by joy, gratitude, and kindness.
Follow the links on the following topics to help make your family’s 2023 – 2024 school year a success: