Back to School

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Back to School Info

Welcome to the Back to School Webpage! Everything parents and students need to know for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year can be found here. As the summer progresses, more Back to School updates for the 2022-2023 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.

Summer Communication

New Here? Learn more about New Family information online here.

New Family Event Schedule:

Monday, August 1st: Lower School New Family Welcome Event for Preschool through 1st Grade at 9:00- 10:15 AM, Lower School Playground.

RSVP here by July 28th.

Tuesday, August 2nd: Lower School New Family Welcome Event for 2nd through 5th Grade at 9:00- 10:15 AM, Lower School Playground.

RSVP here by July 28th.

Thursday, August 4th: Middle and Upper School New Student Event ‘Schedules and Snow Cones’ from 2:00- 3:00 PM, Upper School Building.

RSVP here by August 1.

June- August: ‘Details & Donuts’ for New Families, click to learn more and RSVP
https://thefirstacademy.org/admissions/new-family-information/

New Family Newsletters:

Have questions about Carline, Arrival and Dismissal? Watch this video to learn more.

Need a campus map? View it online here.

Back to School Events

Meet the Teacher for the 2022-2023 school year will be held in “Open House” style, with our teachers and staff looking forward to meeting students and families on Monday, August 8. 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
  • 4:00-8:00 PM: TFA Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A

Celebrate the start of the school year with our TFA Family after Meet the Teacher on Monday, August 8 from 4:00-8:00 PM at the Chick-fil-A located at 4181 Millenia Blvd, Orlando.

This TFA Takeover is a Spirit Night event, with proceeds going to benefit Royal-Thon. Be sure to say you’re with TFA when you order dine-in, drive-thru, or on mobile order (put TFA Spirit Night in the comments section for all mobile orders).

We look forward to beginning the 2022-2023 school year together as a school family. All families are invited to join us in the Worship Center on Thursday, August 18 at 9:30am 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 18 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 9:30am. More information to come and we look forward to seeing you there!

Back to School 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.

2022-2023 School Theme

Introducing our 2022-2023 School Year Theme!

We have one of the greatest ministry opportunities in all the world at The First Academy. Not only is our calling rooted in glorifying God, we are also continuing the legacy of our founders to integrate spiritual formation and scholastic excellence within the student experience. Our mission is to do both at the highest level for His glory!

We look forward to 2022-2023!

The TFA calendar for the 2022-2023 school year is now available! You can view the full calendar and save important dates for the upcoming school year. Click here to view the 2022-2023 Calendar.

Click here for the main dates.

Click here for The Classical School (TCS) Annual Calendar.

Click here for The First Hope (TFH) Annual Calendar.

Announcing Teacher Blessing/Late Start School Days! In order to provide additional time to bless, encourage, celebrate, and minister to the hearts of our teachers and staff, there are two Teacher Blessing/Late Start School Days on the upcoming school year calendar. Many of our teachers serve as coaches and facilitators of after-school activities with our students, making it nearly impossible to get everyone together at the same time in the afternoon. The new addition to the calendar provides the gift of time that will allow the entire faculty and staff community to worship together, pray for one another, and support the wellness of our community.  On Tuesday, November 1st and Wednesday, April 19th, the school day will start at 10:00am, with arrival and student supervision beginning at 9:45am. Further reminders will follow closer to the dates.

Below you will find the supply lists for students. Note, supply lists are linked Google Docs that may be updated by teachers.

Lower School Supply Packs

Lower School, in conjunction with the Royal Store, is offering a new convenience to families for the 2022-2023 school year by making prepackaged school supplies available for purchase for each grade level. These grade-level specific supply packs contain most of the items on our Lower School Supply Lists for the upcoming school year. By purchasing the packs, you will save both time and money. Supply packs will be delivered straight to the classrooms for your child and will be waiting for you at Meet the Teacher on Monday, August 8th.

There are items for each grade level that are NOT included in the pre-packaged supply kits that families will need to purchase on their own. These items are designated on the 2022-2023 Lower School Supply Lists.

The deadline to order is May 30th.

Lower School Supply Lists

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

The First Hope

We will continue with our current drop-off and pick-up procedures for the 2022-2023 school year. K-Prep – 12th-grade families will continue using the designated carlines for student drop-off and pick-up. Preschool families will continue to drop off at the designated side entrance of Lower School.

School Start & Dismissal Times

Start Time

Grades K4-12………… Monday – Friday……….. 8:00 am

PreK2 & PreK3………… Monday – Friday………. 9:00 am*

Dismissal Time

Grades K4-12 Monday – Friday………………………… 2:45 pm

PreK2 & PreK3…………..Monday – Friday…………. 3:00 pm*

These are the arrival and dismissal times for all divisions, including The Classical School and The First Hope.

Have questions about Carline, Arrival and Dismissal? Watch this video to learn more.

*PreK2 & PreK3 Morning Care is available at 7:30 am for students enrolled in Wrap Around Care. PreK2 & PreK3 After Care is available until 5:00 pm for students enrolled in Wrap Around Care. Morning Care and After Care is NOT available for PreK2 & PreK3 students on a drop-in basis.

TFA partners with FLIK Independent School Dining to ensure that 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
  • Watch the instructional video with steps on 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 2021-2022 school year will be forwarded to the 2022-2023 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 2022-2023 school year. Order online anytime at theroyalstore.org.

Summer Hours

  • Wednesdays 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM in June & July
  • Tuesday, August 2 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Wednesday, August 3 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM
  • Thursday, August 4 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
  • Friday, August 5 – Closed

First Week of School Hours

  • Monday, August 8 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
  • Tuesday, August 9 – Closed
  • Wednesday, August 10 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
  • Thursday, August 11 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
  • Friday, August 12 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Regular Store Hours (starting August 16th)

  • Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays Open 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Uniforms & Dress Code

Please click to view TFA’s 2022-2023 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.

The After Care Program is available for students of all grade levels in K4-12. For more information and to register, 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, Staff and School Directory, Teacher e-mail addresses, and other school information.

A link to the Family Portal login page may be found in the top, right corner of The First Academy website’s homepage.

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.

Fine Arts

Support the Fine Arts at TFA through the Fine Arts Network. For more information, click here.

Summer Athletics

Planning on playing a sport during the 2022-2023 school year? Be sure to 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 21/22 school year. Coach Trey Tyler and Coach Jessica Kenning have 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 slot for those needing to make up a workout. Workouts will be an hour-long, and teams are encouraged to work out together. The available time slots are listed below, but please be courteous and keep your selected time slot throughout the summer sessions. As a reminder, all summer lifting sessions are free to current TFA student-athletes, but a current physical and FamilyID registration (2022-2023) is required prior to participating.

Timeslots:

  • 8:00-9:00 (Reserved for Football)
  • 9:00-10:00
  • 10:00-11:00
  • 11:00-12:00
  • 1:00-2:00
  • 2:00-3:00

You can find the link to sign up for summer workouts online here (create an account then scroll down to “Athletics Summer Training Sessions”. Please sign up for both sessions if you plan on participating all summer). 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 or Coach Jess at JessicaKenning@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.

Girls Volleyball

JV and Varsity

  • Location: Cramer Family Field House
  • Dates: August 1st – 3rd (must be at all three dates)
  • Time: 4:00pm – 7:00pm
  • Teams Set: August 3rd
  • Grades: 9th – 12th

Practice will take place on Thursday and Friday (8/4 – 8/5). Full practice schedules will be shared after teams are set.

** 6th – 8th grade girls that would like to try out for JV or Varsity, please contact Joe Casalese at joecasalese@thefirstacademy.org for approval to tryout.

For any questions about Varsity or Junior Varsity Girls Volleyball, contact Coach Joe Casalese.

Middle School

  • Location: Cramer Family Field House
  • Dates: August 10th and 11th
  • Time: 3:00pm – 4:30pm
  • Teams Set: August 11th
  • Grades: 6th – 8th

The number of teams and players per team will be dependent on the number of students that come to tryouts and maximum roster limits. Our goal is to field two teams.

For any questions about Middle School Girls Volleyball, contact Joe Casalese at
joecasalese@thefirstacademy.org.

Boys Football

Varsity (no tryouts)

  • Location: Payne Stewart Athletic Complex
  • Start Date: August 1st
  • Time: 8:00am – 11:00am
  • Grades: 10th – 12th

Practice will take place Monday August 1st through Saturday August 6th from 8:00am – 11:00am each day.

** 9th-grade boys that would like to play Varsity, please contact Coach Kinard this summer at LeroyKinard@thefirstacademy.org for consideration.

For any questions about Varsity Football and any summer activities, contact Coach Kinard at LeroyKinard@thefirstacademy.org.

Junior Varsity (no tryouts)

  • Location: Payne Stewart Athletic Complex
  • Start Date: August 10th (equipment passed out)
  • Time: 3:15pm – 4:30pm
  • Grades: 7th – 9th

Practice will take place Thursday August 11th and Friday August 12th from 3:30pm – 5:30pm each day. Coach Schultz will give additional information on Friday the 12th.

For any questions about Junior Varsity Football and any summer activities, contact Coach Schultz at SteveSchultz@thefirstacademy.org.

Flag Football

  • Location: TBD
  • Start Date: TBD
  • Time: TBD
  • Grades: 6th – 7th (Boys only)

Please contact Bo Burgess at robertburgess@thefirstacademy.org if your son is interested in Flag football. We will field a flag football team if we have the numbers to do so.

Boys Golf

JV and Varsity

  • Location: Falcon’s Fire Country Club, 3200 Seralago Blvd, Kissimmee, FL 34746
  • Dates: August 2nd – 3rd (must be at both dates)
  • Time: Tee times will start at 11:00am
  • Teams Set: August 3rd
  • Grades: 6th – 12th

In order to try out, you must have a tee time. To reserve your tee time, contact Coach Rosado at RobinRosado@thefirstacademy.org.

For any questions about Varsity or Junior Varsity Boys Golf and any summer activities, contact Coach Rosado.

Girls Golf

Varsity

  • Location: Falcon’s Fire Country Club, 3200 Seralago Blvd, Kissimmee, FL 34746
  • Date: August 4th (one day only)
  • Time: Tee times will start at 11:00am
  • Teams Set: August 4th
  • Grades: 6th – 12th

In order to try out, you must have a tee time. To reserve your tee time, contact Coach Rosado at RobinRosado@thefirstacademy.org.

Boys & Girls Cross Country

Varsity (no tryouts)

  • Location: Payne Stewart Athletic Complex / Track
  • Date: Monday August 1st
  • Time: 9:00am – 10:00am
  • Grades: 9th – 12th

Those interested in Varsity Cross Country should come prepared to do a 2-mile run to determine individual running plans.

** Middle School students are welcome to try out for the varsity team on August 1st, but please contact Coach Hudson first.

For any questions about Varsity Cross Country and an optional summer workout program, contact Coach Hudson at ChadHudson@thefirstacademy.org.

Middle School (no tryouts)

  • Location: Cramer Family Field House (front entrance)
  • Date: Wednesday August 10th
  • Time: 3:15pm – 4:00pm
  • Grades: 6th – 8th

Those interested in Middle School Cross Country should come prepared to do a 2 mile run to determine individual running plans.

For any questions about Middle School Cross Country and an optional summer workout program, contact Coach Hudson at chadhudson@thefirstacademy.org.

2022-2023 iPad and MacBook Information (3rd- 12th Grade)

Please click the links below to read the communication sent to families with information about TFA’s iPad and MacBook programs for the 2022-2023 school year.

3rd-5th Grade iPad Communication

6th Grade iPad Communication

7th-12th Grade MacBook Communication

TFA 1:1 MacBook Announcement: 7th-12th Grade

For more information, please visit TFA’s Technology Resource page here.

For questions, please contact Will Zavala, TFA’s Educational Technologist, 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, incoming Parent Association President, to each TFA division outlining Committee Lead opportunities. You can view each division’s communication via the links below.

Save the Date! TFA’s Parent Association Kick-Off Breakfast and Volunteer Fair will be hosted on Thursday, August 18th (more details to come!).

For more information on TFA’s Parent Association (PA), click here.

All parents volunteering in the classroom or chaperoning field trips must have a current background check on file. Click here to complete the Parent Volunteer Background Check.

The First Academy is committed to the ongoing health, safety, and wellness of our school community. Click here to read the latest TFA Health Protocols for our campus.

The TFA Top 15 Parent-Student Handbook Items 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. Please read these important highlights online here.

Follow the links on the following topics to help make your family’s 2022-2023 school year a success: