Founders Classical Academy
Leander, TX
Family Handbook
2016-2017
Last updated August 10, 2016
2
If, therefore, there is some end of our actions that we wish for
on account of itself…clearly this would be the good, that is, the best.
And with a view to our life, then, is not the knowledge of this good
of great weight, and would we not, like archers in possession of a target,
better hit on what is needed?
Aristotle, ​Nicomachean Ethics, Book I
Come, my friends,
‘Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “Ulysses”
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Section 1: School Hours
Section 2: The Mission of Founders Classical Academy
A. Mission Statement
B. What is a Charter School?
Section 3: Curriculum
A. Course of Study
B. Grading
Weighted GPA
C. Promotion
Grammar School (K-6)
Upper School (7-12)
D. Latin
E. Homework
Late Homework
F. Study Hall
G. State Assessments
STAAR Exams
End-of-course (EOC) Exams
H. Controversial Issues
Religion & Religious Expression
Human Sexuality
I. High School Graduation Requirements
Latin
Senior Thesis
Additional Graduation Policies
Dual Credit Course Requests
College Visit Absence Requests
Grade Level Classification
Outline of Upper School Coursework
J. Ranking
Class Rank
Valedictorian and Salutatorian
K. Awards
Honor Roll
End of the Year Awards
Subject Awards
Kindergarten -3rd Grade
4th-6th Grade
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7th-12th Grade
Spartan Award
Aeneas Award
Achilles Award
Odysseus Award
Section 4: Decorum and Discipline
Decorum
Core Virtues
Attendance
Excused Absences
Make-up Work
Tardies
Doctors’ Appointments
School Uniform
Formal Wednesday
PE Clothing
House Colors
Socks and Tights
Outerwear
Shoes
Backpacks, Lunchboxes, Water Bottles, and Bags
Personal Appearance
Jewelry
Makeup
Hair Accessories
General Decorum
Classroom
Campus
Academic Honesty
B. Discipline
Disciplinary Action
Poor Behavior Slips
Pink Slips
Bullying
Section 5: School Activities
Upper School House System
B. Extracurricular Activities
School Clubs
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TCSAAL
Athletics Policies
External PE Credit
C. Field Trips
Chaperones
D. School Dances
Section 6: Procedures and Policies
A. Daily Procedures
School Day
Drop-off and Pick-up
Instructions for Hang Tags
Late Pick Up
Pledges and Morning Assemblies
Grammar School Assembly
All School Assembly
Pledges of Allegiance
The American Pledge of Allegiance
The Texas Pledge of Allegiance
School Meals & Lunchtime
Snacks
Medication
B. General Campus Policies
Inclement Weather
Illness
Network & Internet Access
Videos
Electronic Devices
Visitors on Campus
Sex Offenders
Parent Visits
Classroom Observations
Volunteering
Archers Council
Watch D.O.G.S.
Lost and Found
Operation of Motor Vehicles on Campus
Parking
Parent-school Communication
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Grievances
Textbooks
Withdrawals
Section 7: Appendices
Appendix A: Purchasing School Uniforms
Appendix B: Guidelines for School Volunteers
Appendix C: Guidelines for School Athletics
Athletic Code of Conduct
Philosophy of Winning and Participation
Dual Participation
Physical Education and Participation
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Dear parents,
Welcome to Founders Classical Academy, and thank you for choosing this place among the
many schooling options you have. The mission of Founders Classical Academy is to train the
minds and improve the hearts of young men and women through a rigorous, classical education
in the liberal arts and sciences, with instruction in good character and civic virtue. It is a high
calling, and a difficult one. But it is a calling that can be realized if we are clear in our aims and
joined together by common purpose.
Parents, in choosing classical education for your child, you have chosen a more difficult path,
but one that brings great rewards for those who travel it well. Our school hopes not merely to
care for your students, but to help them fill their minds with knowledge. Our methods are the
old-fashioned ones—we diagram sentences, we read the great and difficult books, we memorize
and recite poetry, we do mathematical proofs. We do things the hard way because we know that
there are no shortcuts when it comes to understanding, and because we believe that the things
we study are worth the effort. At Founders Classical Academy, we want to really know things,
not just appear to know them.
We stand against many of the trends that have overtaken American education for the sake of
providing something increasingly rare: an education that is good for its own sake. At Founders
Classical Academy, we believe that a liberal education in the sciences and the humanities is
inherently good—something worth having apart from the many good things that can come from
it. Schools like ours often produce impressive students; graduating seniors with high SAT scores,
excellent college applications, and the opportunity to be doctors or lawyers once they finish
college. We hope that our first graduates will be impressive as well, but we do not think that
making them merely impressive is the primary mission of our school. We believe that even the
highest accolades are worth nothing if the person who earns them doesn’t deserve them. In the
end, what good does a perfect SAT score do for a human being who lacks the virtues? Instead
we think that our work is to help our students learn to be good, to teach them to be men and
women with sound minds and well-formed characters. We hope to help them become
thoughtful judges of their own happiness and forces for what is right in the world.
At Founders Classical Academy, we resist the approach popular in so many schools today--to
use the K-12 years as a time for training in a particular trade or profession. Some schools
measure their success by what kinds of jobs their students get, but we set our sights on a much
higher prize. Liberal education, education that is good for its own sake, is the education that
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makes human beings free—free to consider the world it as it is and endeavor to understand it
over time. Liberal education teaches an independence that it unavailable to a person trained for a
particular career in a particular set of skills. The liberally educated person is open to the world,
but also well grounded in knowledge and in virtue, so he or she is free to ask the most important
questions for human beings and then reason through those questions well. The liberally
educated person understands himself, and because he knows that his character is his most
important possession, he cares for it above all.
In choosing Founders Classical Academy, you have chosen a very particular kind of place. To
honor the choice that you have made, we promise to treat your students’ education as an end in
itself. We promise to help them learn to be virtuous, not just credentialed. We promise to
educate them to be thinkers, not merely to train them for a particular profession. We promise to
challenge them to help them see what they are capable of. We promise to pursue the truth
without shame and without agenda. We promise to help your students know themselves, and to
help them cultivate their minds and their characters in accordance with virtue.
We ask that you support our school in the community and to your children. This important and
difficult education relies upon a close partnership between parent and teacher. Because a
classical school aims for more than just supervising students, or training them for careers, we
cannot go about our work without you. We ask that you get to know us, and get to know
classical education. We encourage you to learn about our curriculum and the mission of our
school by visiting our website. We invite you to schedule observations of our classrooms to see
firsthand what your student is learning and how instruction in a classical school works. When
you have questions about something your student is learning or a method used by a teacher, we
hope you will ask us.
We hope you will display to your students the core virtues we teach—courage, moderation,
justice, responsibility, friendliness, prudence, and wisdom. Help us teach them to understand
themselves and to develop the good habits that lead to moral virtue. Above all, help us
demonstrate to them that learning is not just for young people. Show them through example
that curiosity about the world along with the good judgment to understand it well is the truest
and best source of human happiness. I thank you for your support of our school, and I look
forward to another excellent school year.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kathleen O’Toole
Headmaster
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Purpose of the Founders Classical Academy Family Handbook
Added July 2015
This handbook is our first and most important founding document. It describes the policies and
procedures that will guide us as we work together to fulfill the school’s mission. It exists
alongside the Responsive Education Solutions Parent/Student Handbook, which governs the
larger operations of our district. This handbook will be amended from time to time, as changes
and additions become necessary. Changes will be announced when they are made and the
policies affected will be marked clearly with the date of the addition or revision.
Students and parents begin the year by reading the handbook and signing the oath included at
the back. In signing their names, they agree to abide by the policies named in this document and
become a member of an important partnership between family and school.
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Section 1: School Hours
Founders Classical Academy
1303 Leander Drive
Leander, TX 78641
School Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am -3:30pm (K-12)
Front Office: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm
Closed weekends and major holidays
Email: [email protected]
Phone (main): (512) 259-0103
Phone (morning absences): (512) 457-9975
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Section 2: The Mission of Founders Classical Academy
A. Mission Statement
The mission of Founders Classical Academy is to train the minds and improve the hearts of
young men and women through a rigorous, classical education in the liberal arts and sciences,
with instruction in good character and civic virtue.
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B. What is a Charter School?
Charter schools are free public schools, open to all. Unlike other public schools, charter schools
are given flexibility in crafting their mission, designing their curriculum, and hiring their faculty.
The result is a unique and innovative educational model that responds to the needs of students
and their families. All students are welcome to apply to a charter school and if the number of
applicants exceeds the number of available spots, students are chosen by lottery.
The state of Texas has outlined 5 main purposes for its charter school system. Charter schools
are intended to:
1. improve student learning,
2. increase the choice of learning opportunities within the public school system,
3. create professional opportunities that will attract new teachers to the public school system,
4. establish a new form of accountability for public schools,
5. and encourage different and innovative learning methods.
Founders Classical Academy of Leander operates under a charter of Responsive Education
Solutions (RES) that embraces all of these aims. RES has created a variety of models for their
charters and successfully operates over 60 campuses in the state of Texas alone, constituting one
of the largest charter districts in the state. Founders Classical Academy of Leander is RES’s third
classical charter school, and was opened following the success of two others in Lewisville, Texas
and Bentonville, Arkansas.
Founders Classical Academy of Leander also maintains a partnership with the Barney Charter
School Initiative at Hillsdale College. With Hillsdale’s assistance, we have developed a rigorous
classical curriculum that nourishes the natural curiosity of children, promotes civic virtue, and
develops the whole human being – mind, body, and soul.
The mission of Founders Classical Academy of Leander is to train the minds and improve the
hearts of young men and women through a rigorous, classical education in the liberal arts and
sciences, with instruction in good character and civic virtue. Our freedom to innovate allows us
to return to time-tested methods of instruction, including teacher-centered education and a
traditional curriculum that focuses on the greatest books and thinkers of the Western tradition.
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Section 3: Curriculum
The curriculum at Founders Classical Academy teaches cultural literacy and emphasizes the
intellectual and moral virtues through a content-rich, cohesive course of study. Our aim is to
cultivate a love of the just, the beautiful, the good, and the true, and to make the pursuit of these
things a way of life. We acknowledge objective standards of correctness, logic, and gravity
whereby these may be judged. Our hope is not merely to teach students skills but to enrich their
lives and inspire their souls.
The Western tradition is central to our study of history, literature, and philosophy, and within
the Western tradition we single out America for particular attention. We engage in a rich and
recurring examination of the American literary, moral, philosophical, political, and historical
traditions. The proper study of these areas relies on and fosters a school culture demanding
moral virtue, decorum, respect, discipline, and studiousness among the students and faculty. Our
faculty is made up of well-educated men and women who lead the students in the pursuit of
knowledge. The teacher begins as the center of attention, and through him or her the material
achieves its place as the focus of learning.
All of this is directed toward one end, the lasting happiness of our students as they become
citizens and thinkers in their own right.
A. Course of Study
Founders Classical Academy is divided into two schools, the Grammar School, serving
Kindergarten through 6​th​ grade, and the Upper School, serving 7​th​ through 12​th​ grades. As a
whole, the curriculum is designed around the following principles:
1)
The centrality of the Western tradition in the study of history, literature, and philosophy;
2)
A rich and recurring examination of the American literary, moral, philosophical, political,
and historical traditions;
3)
The use of explicit phonics instruction for the teaching of reading;
4)
The teaching of Latin;
5)
The acknowledgement of objective standards of correctness, logic, beauty, weightiness,
and truth intrinsic to the liberal arts;
6)
A school culture demanding moral virtue, decorum, respect, discipline, and studiousness
among the students and faculty;
7)
A curriculum that is content-rich;
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8)
A faculty where well-educated and articulate teachers explicitly convey real-world
knowledge to students using traditional teaching methods;
9)
The effective use of technology without diminishing the faculty leadership that is crucial
to academic achievement.
B. Grading
Grades indicate how well a student has mastered a particular subject. Teachers will assign grades
in order to reflect accurately the range between true mastery and insufficient knowledge. Grade
inflation will be discouraged.
In Kindergarten and 1​st​ grade we will use the following marks:
E = Excellent performance
S = Satisfactory performance
N = Performance needs improvement
U = Unsatisfactory performance
In 2​nd​ Grade through 12​th​ grade, we will use the following grading scale:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CF
Grading scale
94-100%
90-93.9%
87-89.9%
84-86.9%
80-83.9%
77-77.9%
74-76.9%
70-73.9%
0-69.9%
GPA
4.00
3.70
3.30
3.00
2.70
2.30
2.00
1.70
0.00
Students will receive report cards every 9 weeks. Only semester grades will count toward a
student’s grade point average in the Upper School. A semester grade for a class is the average
(rounded to a tenth) of the numeric grades (percentages) from the two quarters in that semester.
In order to calculate a GPA, numeric grades are converted into points based on the grading scale
above. Points are awarded for each class at the end of a semester. The semester GPA is
calculated by totaling those points and averaging them by the number of classes taken that
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semester. A final GPA is determined by adding all the points from each semester and averaging
them. GPAs are rounded to a hundredth.
Weighted GPA
Added July 2016
Founders Classical Academy does not inflate student grades, since doing so poorly harms
students in their ability to lead independent, responsible, and productive lives. Nevertheless, the
larger academic world does not share our view, and to ignore this would do a disservice to our
students as they apply for colleges and scholarships.
In order to maintain the integrity of our students’ education while recognizing the pressures of
the broader academic world, Founders Classical Academy has adopted the following grading
policy:
For purposes of official high school transcripts only, courses in the subjects of literature, history,
science, and math, as well as courses that count for both high school and college credit will be
weighted on a 5-point scale as follows:
A
5.00
C+
3.30
A-
4.70
C
3.00
B+
4.30
C-
2.70
B
4.00
F
0.00
B-
3.70
For report cards, retention and promotion decisions, club and athletic eligibility, honor roll
designations, eligibility for in-school honors, and for all other purposes, the standard 4-point
scale applies.
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C. Promotion
Grammar School (K-6)
A student will be considered for promotion only if he or she can read just above grade level and
is competent in the other core subjects (English, Math, History, Science, and in sixth grade,
Latin). In addition, students in Kindergarten through second grade must achieve minimum levels
of competence in Riggs phonograms.
Upper School (7-12)
A student must attain a 1.7 GPA (C- or higher) in each of the core subjects (English, Math,
History, Science, Latin) to pass to the next grade. Students must retake over the summer core
courses for which they receive a failing grade. Because Founders Classical Academy does not
offer summer school, students will need to earn credit through another suitable program
approved by the Headmaster.
D. Latin
Part of what distinguishes our curriculum is the study of Latin, the language of the ancient
Romans. In 3​rd​ Grade students begin to learn Latin root words, and they continue their formal
study of Latin through Upper School.
But why study Latin? There are at least four reasons. The first and most important is that some
of the best books in the history of the West are written in Latin. Thomas Jefferson, in proposing
a course of study for the state of Virginia, claimed,
I think the Greeks & Romans have left us the present models which exist of fine composition...I
know of no composition of any other ancient people, which merits the least regard as a model
for its matter or style. To all this I add, that to read the Latin & Greek authors in their original, is
a sublime luxury.... I thank on my knees, him who directed my early education, for having put
into my possession this rich source of delight; and I would not exchange it for anything which I
could then have acquired, & have not since acquired.
According to Jefferson, reading Latin teaches us about good writing, which nourishes the mind
and teaches one to love what is well-ordered and beautiful. A second reason to study Latin is
that the West—Europe and America—is in large part rooted in Roman civilization. Some
phrases we easily recognize, such as those in our sciences (​homo sapiens), in our Constitution
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(​habeas corpus, ​ex post facto) and in more familiar expressions such as A.D, i.e., and e.g. Further
study in Latin teaches us about who we are as the descendants of Western civilization. A third
reason is that Latin requires a high degree of discipline and focus. Students who study Latin
develop the confidence that comes with hard work and are in turn better prepared to study other
romance languages. A final and related reason is that Latin helps students understand English,
preparing them to write more clearly and read more closely.
E. Homework
Homework is an important part of a classical education. Students who do not actively and
consistently contribute to their own education, both in class and at home, will fall behind and
sell themselves short.
Homework takes place in the home, with all of the distractions that come with it. We encourage
parents to provide a calm, quiet place for their children to complete their work. Television,
music, movies, and video games seldom contribute to real learning, and we suggest that these be
restricted while students are studying. At best this will extend homework time beyond what one
would typically need and at worst will hinder real learning.
Every student will have some homework every day. Students in the Grammar School should
spend 20 to 30 minutes every evening reading, whether or not reading homework is assigned.
We encourage you to choose a book to read as a family, and make a little progress on it every
night.
As a general rule, a student can expect 10 minutes of homework per grade level. So, a 1​st​ grader
will have approximately 10 minutes of homework per night and a 6​th​ grader will have
approximately 60 minutes, or one hour. In the Upper School, students can expect to have 1.5 to
2 hours of homework per night.
Late Homework
Added July 2015
Updated July 2016
It is very important that students complete homework well and on time. Homework provides
essential practice following a lesson and important preparation for the lessons to come. Failing
to complete homework when it is assigned can cause a student to fall behind and compromise
his or her understanding for days to come.
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In grades 3-12, teachers will penalize daily homework assignments that are late according to the
following rules:
1 day late: 25% off the final grade
2 days late: 50% off the final grade
3 days late: 100% off the final grade; automatic 0
Penalties on late papers and major assignments will vary by subject and class.
First and second grade students who do not complete a homework assignment have their class
behavior clip moved down, and they may be required to miss recess in order to complete the
assignment. If the assignment cannot be completed at recess, the student has 1 extra day to
complete it with a deduction from that week’s participation grade. If the assignment is not
completed after an extra day, then the student will receive a deduction from the week’s
participation grade and no credit for the assignment. Penalties on late papers and major
assignments will vary by subject and class.
F. Study Hall
Amended July 2015
Amended July 2016
Students in 6​th​ through 12​th​ grade will have a 30-minute study hall. During this time, they must
either work on their homework or, with permission, receive assistance from a teacher.
G. State Assessments
The state of Texas requires standardized testing (STAAR exams) in reading and math for Grades
3-8, as well as writing in 4​th and 7​th grade, science in 5​th and 8​th grade, and social studies in 8​th
Grade. Texas also requires exams in several high-school subjects, called “end of course” exams
or “EOCs.” While we are required to participate in these exams and will take them seriously
when they arrive in the spring, our approach differs from that in many public schools and
deserves a comment.
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Our curriculum is not designed around the STAAR and our teachers do not “teach to the test.”
We do dedicate some time to test preparation, but to do so excessively would detract from the
classical course of study that Founders provides. Test preparation has less to do with content
than it does with the form and manner in which test questions are written, as well as the order in
which certain subjects are placed in the general state curriculum. Our curriculum in Grammar
School math, for instance, follows a rational order that deepens and broadens student
knowledge, but not in an order that aligns perfectly with the math subjects in the STAAR exams.
In order to do well on these assessments, then, we will supplement our curriculum where
necessary.
STAAR Exams
3​rd​ Grade: Mathematics and Reading
4​th​ Grade: Mathematics, Reading, and Writing
5​th​ Grade: Mathematics, Reading, and Science
6​th​ Grade: Mathematics and Reading
7​th​ Grade: Mathematics, Reading, and Writing
8​th​ Grade: Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Social Studies
End-of-course (EOC) Exams
Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, U.S. History
Please consult the school calendar for the STAAR testing schedule. On STAAR testing dates,
campus is closed and students may not be picked up early from school. Please plan accordingly.
For more information about state testing, please consult the RES Parent/Student Handbook.
H. Controversial Issues
While we encourage thoughtful questioning and lively discussion of the texts and issues that we
study in class, some topics are particularly sensitive and must be treated with special care.
Problems, subjects, and questions of a controversial nature will be presented carefully, keeping
in mind that the discovery of the truth is the primary goal of learning.
Religion & Religious Expression
Western civilization has had and continues to have an ongoing, vigorous, and thoughtful
conversation concerning the place of religion in human life. We will encourage such discussions
as they arise from the material that students engage, and will respect the diverse viewpoints that
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such a topic elicits, so long as those views are offered respectfully and with the solemnity they
merit. For more information, please consult the RES Parent/Student Handbook.
Human Sexuality
Updated February 2015
All of our actions and relationships are bound up with questions of morality, of doing the right
thing in changing circumstances At Founders Classical Academy we believe that moral questions
are primarily the family’s responsibility, and that formal education ought to play a supporting
role. Sexuality is one such moral question, extending far beyond mere biology to modesty, the
place of the family in human life, love, spirituality, and powerful emotions. We will therefore
teach it responsibly, respectfully, and with the sensitivity it deserves. We believe children, despite
their curiosity, are not ready to learn everything at once and we will respect their natural
innocence as much as possible.
The Core Knowledge curriculum includes a discussion of the reproductive organs and
reproduction in 5​th​ Grade. These subjects will be taught in a gender-separated environment.
Parents will have the opportunity to preview the materials the class will be reading. Parents will
also have the opportunity to attend a meeting with the teacher(s) prior to the section on
sexuality. Sexual intercourse will only be discussed in the context of marriage. Parents may
choose to have their children opt out of this portion of the class, which will be taught during the
regular science time.
Sex education will be taught in the Upper School in the context of human health. Just as in the
elementary school, sex education will be taught in a gender-separated environment. Sexuality will
be taught as naturally directed to the rearing of children and as an aspect of a monogamous
marriage. The moral and physical consequences of promiscuous sex will be made plain.
In the Upper School themes related to sexuality and love will emerge from the reading of a
serious text, such as ​The Scarlet Letter, The Aeneid, ​The Republic,​ or ​Brave New World. When these
topics do emerge from the curriculum itself, teachers will engage the material with all of the
moral seriousness that it merits. In the higher grades, students may be involved in discussions
concerning sexuality and sexual restraint as these issues affect their living a moral and
responsible life.
I. High School Graduation Requirements
Updated July 2015
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High School students must complete 28 credits worth of coursework, broken down in the
following manner:
1.
4 credits (8 semesters) of ​Literature
2.
4 credits (8 semesters) of ​History
3.
4 credits (8 semesters) of ​Mathematics
4.
4 credits (8 semesters) of ​Science
5.
3 credits of ​Latin​, usually earned over 8 semesters*
6.
1 credit (2 semesters) of ​Fine Arts
7.
1 credit (2 semesters) of ​Physical Education
8.
0.5 credit of ​Composition
9.
0.5 credit of ​Rhetoric
10.
0.5 credit of ​Economics
11.
0.5 credit of ​American Government
12.
2 credits of ​Philosophy​*
13.
3 additional elective credits
14.
a senior thesis
* Students in the Class of 2017 will earn 1 credit in Philosophy and may earn fewer credits in Latin, if they arrived to
Founders too late to take a full three years. See note below, under “Latin,” and “Outline of Upper School
Coursework,” for more information about the Classes of 2017 and 2018.
Latin
Updated July 2015
A student must demonstrate competence in Latin I, II, and III. If a student enters the high
school having already completed this Latin requirement, he or she must take 3 years (6
semesters) of another foreign language during high school.
In the founding years of the school, modifications to the Latin requirement may be made for
students who arrive too late to complete the full three years of Latin. These modifications will be
made by permission of the Headmaster.
Senior Thesis
Students must complete a senior thesis in order to graduate from high school and present that
thesis in a formal setting. The topic for every student is the following:
“What is the good life? Describe a person, historical or fictional, who exemplifies that life.”
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Additional Graduation Policies
Students will not have free periods. Study hall will be allowed for students participating in
private or commercially sponsored sports and who are exempt from the PE requirement, but all
other students must fill every period of the 7-period day.
A student who transfers to Founders Classical Academy after the 9​th​ grade may need to take an
additional course to make up for the credit missed. In this situation the Headmaster will work
with the student and parents on scheduling and finding appropriate coursework.
Students who complete the highest level of a subject offered at Founders prior to the 12​th​ grade
may take courses at a local college to fill the graduation requirements. No student may take off
campus or online courses for credit without the prior approval of the Headmaster.
Dual Credit Course Requests
High school students wishing to request permission to enroll in dual-credit courses must meet
the following requirements:
1.
The student must be on track to graduate on time and have passed the required
TAKS/EOC tests for the previous year.
2.
The student must be classified as a sophomore or higher based upon credits earned.
3.
The student must have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.3 for the previous year.
4.
The student must have no disciplinary or attendance problems.
Students must submit a “Dual Credit Request Form” to the College Counseling Office. All
requests require a minimum of two weeks’ notice for review and processing and will be assessed
on an individual basis.
College Visit Absence Requests
High school students who meet the following criteria will be allowed to have two excused days
of absence for a college visit during their junior year and two excused days of absence for a
college visit during their senior year:
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1.
The student must have passed the required parts of the TAKS/EOC tests for the
previous year.
2.
The student must be on track to graduate on time.
3.
The student must be classified as a junior or senior based upon credits earned.
4.
The student must be passing all coursework.
5.
The student must meet the 90% attendance rule.
6.
The student cannot have any disciplinary issues.
Students must submit a “College Visit Absence Request Form” to the Attendance Office at least
two days prior to the day requested for a college visit and official documentation must be turned
into the office in building 3 within one week of the visit.
Grade Level Classification
Grade level classification of students is composed of two requirements:
●
●
Units of credit for each grade (see below)
Sequence of courses for each grade and prerequisites for each course
Grade level classification is based on these units of credit earned:
●
●
●
Sophomore: 7 units of credit
Junior:
13 units of credit
Senior:
19 units of credit
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Outline of Upper School Coursework
Updated July 2015
7​th​ Grade
8​th​ Grade
Literature and Composition
Core Knowledge History and Geography
Singapore Pre-Algebra
Core Knowledge Science
Latin IB
Core Knowledge Art and Music
Physical Education
Literature and Composition
Core Knowledge History and Geography
Singapore Pre-Algebra
Core Knowledge Science
Latin II
Core Knowledge Art and Music
Physical Education
9​th​ Grade
10​th​ Grade
Literature I
Western Civilization I
Algebra I or Geometry
Biology
Latin III
Composition (Half Credit)
Rhetoric (Half Credit)
Elective
Literature II
Western Civilization II and III (Two Credits)
Geometry or Algebra II
Chemistry
Latin, or other Foreign Language
Elective
11​th​ Grade
12​th​ Grade
Literature III
American History
Algebra II or Pre-Calculus
Physics
Modern Philosophy and Political Thought
Latin, or other Foreign Language
Elective
Literature IV
Pre-Calculus or Calculus
Astronomy
Economics (Half Credit)
American Government (Half Credit)
Classical Philosophy and Political Thought
Latin, or other Foreign Language
Elective
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For our first graduating classes, some changes to this plan are necessary. Students in the Class of
2018 will take Rhetoric during the 10​th​ grade year. Students in the Class of 2017 will take courses
according to the following plan:
11​th​ Grade
12​th​ Grade
Literature III
American History
Algebra II or Pre-Calculus
Physics
American Government (Half Credit)
Modern Philosophy and Political Thought (Half
Credit)
Latin
Literature IV
Pre-Calculus or Calculus
Astronomy
Economics (Half Credit)
Classical Philosophy and Political Thought (Half
Credit)
Western Civilization III
Latin
J. Ranking
Class Rank
Students who are in the top 10% of their graduating class, who meet the Texas standard for
recommended or distinguished coursework, and who complete at least 26 credits, are eligible for
automatic admission to any public university in Texas under state law. Please consult the RES
parent/student handbook for more details on how we rank students.
Valedictorian and Salutatorian
Our valedictorian and salutatorian, as the best students in a challenging program, deserve to be
singled out for particular honor. This presents a problem, however, since students may come to
Founders for only a few years and others will have attended for their entire education. If, as we
believe, our curriculum is more rigorous than that at many other schools, we must consider what
is the most just way to rank students.
Please consult the RES Parent/Student Handbook for further information about this.
We will use the following procedure for determining valedictorian and salutatorian.
1)
The valedictorian and salutatorian must have been enrolled at Founders for at least the
full junior and senior years.
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2)
The student with the highest cumulative grade point average will be selected as
valedictorian, and the student with the next highest grade point average will be selected as
salutatorian.
3)
Students who have attended Founders for 2 or 3 years will have their GPAs during that
time compared to students over the same period. In this way, students will not be penalized for
what is typically a challenging freshman year.
4)
Students who have been disciplined for plagiarism or cheating cannot be valedictorian or
salutatorian.
K. Awards
Added July 2015
Updated July 2016
Honor Roll
Students with excellent academic achievement will be recognized at the end of each quarter with
a place on the Honor Roll and High Honor Roll.
Students in the Grammar School (2nd-6th) will be awarded a place on the Honor Roll for
earning all A’s and B’s. Students with all A’s will be on the High Honor Roll.
Students in the Grammar School (K-1st) will be awarded a place on the Honor Roll for earning
all E’s. There is no High Honor Roll for these grades.
Students in the Upper School (7th-12th) will be awarded a place on the Honor Roll for earning
an excellent grade point average. Students with a GPA of 3.7 or above will be on the Honor
Roll, and students with a GPA of 3.9 or above will be on the High Honor Roll. The Honor Roll
and High Honor Roll will be announced at the end of each quarter.
Boys on the previous quarter’s Honor Roll or High Honor Roll may wear plaid ties to school on
Formal Wednesday.
End of the Year Awards
At the end of each year, we honor the academic and athletic achievements of our students with
an all-school awards ceremony. Students who have demonstrated excellence in a particular
subject will be recognized with subject awards. Teachers may choose to create separate awards
for their own classrooms.
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Subject Awards
At the end of each school year, the teachers will honor the students for their academic
excellence with Subject Awards.
Kindergarten -3​rd​ Grade
One student in each classroom will be presented with an award in the following subjects:
Riggs, Art, Music, PE, Literature, History, Mathematics, Science.
4​th​-6​th​ Grade
One student in each classroom will be presented with an award in the following subjects:
Art, Music, PE, Grammar, Literature, History, Mathematics, Science.
7​th​-12​th​ Grade
One student in each class will be presented with an award in the following subjects: Art,
Music, PE, Literature, History, Mathematics, Science.
Spartan Award
For showing the grit and determination of the ancient Spartans, the students in K-12th who
have perfect attendance records at the end of the school year will be presented with the Spartan
Award.
Aeneas Award
For demonstrating an extraordinary character and for aspiring to the excellence of Virgil’s great
founder Aeneas, the 7​th​-12​th​ student most outstanding in moral virtue will be presented with the
Aeneas Award. The Young Aeneas Award will be presented to the Grammar School student
who best displays these virtues.
Achilles Award
For demonstrating extraordinary courage and strength, and for inspiring others with his or her
virtue, the student most outstanding in athletic excellence will be presented with the Achilles
Award. The Young Achilles Award will be presented to the Grammar School student who best
displays these virtues.
Odysseus Award
For demonstrating an extraordinary mind and character and for aspiring to the excellence of
Homer’s Odysseus, the student most outstanding in intellectual virtue will be presented with the
Odysseus Award. The Odysseus Award goes to the student who most embodies the school’s
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motto: “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” The Young Odysseus Award will be
presented to the Grammar School student who best displays these virtues.
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Section 4: Decorum and Discipline
A.
Decorum
Core Virtues
Added July 2015
Students at Founders Classical Academy pursue a the moral and intellectual education and are
expected to behave in accordance with the following core virtues.
Courage
Remain steadfast when you are afraid.
Practice perseverance when the work is difficult.
Moderation
Practice patience and self-control. Think before you speak.
Keep your temper under control.
Justice
Follow the rules.
Help others, and treat them fairly and with respect.
Responsibility
Take pride in your work and your duties.
Hold yourself accountable even when others do not.
Friendship
Be kind and generous.
Learn how to get along well with others.
Prudence
Deliberate before you act.
Practice good judgment.
Wisdom
Cultivate a thirst for knowledge about the most important things.
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Attendance
Updated July 2015
Updated July 2016
Our mission at Founders is to provide an exceptional classical education and to encourage the
virtues of character necessary for human flourishing. This requires a commitment, over the
course of many years, to a specific course of study. A chief element of that commitment is
regular and punctual attendance.
School starts promptly at 8:00am for all students. It is critical to student safety that we know
where all students are on school days. Parents must notify the front office every day a child is to
be away from school. To notify the front office, email or send a Jupiter message to your
student’s teachers ​and​ the Attendance Clerk at ​[email protected]​. In the
message, please include your child’s name and the reason for his or her absence. Parents must
make us aware of the child’s absence before 8:00 am. If a parent fails to notify the office of a
student’s absence, the absence will be coded as unexcused.
For more information about attendance, please consult the RES Parent/Student Handbook.
The 90% Rule
Students must attend 90% of a class in order to receive credit for that class. This threshold
includes both excused and unexcused absences. If a student is not physically present in class,
regardless of the reason, the student’s total attendance percentage is reduced. Students who do
not attend 90% of a class are in danger of failing the class because of absences and will be
referred to an attendance committee.
Unexcused Absences
An unexcused absence is any absence not excused by law or listed in the RES Parent/Student
Handbook. Unexcused absences require that all work assigned during the absence is due
immediately upon return and subject to a reduction in grade according to the late work policy. If
a parent fails to notify the office of a student’s absence before the absence occurs, the absence
will be deemed unexcused.
Excused Absences
Teachers will allow students to make up work for excused absences according to the policy
below, under “Make Up Work.” Absences will be excused for religious observances, court
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appearances, illness, family emergencies, and other reasons required by law. If a student is absent
for 3 or more consecutive days due to illness a doctor’s note must be delivered to the front
office or submitted by email to the Attendance Clerk. For more information please consult the
RES Parent/Student Handbook.
Make-up Work
Missed work due to an excused absence must be completed within the same number of school
days as the absence. For example, if a student is absent from school for 3 days because of the
flu, that student will have 3 school days to complete the work he missed while sick.
An absence on the date of a major assignment, such as a test or major paper, will not extend the
deadline of that assignment. The student must complete the assignment the day of his or her
return.
Truancy
A student who is absent from school without permission will be considered truant and is subject
to disciplinary action. Specifically, Texas state law holds that “if the student is absent from
school on 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year or
on three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period, the student’s parent and the
student are subject to prosecution” (Sec. 25.095 of the Texas Education Code).
Tardies
Tardiness not only delays one’s own learning but interferes with the learning of one’s classmates.
In order to excuse a late arrival, parents must come to the front office and explain the
emergency that caused the delay. Unexcused tardies include, but are not limited to: car trouble
(without documentation), oversleeping, and personal business.
After a student has been tardy to school 4 times, he or she will receive a Poor Behavior Slip and
detention on the 5th tardy. Students will be disciplined more seriously if tardies become habitual.
Egregious tardies may be converted to unexcused absences.
For more information about tardies, please consult the RES Parent/Student Handbook.
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Early Departures
Any time a student must be picked up early, parents should notify the student’s teachers and the
Attendance Clerk (​[email protected]​). Early departure notifications are
accepted until 2:30pm. After 2:30pm, parents must call the front office to arrange an early pick
up. During school hours, all students must be signed out at the Building 3 office.
If a student who drives to school must depart early, the parent must call the office and send
written permission to the Attendance Clerk for the student to leave.
Students must check out and check in at the front office whenever their departure or arrival
occurs during school hours, even during passing periods, lunch, recess, and PE.
Doctors’ Appointments
Updated February 2015
So that a student does not miss out on valuable class time, we encourage families to schedule
doctor’s appointments after school. Students who must miss class for a doctor’s appointment
are responsible for making up any work they missed promptly. Doctor’s notes should be
dropped off at the front desk or emailed to the Attendance Clerk.
Transportation Changes
If a student is to be picked up by someone other than a parent or approved contact, written
permission must be given in advance. The student will not be allowed to leave until we receive
written permission from the parent. Please email the student’s teachers and the Attendance Clerk
at least one day before the pick up. This includes carpools to and from field trips, games,
academic competitions, and other events.
School Uniform
Updated February 2015
In our appearance we show our opinions about ourselves, show respect for what we are doing,
and respect those with whom we spend our time. We dress up when we take something or
someone seriously, and through our appearance we communicate that respect. Clothes can
distract and prevent others from devoting their energy and attention to their schoolwork. Our
goal is to minimize such distractions and to foster a healthy respect for school, for teachers, for
fellow students, and for ourselves.
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All students are required to be in their proper uniform whenever they are on campus before,
during, and after the normal school day. If students are not in their proper uniform, they will not
be allowed to attend class until the problem is fixed. We will have extra uniforms in the main
office for students to borrow for the day. A student who is repeatedly out of uniform will be
disciplined.
Please visit our website for a list of the uniform items required in each grade.
Formal Wednesday
Every Wednesday students, staff, and faculty will dress up in an effort to achieve excellence as a
school, beginning with excellence in personal appearance. Formal Wednesday will be observed
by the whole school at once.
On Formal Wednesday girls will wear Founders Classical Academy plaid. Girls in Grades K- 3
will wear jumpers, and girls in Grades 4 and up will wear skirts. Boys will wear khaki or navy
blue pants, or shorts if it is hot. Beginning in 4th grade boys will be required to wear navy blue
ties. Boys in 4th-12th grade who were on the honor roll for the previous quarter are invited to
wear plaid ties in Founders Classical Academy plaid.
Students are welcome to wear their Formal Wednesday uniforms throughout the week if they so
choose.
PE Clothing
Updated July 2016
Students in grades 6 and up will be required to bring a gym uniform for PE class. Shorts should
be of modest length. All athletic clothing should be in a solid color. Shorts should be navy blue
or black and may bear a small white stripe. Athletic pants should be loose fitting. T-shirts should
be navy blue, black, white, gray, or red. No athletic clothing should bear pictures or words,
except for small brand logos.
PE clothes will be kept in the student’s locker in Building 3 during the school day. All clothing is
to be removed from the locker rooms in Building 1 immediately after PE class.
PE shoes should be court or cross training shoes in solid white, gray, navy blue, or black, or a
combination thereof. Shoes with brightly colored soles, stripes, or other colorful markings are
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not allowed. (White Adidas stripes and Nike swooshes are acceptable.) Running shoes that meet
the above requirements may be worn but are prone to causing ankle turns in the team sport
segments. Socks and shoelaces should be solid white, gray, or black.
Students may wear Founders Classical Academy spirit wear during PE if they choose. These
items will be available for purchase from the Archers Council.
House Colors
Added July 2015
The regular dress code must be observed during school hours, which means that students may
not wear hats, scarves, socks, bandannas, t-shirts, etc. in their house colors to school. A house
may earn the privilege of wearing house colors to school on select days, but the regular dress
code must be observed unless that privilege has been earned.
Socks and Tights
Socks may be high or low socks, and they should be a solid color—either black, white, navy
blue, or red. If girls would like to wear solid-colored tights, they should be black, navy, white, or
red.
Outerwear
Updated July 2015
During school hours, students must wear solid navy blue jackets, cardigans, and sweatshirts that
button or zip down the front. No pullover sweaters or sweatshirts.
During winter weather, students may wear solid colored coats and jackets that are free of
messages, large logos, or images while they are outside. These must be removed when the
student comes inside.
Students may not wear denim jackets, leather jackets, trench coats, or dusters. Students may not
wear jackets, sweaters, and coats that are knee or ankle length.
Shoes
Updated July 2015
Updated July 2016
Students must wear closed-toed, closed-heeled tennis or dress shoes in white, gray, black, navy
blue, or brown. Shoes with white soles or white markings are allowed, but students should not
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wear shoes with brightly colored soles, stripes, or other colorful markings. Shoelaces should be
white, gray, black, brown, or navy blue. Dress shoes should be brown or black.
Students may not wear boots, high-heeled shoes, Crocs, sandals, flip-flops, moccasins, or
slippers.
In 6th grade and up, PE shoes should be court or cross training shoes in solid white, gray, navy,
or black, or a combination thereof. Shoes with brightly colored soles, stripes, or other colorful
markings are not allowed. (White Adidas stripes and Nike swooshes are acceptable.) Running
shoes that meet the above requirements may be worn but are prone to causing ankle turns in the
team sport segments. Socks and shoelaces should be solid white, gray, or black.
Backpacks, Lunchboxes, Water Bottles, and Bags
Students are welcome to bring any backpack, lunchbox, or bag they like. Please ensure that all
backpacks, lunchboxes, and bags are free of patches and vulgar or distracting messages.
We encourage students to bring water bottles, including insulated water bottles, to school so that
they can stay hydrated and cool during recess and while outside. Students may not bring
anything other than water in their water bottles, including juice, soda, or milk.
Personal Appearance
Updated July 2016
Students should observe all personal grooming guidelines while on campus and while
representing or supporting Founders Classical Academy. This includes before and after school,
during afternoon practices, and at school sporting events, including off-campus games and
meets.
Shirts should be tucked in at all times, and students should strive for a neat and respectable
appearance. Students should not wear overly tight clothing, cargo shorts, cargo pants, and
overly skinny or baggy pants. Girls’ skirts should be no shorter than 2 inches above the knee,
and shorts should be no shorter than 3 inches above the knee. No undergarments should be
visible.
Hair should be clean and well groomed. Unnatural hair coloring or streaking are not permitted.
Words, symbols, and designs shaved into hair, including facial hair, are not allowed. Students
should not wear dreadlocks, and girls should not wear hairstyles where the scalp is shaved. Boys’
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hair should not touch the collar of the shirt when the boy is standing, and sideburns should be
neatly trimmed and extend no longer than the bottom of the earlobe. Boys must be
clean-shaven. Boys are not to wear hair bands or put their hair into a bun or ponytail.
Jewelry
Tongue rings and other visible body piercings, including nose and eyebrow rings, are not
allowed. No gauges may be worn in pierced ears, and students may not wear grills on teeth. Girls
may wear earrings that are simple studs or hanging earrings, provided that they hang no lower
than 1⁄4 inch below the earlobe. Girls may wear no more than two earrings per ear.
Makeup
Girls in Grades 6 and up may wear makeup that is natural in appearance and not distracting.
Visible body tattoos and body art are not allowed.
Hair Accessories
Girls who wear hair bands, hair bows, or other accessories should choose items that are in the
school colors--red, white, and navy blue--or Founders Classical Academy plaid.
General Decorum
Students are expected to be polite and attentive at all times. Any other behavior is disruptive and
will be cause for disciplinary action.
Classroom
Teachers have the authority to set specific classroom rules and procedures within the parameters
of the RES and FCA handbooks.
Students should listen when others are talking and not interrupt, speak courteously and
respectfully, follow directions, keep one’s body and objects to oneself, and not disturb others.
Campus
Behavioral expectations apply whenever the student is on our campus, including before school,
during recess, and after school. The campus includes all school property and extends 300 feet
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beyond the property line. Beyond that line, students may be disciplined if their behavior causes
or may reasonably be believed to cause a substantive disruption to campus activities.
In the hallways, students are expected to walk quietly. During lunchtime students are expected to
act calmly and quietly while they enjoy their meals and relax. All students are responsible for
cleaning up after themselves.
Academic Honesty
Updated July 2015
A classical education emphasizes both academics and character. Students are expected to work
hard and to take pride in their work. This means all of the work they turn in must be their own.
Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated by any teacher in any subject, and instances of
academic dishonesty will be punished with an automatic Pink Slip. Plagiarism consists in
appropriating another’s work without recognizing that the work is not one’s own. If a student
has questions as to what constitutes plagiarism in a given instance, he or she should discuss the
issue with his or her teacher before the assignment is due.
B. Discipline
What distinguishes discipline in a classical school is its direct relation to the school’s mission and
its comprehensive scope. The goal of discipline is to help students form good habits, which
means it is not merely or only a tool for disruptive students, but a central element of all learning.
Discipline is woven through the entirety of the classical education model. From the organization
of desks in the classroom and the teacher’s central place, to our character-based approach to
physical education and our study of Latin, the elements of discipline extend to every activity.
Discipline helps students to think more clearly and to act virtuously.
The primary focus of discipline in all of its manifestations is to habituate students to the proper
relationship between reason and desire. This means that instead of being in the service of desire,
seeking out the means to fulfill our longings, reason ought to direct us to the proper
desires—the best and most fulfilling activities. In our view, this means that discipline’s highest
aim is to habituate students to a life of learning, one that can be shared with friends and loved
ones. It is a life anyone can lead in tandem with the responsibilities of a career, a family, and a
community, and is therefore open to anyone who can put in the effort and who has, over the
course of his or her childhood, been encouraged and habituated to that kind of mind-opening
and heart-enlarging activity.
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Our disciplinary goals at Founders are 1) to provide a secure and calm learning environment in
which all students can focus on their work with as little distraction as possible, 2) to treat all
students equitably, fairly, and with respect, and 3) to teach students the importance of their own
character, as the most valuable of their possessions.
Any departure from proper decorum is liable to disciplinary action. For a detailed list of those
actions that will receive disciplinary action, please consult the RES parent/student handbook.
Disciplinary Action
Updated July 2015
Poor Behavior Slips
Students will be verbally corrected for poor behavior. If the behavior is repetitive or
serious, they will receive Poor Behavior Slips describing the infraction. Students will
bring these home to be signed by parents and returned to the front office on the next
school day.
Students may receive detention in conjunction with the Poor Behavior Slip. Detention
will occur in the afternoons and will not be used for study time. For habitual or more
serious offenses the student will be sent to the Office and will receive a Pink Slip.
A student who has received five Poor Behavior Slips will be given a Pink Slip on the
sixth offense.
Pink Slips
Pink Slips are reserved for serious disciplinary infractions where the school
administration should be involved. They may be handed out by teachers and
administrators and they will accumulate over the course of the year. A student’s total will
not reset at the semester. Receiving a Pink Slip indicates that a student’s behavior is a
serious problem, and earning repeated Pink Slips will result in more serious
consequences each time. It is our hope that the consequences for receiving a Pink Slip
will encourage students to display good character and act in accordance to the school
mission. A student may be suspended or expelled immediately for especially serious
offenses. Please consult the RES Parent/Student Handbook for more information.
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1​st Pink Slip: Student is sent to the office and parents are notified. Student may receive
detention(s).
2​nd Pink Slip: Student is sent to the office and parents are notified. Student may receive
detention(s).
3​rd Pink Slip: Student is sent to the Office, receives detention(s), and parents are notified.
The student’s parent(s) will meet with the Assistant Headmaster to discuss the student’s
behavior. The purposes of this meeting are to exchange accurate information about the
student and to determine how the school-parent partnership can best work together to
reform the student’s behavior.
4​th Pink Slip: Student is sent to the Office, receives detention(s), calls home, and goes
home. The student may not return to school until a parent accompanies the student to
class for one full day to observe the school day.
5​th Pink Slip: Student is sent to the Office, receives detention, calls home, and goes
home. The administration will consider expulsion as fitting consequences.
Bullying
Bullying is prohibited against any student or any teacher for any reason. Bullying includes any
written or verbal expression, physical or electronic act or gesture, or a pattern thereof, that
coerces, intimidates, or causes any physical, mental, or emotional harm. Bullying is prohibited on
school property, at school-sanctioned events, when students are being transported to or from
school or a school-sanctioned event, and off-campus when it is reasonably foreseeable that the
bullying conduct may cause a substantial disruption in the educational mission of the school or
interfere with the ability of other school students to learn or be secure.
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Section 5: School Activities
A.
Upper School House System
Added July 2015
To involve the entire upper school in the difficult task of self-government, to develop the habits
of organization and execution, and to encourage our students to strive in all they do, Founders
Classical Academy instituted a house system in the spring of 2015.
All upper school students (7​th​-12​th​ grade) were sorted into one of six different houses, led by one
Mentor Teacher. Each house took its name from a famous figure from our liberal arts
curriculum. These thinkers were chosen from among the best to represent greatness in their field
and in the liberal arts, and to display the energy of thought and curiosity that we wish to see in
our own best students.
The Six Houses of Founders Classical Academy
Herodotus
(color: burgundy)
William Shakespeare
(color: purple)
Sir Isaac Newton
(color: golden yellow)
Euclid
(color: emerald green)
Leonardo Da Vinci
(color: cerulean blue)
Ludwig van Beethoven
(color: fuschia)
A student’s house assignment is permanent, and he or she shares it with siblings. At the end of
the 6​th​ grade year, the rising upper school students will be given their house assignments in a
special ceremony.
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Each semester, the six houses will compete against each other in a series of academic and
athletic competitions called the Archer Games. Students will earn points for their house when
they succeed in the classroom or on the athletic field, and they will lose points for their house
when they are absent from school, when they earn Poor Behavior Slips and Pink Slips.
Victory in the Archer Games earns the house the Archer Award, an oak trophy bearing the
names of the houses who have earned this honor in the past. The Archer Award is to be
displayed in the classroom of the house’s mentor teacher for the entirety of the following school
year.
Each house is responsible for planning a school dance or event and undertaking a community
service project each year. The victorious house will have the first choice of event, and the other
houses will choose their event in order of their standings in the previous year’s Archer Games.
Each house is governed by a house mentor teacher, a head boy and a head girl chosen by the
house mentor, and student representatives for each grade, 7​th to 12​th​, chosen by the students in
that grade.
Grammar School students are encouraged to attend all house competitions and events and cheer
on the students from their favorite house.
B. Extracurricular Activities
Updated July 2016
A classical education seeks to cultivate the whole person—body, mind, and soul. The soul
cannot thrive unless the body is in good condition, and a well-conditioned body cannot be
courageous, moderate, or just without a well-formed soul. Socrates, the exemplar of intellectual
virtue, was also a brave soldier. Many of his best students were themselves athletes or soldiers.
We encourage students to participate in a range of activities that contribute to, deepen, or
otherwise extend the learning that occurs in the classroom and at home.
We encourage students to participate in as many activities as they can reasonably manage. Every
member of a club or team has a responsibility to his or her teammates to show up on time ready
to participate, and to remain in good academic standing. These activities are a privilege that is
contingent on academic performance. Students who receive less than 70% in any one class
cannot participate in school clubs or play in athletic games until the grade is above 70%, except
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with the approval of the Headmaster. Student-athletes with grades of C or below are encouraged
to attend fewer practices until their grades are up.
Additional requirements for eligibility in athletic competitions are as follows: (1) Students must
meet the requirements of the 90% Rule, as explained in the attendance section of the handbook.
(2) Students must have been present in class the day of a particular athletic competition. (3)
Students must also be current in regard to bill payments of accounts such as lunch bills, late
pick-up bills, and textbook replacement fees. The Headmaster may also determine that students
are ineligible as a disciplinary consequence for poor behavior.
The school is not able to provide transportation to school athletic events and we will rely on the
assistance of parents.
School Clubs
Added July 2015
Updated July 2016
The school will sponsor a number of student clubs. These clubs may be available to students in
select grades and will meet before or after school. Students are eligible to join these clubs only if
they have a grade of 70% or higher in each class. Students may join no more than two clubs that
meet during study hall. In order to participate in any club students must meet the three
additional requirements given above for eligibility in athletic competitions.
TCSAAL
We participate in TCSAAL, a state-wide academic and athletic league for charter schools.
Information regarding their programs may be found at texascharter.org.
Athletics Policies
Updated February 2015
All student-athletes will need to complete a physical and sign a release form before they will be
allowed to participate in any school-sanctioned sport activity, including practice. These forms are
available in the front office and on the school website.
Extracurricular activities will charge a participation fee and athletic events may charge a gate fee
for matches. These funds will be used to pay for uniforms, equipment, instruments, fees for
invitationals, and other miscellaneous items.
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In order to encourage school spirit and keep students focused on the mission and philosophy of
Founders, we discourage students from competing for other schools. Students wishing to do so
will not be excused from class for practice or competitions.
External PE Credit
Students who participate in a supervised athletic activity for 37.5 hours every 9 weeks may
qualify for external PE credit. A student must apply for external PE credit before seeking it, by
bringing to the Headmaster’s office a signed letter from the supervising coach or leader outlining
the nature of the activity and the schedule the student will follow. After a student is approved to
seek external PE credit, he or she must complete an External PE Log, available in the front
office, and return it to the office prior to the end of the semester. They will be able to use the
time normally set aside for PE as a study hall.
Students may receive .5 credit for high school PE if they compete in school athletics or athletics
for a private or competitive team for at least one full semester, or two 9-week periods. For those
students participating in school sports this means .5 PE credit equals 2 sports, either fall/winter
or winter/spring.
C. Field Trips
We will participate in field trips that actively and essentially contribute to coursework. The
Headmaster will review all field trip proposals from teachers at least 2 weeks prior to their
proposed date.
A permission slip must be signed and returned to the teacher by the parent/guardian of each
student prior to the field trip. Students may be required to pay a fee to attend field trips. School
uniforms are required on all field trips unless specifically noted otherwise and approved by the
Headmaster. Students who have received 4 or more Pink Slips may not attend field trips without
a parent accompanying them.
Chaperones
Teachers will need the help of chaperones in order to secure the safety and to encourage proper
decorum during field trips. All parents who would like to volunteer as chaperones must first pass
a background check. Parents who chaperone must make arrangements for their other children,
as they may not be brought on the field trip. Please consult our policy on volunteering below for
more details.
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Parents are responsible for maintaining the high standards of character and decorum that we ask
of our students and teachers. In every case, the teacher conducting the field trip will be in
charge.
D. School Dances
School dances are a good way for students to develop friendships and enjoy themselves in a safe
environment. We hope to sponsor several dances over the course of the year, the goal of which
is to provide a memorable and enjoyable time for our students. We realize that some Founders
students will wish to invite guests who attend other schools. Founders students are welcome to
bring outside guests under certain circumstances. The following rules regarding non-Founders
guests are in place:
1.
All non-Founders guests must be attending middle school or high school. No guests
over the age of 18 may attend school dances.
2.
If a Founders student would like to bring a non-Founders student to school, both
students must obtain written consent from each set of parents.
3.
No guest may attend who is under suspension, whether a Founders or a non-Founders
student.
4.
All students and guests must conform to the decorum of Founders Classical Academy.
Adult chaperones are required to arrive early, behave responsibly and with decorum, and dress
appropriately. Chaperones may not drink any alcoholic beverage during the designated hours of
the event.
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Section 6: Procedures and Policies
A. Daily Procedures
School Day
Updated July 2016
School starts promptly at 8:00am for all students. Students are welcome on campus any time
after 7:30am but are encouraged to arrive between 7:50am and 8:00am. Students in K-5 who
arrive before 7:50am will go directly to the Building 1 gym. Students in 6th-11th who arrive
before 7:50 will go to the Building 3 cafeteria. Students who eat breakfast in the mornings will
go to the Building 3 cafeteria. Students may not be in the hallways, or visit their classrooms or
lockers, before 7:50 am. School ends at 3:30 pm for all students.
Drop-off and Pick-up
Updated July 2015
Updated July 2016
Students should begin arriving no earlier than 7:30am. Faculty, staff, and volunteers will be at the
front of the campus in the morning to escort our younger students from their vehicles to the
building. Other staff will be inside to supervise students on their way to class. At 8:00am our
doors will be locked to ensure the security of students and staff.
With the completion of Building 3 comes a longer driveway and an improved system for
morning drop off and afternoon pick up. When you arrive in the mornings and afternoons,
please enter campus using the north driveway and follow the path marked with red arrows on
the diagram below. Students in K-5th will be dropped off and picked up outside Buildings 1 and
2, and students in 6th-12th will be dropped off and picked up outside Building 3. (If you have
students in Upper School and Grammar School, you will drop off and pick up all of your
children outside Buildings 1 and 2, and the Upper School students will walk to and from
Building 3.)
You may download a diagram of the carline here: ​Carline Procedures 2016-2017​ or on the
school website.
1.
To help keep traffic on Leander Drive moving, please approach campus from the north.
2.
Please pull to the front of the line. There should be no gaps in the car line.
3.
Please drive slowly, especially along the new driveway. There will be many young
students around and it is important for drivers to be watchful.
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4.
Do not use your cell phone while in the car line. Students who use their cell phones
while driving on campus may lose their driving privileges.
5.
K-5th parents, please arrive for afternoon pick up beginning at 3:15. K-5th students will
be dismissed at 3:30.
6.
6th-12th parents, please do not arrive before 3:30. If you do, you will block K-5th
families from picking up their children. Students will be dismissed from Building 3 at 3:30.
7.
If you have students in K-5th and 6th-12th, please drop all of your children off outside
Buildings 1 and 2. Please pick up all of your children outside Buildings 1 and 2. (The older
students will walk over using the crosswalk.)
8.
K-5th parents, if you would like to park and pick up your child in person, please enter
using the center driveway and use the crosswalk in front of Building 2. Please do not spend
longer than 10 minutes in the K-5th lot. If you plan to spend more than 10 minutes on campus,
please park next to the playground behind Building 2.
Instructions for Hang Tags
Each family has been provided 4 copies of a blue and white plastic hang tag with a three digit
number. You were also given several smaller backpack tags with the same number, and several
small tags that say “Walk/Bike” on them. The three digit number is the same for your whole
family, so you will need to display only one tag for all of your children. Please write your
childrens’ names on the tags when you receive them. If you carpool, please give the extra hang
tags to the other families who you authorize to pick up your children.
K-5th students will be dismissed from their classrooms by walkie talkie. 6th-12th students will
stand on the sidewalk outside Building 3 and enter cars on their own. School staff will be present
to open car doors and supervise the process.
K-5th parents, if you would like to pick up your child from the car line:
●
Please display your family’s hang tag on the rear view mirror of your car when you arrive
in the afternoons.
●
Please send your child to school with the smaller tag containing your family number on
his or her backpack.
●
When you arrive in the afternoons, school staff will call out the family numbers on
walkie talkies and students will be dismissed from their classrooms.
●
This is an excellent time for school staff to learn the names of our families, and we
would love it if you would display your last name and the name of your children in your car
window as well!
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K-5th parents, if you would like to park and pick up your child in person:
●
Please send your child to school with the “Walk/Bike” tag attached to his or her
backpack. This will be a sign to the teacher that your child should be dismissed from class right
at 3:30.
●
Please use the center driveway to park in the lot marked “Walk-In Parking” on the
diagram above.
●
Please bring your hang tag, and walk across the Building 2 crosswalk to meet your child
at 3:30. He or she will be waiting there for you!
If you carpool, please provide the extra copies of your family’s hang tag to the others who you
authorize to pick up your child from school. Please make sure that these individuals are on your
emergency contact/carpool form in the main office. If you arrive to campus without a hang tag
in the afternoon, please park and check in at the Building 3 reception desk. School staff will
arrange for your child to meet you once we have confirmed that you are authorized to pick the
student up.
Late Pick Up
All students must be picked up by 4:00 p.m. Students who are not picked up by this time will
wait in the building 3 library and parents will be assessed a fee at the rate of $1.00/minute. This
late fee is payable to the front office on the next school day. If a parent does not pay this fee on
time, the student may be barred from participating in extracurricular activities.
Pledges and Morning Assemblies
Updated July 2015
Every morning, except for Wednesdays, all students will recite the pledges of allegiance and hold
a moment of silence in their classrooms.
Grammar School Assembly
Once a week, on Wednesdays from 8:00-8:15am, students in K-5 will gather in the Building 1
Gym to recite the pledges and conduct the moment of silence together. These morning
assemblies will often feature a performance from students or faculty members. Parents are
welcome to attend.
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All School Assembly
Once a month, students in K-11 will gather in the Building 1 Gym for an all-school assembly
from 8:00-8:15am. The assembly will often feature a performance from students or faculty
members, special announcements, and small awards ceremonies. For the dates of these all
school assemblies, please consult the calendar on our school website.
Pledges of Allegiance
Students will recite both the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag and the Pledge of
Allegiance to the Texas flag every day, in order of their importance. The Pledge to the United
States flag will precede the Pledge to the Texas flag. Parents may submit a written request to the
Headmaster at the school office to excuse their student from reciting a pledge.
The American Pledge of Allegiance
“I pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it
stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.”
The Texas Pledge of Allegiance
“Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and
indivisible.”
One minute of silence will follow recitation of the pledges. During that time students may
choose to reflect, pray, meditate, or engage in any other silent activity that is not likely to
interfere with or distract others. State law does not allow students to be excused from
participation in the required minute of silence.
School Meals & Lunchtime
Updated July 2016
Applications for free or reduced meals are available in the front office.
Lunchtime provides an opportunity to relax, play, and restore the body and mind. Students must
talk quietly and behave calmly during lunch.
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Snacks
Updated July 2015
We understand that young students require snacks to keep them going during the day, and
teachers in Grades K-2 will set aside a time in the morning during which students can enjoy a
quick bite to eat. Parents are responsible for sending students to school with a small, healthy
snack that can be eaten in a couple of minutes. We ask that students bring things that can be
eaten without utensils and without creating a mess.
With the exception of Grammar School snacks and water bottles filled with water, food and
drink are not permitted in the classrooms or libraries.
Upper School students may eat a quick snack between classes in the hallways as long as they
bring food that can be eaten without utensils and without creating a mess. Students may not
chew gum.
Medication
Please review the RES Parent/Student Handbook (page 22) for the district’s medication policy.
B. General Campus Policies
Inclement Weather
When the weather turns cold, and snow and ice threaten a school closing, you may tune into one
of the local news stations to find out if Founders Classical Academy will be closing. We will
follow the Leander School District when making our decision. If you see that LISD is closed,
then so are we. If LISD has a delayed opening then so do we. Please stay informed of the
weather conditions and do not bring your child to school unnecessarily. If the school is closed
there will not be a school employee on campus.
Illness
We respectfully ask parents not to bring their children to school if they are or are suspected to
be sick. Students who are running a fever will be sent home and asked to remain home until 24
hours after the fever has passed.
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Network & Internet Access
We recognize the benefits of the internet in the education of today’s youth. We also recognize
the dangers associated with unrestricted access and undisciplined users. Our goal is to use the
internet as a tool that supplements classroom learning in a manner that protects students and
upholds standards of decency.
All students, faculty, and staff are expected to use the internet for educational purposes only, to
use it ethically and appropriately, and to maintain their own and others’ privacy. If it is
determined that students, faculty, or staff are not following these standards, we will revoke the
privilege of using the internet on campus. All internet use is subject to administrative review at
any time.
Videos
Videos and other media may be used in the classroom to support a lesson. Students will not be
shown a full movie in class without prior parent permission.
Electronic Devices
Updated July 2015
Updates July 2016
Electronic devices must not be used during the school day or at school events. This includes but
is not limited to laptops, portable audio devices, head/earphones, hand-held video games, smart
watches, and cell phones. Exceptions will be made for necessary medical devices and at the
Headmaster’s discretion.
We recognize that many students carry cell phones, and that they may need to use these cell
phones after school is dismissed to contact parents or others. If a student must bring a cell
phone to school, he or she must keep it zipped away in a backpack or bag for the entire day,
including during recess, lunch, passing periods, and study halls. Students may not carry cell
phones in their pockets during the school day. Cell phones may be used only after school is
dismissed.
Any student who is using a phone or other electronic device during the day will have that device
confiscated until the end of the day. If there is reason to believe that the device has been used in
the transmission or reception of communications prohibited by law, policy, or regulation, the
device may be powered on and searched.
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Students who repeatedly break this rule will be subject to fines and other disciplinary action.
Once a device has been taken up, the following procedure will be used to return the device:
1​st​ Confiscation: The device will be held until the end of the school day and can be picked up by
the student or parent when school is dismissed.
2​nd​ Confiscation: The device will be held until the end of the school day and can be picked up by
the student or parent when school is dismissed. An administrative fee of $5 will be charged
before the device can be returned.
3​rd​ Confiscation: The device can be picked up by the student or parent no earlier than the
following Monday. An administrative fee of $15 will be charged before the device can be
returned.
4​th​ Confiscation: The device can be picked up by the student or parent no earlier than the
following Monday. An administrative fee of $50 will be charged before the device can be
returned.
Confiscations beyond three will result in additional disciplinary action and, if necessary,
suspension from school. Founders Classical Academy is not responsible for the damage, loss, or
theft of these items.
Visitors on Campus
Updated February 2015
Updated July 2015
Founders Classical Academy has a mandatory sign-in procedure for all visitors on campus,
including parents. Any visitor to campus between the hours of 7:30am and 4:00pm must first
report to the school office, and will be required to furnish a U.S. federal or state-issued photo
ID. The visitor’s information will be stored in an electronic database to document visitors to the
school. Information stored in the electronic database may be used only for the purpose of
school security, and may not be sold or otherwise disseminated to a third party for any purpose.
Visitors must check in with the front office and provide identification each time they visit the
school, not just the first. A visitor badge will be issued to the visitor and displayed conspicuously
during the visit.
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Sex Offenders
In the unlikely event that a registered sex offender attempts to gain access to the school, the
authorities will be notified immediately. The school will verify whether the visitor is a sex
offender registered with the computerized central database maintained by the Department of
Public Safety or any other database accessible by the school.
If a person who is a registered sex offender is visiting the school because he or she has a child
enrolled at Founders, that person will be supervised by school staff at all times during a school
visit and will not have access to children without direct supervision.
Parent Visits
Updated February 2015
Beginning at 8:00am, the campus will be closed. All visitors to the campus must stop by the
front office to check in and obtain a visitor’s badge. Classrooms, the lunchroom, and the recess
areas are closed to parents during the school day except school volunteers and parents who have
scheduled a formal observation.
During the school day, it may be necessary for a parent to drop off lunch or a forgotten item.
Parents making deliveries should stop by the front office. One of the office staff members will
be happy to deliver the item.
When teachers arrive in the morning they have certain preparations that must be completed
before receiving students. After school, teachers have lesson plans to wrap up, tutoring to
provide, papers to grade, calls to return, and other business to conduct. All of our teachers
welcome parent/teacher conferences as long as they are scheduled in advance and on their
calendar. To schedule a meeting with a teacher, please contact him or her via email.
Classroom Observations
We encourage parents to visit our classrooms to learn more about classical education and
discover ways to contribute to their children’s education at home. Beginning October 1,
classroom visits are available to parents by appointment. Parents may schedule a formal
observation of a student’s class with the front office. A parent observation will last for one
period, or, in the Grammar School, one subject at a time. This is an opportunity to see classical
education at work and to provide the teachers and administrators with constructive comments.
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Volunteering
Updated July 2015
As a charter school, Founders seeks an ongoing and friendly partnership with students, their
families, and the community. We heartily welcome community members and the relatives of
students to volunteer, and we appreciate all of the help they provide in making this school a
success. In order to be considered as a volunteer, those interested must first apply through
Responsive Education Solutions at the following web address:
http://foundersleander.com/employment/volunteer/
Parent volunteers must read and agree to the school’s guidelines for volunteering, included in
the Appendices to this handbook.
The school’s front office will serve as a liaison between school staff, parents who wish to
volunteer, and the Archers Council.
Archers Council
The Archers Council exists to support the education of children at Founders Classical Academy.
It fosters positive relationships among school administrators, parents, faculty, and staff. Any
parent or legal guardian for a student at the school, and any administrator or teacher, may
become a volunteer member.
The Archers Council is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific
purposes under Section 501c3 of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any
future federal tax code. The mission of the Organization is to serve and support Founders
Classical Academy of Leander (“FCA”) through active committees. The Organization and its
committees have no influence, relationship, or authority over the operations, administration,
curriculum or academic functions of FCA.
Watch D.O.G.S.
Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) is a volunteer organization with the purpose of
engaging men, inspiring children, reducing bullying and enhancing the educational environment
at school. Fathers, grandfathers, and uncles can volunteer to serve in a variety of school activities
as assigned by the Headmaster or another administrator. To learn more information about
Watch D.O.G.S. stop by the school office​.
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Lost and Found
Updated July 2016
Lost clothing, notebooks, lunch boxes, and other items will be placed in the lost-and-found box
located in Building 3 and kept for two weeks. Unclaimed lost-and-found items will be given to
the school uniform closet, a local charity, or discarded. Books will be returned to the office or
the library. Valuable items will be kept in the front office for safekeeping.
Operation of Motor Vehicles on Campus
Any law or ordinance regulating traffic on a public highway or street also applies to the
operation of a vehicle on campus. In addition to potential city citations for violation of motor
vehicle traffic laws or ordinances, students will receive a warning and referral to the Assistant
Headmaster’s office for the following violations:
1. parking in a fire lane,
2. failure to park in a designated student parking area,
3. jumping (driving over) a curb,
4. double parking,
5. parking in a handicapped space or walkway,
6. parking in a crosswalk or ramp,
7. ignoring instructions from school staff monitoring the parking lot,
8. parking on a water sprinkler, or
9. driving recklessly.
A student who has had parking privileges revoked may have his or her car towed at the student’s
expense.
Parking
Being able to bring a vehicle on campus is a privilege. The school is not responsible for damage
to a vehicle that occurs while it is on campus. A student has full responsibility for the security of
his or her vehicle and must make certain that it is locked and that the keys are not given to
others. Permission is required for any student who finds it necessary to go to his or her vehicle
during the school day.
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Vehicles parked on campus are under the jurisdiction of the school. School officials may search
any vehicle any time there is reasonable cause to do so, with or without the presence of the
student. A copy of a student’s driver’s license and insurance must be on file in the school office.
Students who drive to campus must park in designated student parking areas. Students are
required to rent a parking hang tag from the school office each year and display it in their vehicle
while it is on campus. If required, the failure to purchase a hang tag will be considered a parking
infraction and will result in appropriate disciplinary action. The parking fee is $10.00 per year.
Parent-school Communication
Parents may contact the school through email or by phone. Please consult the directory at the
beginning of this handbook for faculty and staff contact information.
A parent/teacher conference may be scheduled at any time a parent or the teacher thinks one is
necessary. To schedule a conference with a teacher, please contact him or her via email.
Grievances
Updated February 2015
Should a parent have a concern or grievance concerning a particular class or teacher, he or she
should use email to schedule a meeting with the teacher concerned, outlining the nature of the
meeting in advance. In most cases, problems should be addressed with the teacher first. Civil
communication is expected at all times from all parties. Under no circumstances is it acceptable
for a parent to confront a teacher about an issue with students present.
Depending on the seriousness of the issue or at the request of the teacher or parent, a school
administrator may be present.
If the grievance cannot be resolved with the teacher and the matter is of a more serious nature,
the parent should schedule a meeting with the Assistant Headmaster or Headmaster. Generally
speaking, the Assistant Headmaster will handle matters of student discipline and the Headmaster
will handle concerns about academics and student performance. The Headmaster and Assistant
Headmaster work together on all issues of school administration.
If the grievance cannot be resolved after meeting with school administration, then a parent
should submit his or her grievance to the Regional Director of Operations for the campus.
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For more information about the grievance process, please refer to the RES Parent/Student
Handbook.
Textbooks
Added July 2016
Founders Classical Academy provides students in 3rd grade and up with paperback copies of
some literature books free of charge. Students are encouraged to annotate these books as they
read them with the class and add them to their home libraries when the class is finished. If you
have questions about whether a book is yours to keep after the school year, please ask your
child’s teacher.
Founders Classical Academy takes on the extra expense of providing students with some
literature books free of charge because we hope to cultivate a love of reading, and because
annotation is an important skill. If you would like to make a donation to the school to help
offset the cost of these books, please make a check payable to Founders Classical Academy in
the amount of $60 (the cost per child of literature books alone) or any amount you choose.
Donations are optional.
Other textbooks belong to the school and must be used year after year. Students are issued
textbooks at the beginning of the year and are expected to keep them in good condition.
Textbooks that travel home with the student should be carefully covered in paper (not cloth) at
the beginning of the year and returned to the teacher when the class has concluded. Students
who do not return their textbooks or who return them damaged will be charged for the cost of
replacing the textbooks.
Some textbooks are available for purchase at the front office. If you lose a book during the year,
please ask the front office if they have a copy for sale.
Withdrawals
Added September 2015
We are always sorry to have a student move from our school. To facilitate withdrawal of
students from school, we ask that parents advise the campus registrar of an intended withdrawal
three days prior to leaving. A parent is required to meet with the registrar to sign the withdrawal
paperwork prior to the student’s departure. This will provide adequate time for contacting
teachers, closing the student’s records, and preparing transfer documents. All lunch charges,
fines, and fees must be paid prior to withdrawal, and textbooks must be returned.
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Section 7: Appendices
Appendix A: Purchasing School Uniforms
Founders Classical Academy uses Land’s End and Parker Uniforms as the school uniform
provider. We have worked hard to keep uniform costs low by giving families as much choice as
possible about where to purchase uniforms. Financial assistance is available to qualifying
families. Applications are available in the front office.
The only items that must be purchased from Land’s End and Parker are the polos with the
Archer logo, girls’ plaid jumpers, and girls’ plaid skirts. Families are welcome to purchase other
uniform items at vendors of their choice or to use items they already own. We ask that the items
purchased elsewhere match the items we have ordered from Parker in color and style. For
example, please make sure that khaki pants and shorts are dark khaki and not cream or ivory.
Appendix B: Guidelines for School Volunteers
Updated July 2016
Parent volunteers are an essential part of Founders Classical Academy. Whether you volunteer
for one hour or one hundred hours over the course of the school year, your help is essential in
supporting the education of our students.
Some volunteers may assist in the classroom with instructional or clerical tasks. Others may help
shelve books in the library, assist with lunch, or work with the Archers Council on fundraisers.
Besides supporting the school, your volunteer efforts teach our children the importance of
spending one’s time in the service of a worthy cause.
To get the most from your volunteer experience, it is important to be informed. This handbook
contains important information about your work at Founders Classical Academy. Please take the
time to read through it carefully. If you still have any questions about volunteering, please
contact the front office.
There is a confidentiality agreement that you will be asked to sign and return before your
volunteer work begins. This document is available through your Jupiter portal.
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Volunteer Application and Background Check
Our parent organization, Responsive Education Solutions (RES), encourages volunteer
involvement. RES policy requires that every volunteer undergo a background check before being
allowed to work on a site. This link will take you to the volunteer application:
https://responsiveed.cloud.talentedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=232
All volunteers should allow up to 3 weeks for the background check to be processed. To verify
that you have been included in the volunteer data bank, please contact the Volunteer
Coordinator.
RES requires all volunteers to reapply during the 2016-2017 school year. Volunteer applications
will remain active for one year from the application date. A volunteer must reapply each year in
order to be considered for volunteer approval. By completing this application online, you are
also agreeing with an electronic signature to having us request this background check. The
school district pays for the actual background check.
How to Be a Successful Volunteer
No matter what kind of volunteer work you do, or who you do it for, there are some common
qualities that will help you be a successful volunteer at Founders Classical Academy.
Show an Interest in our Students
●
Learn about classical education and the mission of our school so that you can support
the students while on campus.
●
Encourage and support children of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and personalities.
●
Encourage children to do their best and offer genuine praise when they succeed.
Support Teachers and Staff
●
Be respectful of the teachers.
●
Do not publicly question or criticize the teacher or the teacher’s methods.
●
Ensure that your interpretation of the school’s rules and expectations matches that of
the school.
●
Involve appropriate school personnel when students disobey school or classroom rules.
Don’t take disciplinary measures into your own hands.
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Be Dependable
●
Make sure that you have the time to serve.
●
Be prompt and reliable. People are counting on you to be there!
●
Set an example of professionalism and good citizenship.
●
Let the front office know as soon as possible if schedule changes prevent you from
making your commitment.
Maintain Confidentiality
●
As a volunteer, you may learn information about our students and their academic
performance. Ensure that all of this private information is held in confidence.
●
Discuss information about student behavior only with appropriate school staff.
●
Remember that student and parent contact information is for school and Archers
Council use only.
Communicate Well
●
If you are unsure about how equipment works or how your job should be done, ask a
member of school staff or a teacher.
●
Don’t let small problems turn into big ones. Communicate any concerns or problems
with a member of the staff immediately.
●
Decline any task for which you are unqualified or unwilling to perform.
●
Provide feedback about volunteer opportunities.
Signing In and Out
All volunteers should enter through the front doors of Building 3 and proceed directly to sign in.
For the safety of our children, all volunteers must sign in upon arrival. Volunteer badges must be
worn at all times when on campus.
By signing in, you are making it possible for school personnel to locate you in the event of an
emergency. It is important that you write your name legibly, as well as the location where you
will be working, and the type of work you will be doing.
It is also important to remember to sign out when you leave. This is so that we know who is on
campus in case of emergency.
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Volunteer Dress Code
Founders Classical Academy has high expectations for student dress. Although volunteers do
not have a particular clothing requirement, their attire should reflect the standards of Founders
Classical Academy. Volunteers are asked to wear neat clothing while working in the school and
during school activities. Skirts and shorts should be of modest length, and blouses and tops
should be conservative.
Email & Contact Information
Depending on what volunteer opportunities you have, you may be asked to work with student
and parent contact information. Remember that student and parent contact information is for
school use only, and Archers Council use with prior consent.
Policy on Siblings
We regret that we cannot allow volunteers to bring younger children with them to the school,
except for babies that are carried or worn by the parent at all times. If you would like to
volunteer but are unable to come to the school because you have a young child at home, please
contact the front office to ask if there are ways to help from home.
Tips for Volunteers Working with Students
If you are volunteering in a classroom or at recess or lunch, make sure that you and the teacher
are clear on your responsibilities & expectations. Generally speaking, the real value for a teacher
in having a volunteer is that it frees up the teacher to teach. Questions or concerns should be
directed toward the teacher.
Please remember that it is not always possible or preferable for you to work with your own
child. Different children react in different ways when their parents are in the classroom. Some
demand more attention, while others totally ignore their parents. Be sure to discuss your role as
a volunteer with your child, and explain that you might not be able to give him or her your usual
attention. If a teacher determines that you should not work with your own child, or in your
child’s classroom, please respect that decision.
Remember that you are in school for a relatively short portion of time. Therefore, your
perception of a situation can be mistaken because you are not aware of all of the circumstances.
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If you have questions about something, please ask the teacher about it directly and privately.
Please don’t speculate with friends.
If a student is difficult to work with, ask the teacher for assistance. The teacher has sole
responsibility for disciplining students. Don’t favor one or two students over others, and don’t
compare one student to another. Within a single classroom there will be children of different
backgrounds, learning levels, personalities, and maturity levels. Remember that your role as a
volunteer is to help all children learn and succeed and be of assistance to the teacher.
Remember to maintain confidentiality! This is not limited to not discussing a student’s behavior
or performance with friends or other children. You may not discuss a child’s progress with his
or her parent. All communications about a child’s schoolwork must go to the parents from the
appropriate school staff, not from other parents. If parents ask you about a child’s progress,
suggest in a friendly way that they contact the teacher directly.
There may be times when you are in school volunteering in another area or visiting your child,
and you want to go to the classroom or out to recess to see if the teacher needs any help. Please
wait for the front office to assign you to a classroom and give you a schedule for volunteering.
Safety regulations and school procedure will require that you make an appointment with the
teacher before going into a classroom. You may be denied access to the classroom or the
playground if you do not have prior approval.
Workroom
There is a workroom available for volunteer use. The workroom is a place where teachers can
request help with photocopying and other tasks. Volunteers are asked to limit their time in the
workroom for active volunteer work. Please refrain from bringing younger siblings on days you
are volunteering on campus or in the workroom. Please make sure that the workroom is left
clean and tidy when you are finished.
Copying
If the “add toner” signal comes on, continue copying until the machine stops, then notify office
personnel. Please do not change the toner yourself. Office staff must change the toner.
Volunteers should not attempt to clear paper jams unless they have received training on the
copying machines. If you are unable to clear a jam, or the machine otherwise stops working,
please inform office staff promptly so that a repair call can be made as soon as possible.
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The workrooms are supplied with standard 8 ½” by 11” white paper. Any non-standard paper
(example: transparencies) will usually be provided by the teacher who requests it.
Because of limited planning time available, teachers have priority with the use of the copying
machines. If you have some time available, consider offering to copy whatever it is that the
teacher needs and delivering it to him or her when it is complete.
Other Details
Volunteers must use staff restrooms. Please do not use restrooms designated for students.
If you are unable to come at your scheduled time or if you will be late, please call the school and
leave a message. Remember that someone is counting on you.
Please do not use your cell phone while on campus. Only emergency phone calls should be
made. Turn off cell phone ringers while volunteering. If you sign in properly, the office staff can
locate you in the event of an emergency.
Frequently Asked Questions about Volunteering
1.
How do I become a volunteer?
All Founders Classical Academy volunteers must complete an online volunteer application and
undergo a background check. The volunteer application is available on the school website. Once
you are approved, you must sign a confidentiality agreement. This is available at the front office
and on Jupiter.
2.
Why do I need an ID badge? The teacher knows who I am.
Even though your child’s teacher knows you, other teachers might not. It is important that all
adults on campus be identified with a badge so students and school employees know they are
approved to be on campus and an important member of the team.
3.
Why do volunteers have to sign in and out?
For security reasons, and in case of an emergency, our staff must know who is on campus and
why.
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4.
How do I find out what volunteer opportunities are available?
Please visit www.foundersleander.com for a list of current volunteer opportunities.
5.
do?
I’d like to volunteer, but I can’t offer my services on a regular basis. What do I
We would love to have your help, even if you can’t commit to a regular schedule. You could be a
special activity volunteer who is involved with special school projects, or you could work from
home. Please speak to the front office about ways you can help.
6.
I’d like to volunteer, but I have a preschool-age child. Can I bring my child?
We’re sorry, but volunteers may not bring younger siblings with them to volunteer unless they
are babies who can be carried or worn the whole time at school. If you are able to volunteer
from home, we would love to have your help! Please speak to the front office about
opportunities.
7.
What if something happens and I can’t make my scheduled time?
It is important that volunteers be dependable, but we understand that unexpected things can
come up. If an illness or an emergency arises, please let the front office know as soon as
possible.
8.
What do I do about discipline?
Nothing. It is the responsibility of school employees to take care of student discipline.
Volunteers should not discipline students. If you observe something that requires the teacher’s
attention, please notify him or her immediately.
9.
What if I don’t feel qualified to perform the assignment I was given?
Please tell the front office that you would prefer another task. It is important for us to know if
you are uncomfortable in a certain role or unwilling to perform it.
10.
Should I tell my neighbor if I see her child misbehaving at school?
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Absolutely not! Adults at school have the responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of
students. Sharing tidbits about a child’s behavior or academic progress can be detrimental to the
child. Please respect the privacy of our students and allow communication to happen through
the proper channels.
11.
What if I see something I’m concerned about?
Please notify school staff immediately. It is not a volunteer’s job to contact parents about
anything occurring at school. Teachers are governed by multiple legal obligations and restraints.
It is the teacher’s responsibility to decide when further action is necessary.
12.
What if I have questions about my child?
Please arrange a separate time for a conference with your child’s teacher. Volunteer time is
valuable and often tightly scheduled.
Appendix C: Guidelines for School Athletics
This document is designed for student athletes and their parents to help define the role of
educational athletics at Founders Classical Academy. The basic goals of interscholastic athletics
are defined and the policies and regulations necessary to achieve these goals are presented. It is
imperative that both the athlete and parent have knowledge of this material.
The athletics program is available to students in 6​th​ grade through 12​th​ grade. The program is
conducted in accordance with existing school policies, rules, and regulations. While the school
takes pride in winning, it does not condone winning at all costs. The school discourages any and
all pressures that might lead to neglecting good sportsmanship and good health. At all times, the
athletic program must be conducted as an educational activity. School success, unity, and pride
are greatly enhanced by proper student participation in school-sponsored activities.
Requirements for Participation
1.
Physical Examination: A yearly physical examination is required and must be submitted
to the office before a student can participate in any practice or competitions. The examination
covers all sports for the entire school year provided it was administered after April 15. The form
will be kept on file in the front office.
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2.
Emergency Medical Authorization: An Emergency Medical Authorization sheet must be
completed giving permission for treatment by a physician or hospital when a parent is not
available. The information will be kept with the head coach and on hand at all practices and
contests. Please note that Founders Classical Academy does not carry insurance to cover student
athletic injuries.
3.
Parental Acknowledgement of Athletic Policies:​ Each parent/guardian and athlete
shall read the Athletic Code of Conduct and certify that they understand the athletic eligibility
rules and policies of Founders Classical Academy. This signed document will be kept on file in
the office.
4.
Scholastic Eligibility:​ In order to participate in FCA athletics, each athlete must meet
the academic requirements as stated in the Family Handbook, and also meet the league
minimum requirements.
5.
Equipment Responsibilities:​ All athletes are responsible for the proper care and
security of equipment issued to them. School furnished equipment is to be worn only for team
competitions and team practices. All equipment not returned in good condition at the end of
the season will be subject to a financial penalty.
Objectives of the FCA Athletic Program
1.
The athlete learns the value of teamwork, self-discipline, a strong work ethic, and
sacrifice. Contribution to the team is more important than personal goals or individual
achievement.
2.
The athlete learns how to be a competitor while developing self-control, honesty and a
spirit of cooperation.
3.
The athlete learns to be a good winner as well as a gracious loser in defeat. Good
sportsmanship is a major objective for all FCA teams.
4.
The athlete learns to appreciate the skills and abilities of his or her opponent.
5.
The athlete learns an appreciation of playing by given rules.
6.
The athlete learns the value of physical fitness that leads to a sound body, healthy mind,
and lifelong healthy habits.
7.
The athlete learns, in a positive manner, to cope with the competitive nature of athletics.
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Athletic Code of Conduct
Participation in Founders Leander athletics is regarded as a privilege and not a right. All athletes
shall abide by a code of ethics that will earn them the honor and respect that participation and
competition in the interscholastic program affords. Any conduct that results in dishonor to the
athlete, team, or school will not be tolerated. Acts of unacceptable conduct tarnish the
reputation of everyone associated with the athletic program.
When a student voluntarily participates in interscholastic athletics, he/she agrees to abide by the
Athletic Code of Conduct throughout his/her athletic career. The Code of Conduct begins with
a student’s first day of participation in interscholastic athletics and continues through their date
of graduation and is in effect during vacation breaks, summer recess and off-season times.
Athletic Training Rules
1.
School Discipline​: Any student-athlete referred to the office of the Headmaster for a
school rules violation may be denied the privilege of participation in all athletic activities for a
period determined by the Headmaster and Athletic Director.
2.
​Coach’s Rules​: Coaches may establish additional rules and regulations for their
respective sport in consultation with the Athletic Director. These additional rules will be stated
in writing and explained fully by the coach during a parents meeting at the start of the season.
3.
Fighting or Flagrant Unsportsmanlike Conduct​: Fighting, taunting, or displaying
any sort of poor sportsmanship will not be tolerated. Any athlete that receives a technical, red
card, or ejection must meet with the Athletic Director to discuss the behavior.
4.
Dropping from a Team​: Quitting is an unacceptable habit. A quitter may lose the
privilege of participating in athletics. On occasion, however, an athlete may find it necessary to
drop a sport for a good reason. If this is the case the following procedure must be followed:
a.
Consult with the head coach.
b.
Consult with the Athletic Director.
c.
Check in all equipment.
5.
Missing Practice​: An athlete must consult with the coach before missing practice. A
student who misses practice (or a game) without good reason will be disciplined by the coach.
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Please avoid scheduling any appointments or events during practice or contests. Communicate
any planned absences to the coach as soon as possible.
6.
Travel​: All athletes must travel to and from out-of-town athletic contests using
transportation arranged by the athletic department, unless previous arrangements are made by
the parent. A transportation permission form must also be on file annually with the front office.
Athletes may return home with a parent after a contest provided a note signed by the parent is
given to the coach or direct communication occurs with the coach. ​ ​Athletes will remain with
their team under the supervision of the coach until the end of the contest. Unless there is an
exceptional situation athletes are not to leave a contest early.
7.
Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs:​ Any student using and/or possessing alcohol, tobacco, or
drugs shall be in violation. This rule is in effect twelve months of the year. Students in violation
will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the RES Parent/Student Handbook.
8.
Grooming and Dress Policy:​ An athlete shall dress presentably at all times, such as
on trips, at assemblies, and at banquets. Only uniforms issued by the school will be worn for
contests. Athletes must follow the guidelines for jewelry and personal appearance stated in the
Family Handbook.
9.
Conflicts with Extracurricular Activities​: The athletic department recognizes that all
students should have the opportunity for a broad range of experiences and extracurricular
activities and will attempt to schedule school events in a manner to minimize conflicts. Students
have the responsibility to avoid continuing conflicts. They must also immediately notify the
coaches involved when a conflict arises. Student-athletes are discouraged from participating in
outside activities that conflict with school practices and games. When a conflict is unavoidable,
students that participate on non-school teams must communicate with the school coach to
determine an agreed upon schedule for the season. In general, school sports take precedence
over non-school sports or activities.
10.
School Attendance​: Students must be in attendance at least the second half of the
school day in order to participate in a contest or practice. Students missing a half or full day of
school to participate in an athletic contest must fill out a prearranged absence form in advance.
All work should be made up at the discretion of the teacher. If a student has afternoon
detention, he or she may be ineligible for practice or competition on that day. Final authority
for infractions of this rule will rest with the Headmaster.
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11.
Vacation Policy​: Taking a vacation during a sports season is discouraged. In the event
of an unavoidable absence for a vacation an athlete must communicate with the coach well in
advance and be willing to assume consequences related to his/her status on the team (as a
starter, if applicable).
12.
Reporting of Injury​: All injuries should be reported to the head coach immediately. If
the injury requires medical attention by a doctor, the athlete must obtain the doctor’s written
permission before returning to the activity.
13.
Social Media: ​All school or personal use of social media should be conducted in a
responsible and respectful manner, as it reflects on the athletic program and the school as a
whole.
Philosophy of Winning and Participation
Winning is one of the goals of the FCA teams, within guidelines of the different levels of the
program. Founders Classical Academy of Leander will make every effort to provide every
student a chance to participate on a school team. Being awarded a roster spot on any team
should be seen as a privilege, and playing time is a reward earned through commitment and
effort.
Middle School​: Participation in middle school athletics is an introduction to interscholastic
sports. Skill development, sportsmanship, and team philosophy are important goals at this level.
Founders Classical Academy will attempt to provide an opportunity for all students to
participate. Playing time is guaranteed to all eligible team members during each contest, but not
equally. 6th graders are eligible to participate in middle school sports, and on occasion 7th or 8​th
grade students may be given the opportunity to be on the roster of the 9/10 team.
9/10 and Junior Varsity (JV)​: These are transition teams between the middle school and
varsity competition. Most sports will field either a 9/10 or JV team, and occasionally both.
While 9/10 is limited to underclassmen, a JV team can include juniors and seniors. The level of
intensity at practice as well as in contests will be increased. The commitment and dedication to
the team and sport also must increase. The athlete will be given the opportunity to earn playing
time through the demonstration of increased skills at practice and dedication to the team. Every
attempt will be made to give each team member playing time, but playing time will not be equal
for each player. 8th graders may be placed on JV teams.
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Varsity​: Varsity level athletic teams are the focal point of the FCA athletic program. To be a
part of a varsity team is an honor that must be earned. At the varsity level there is no guarantee
of playing time. The intensity of the competition will determine when the best athletes will be on
the field, court, track or course.​ ​When both varsity and junior varsity teams are offered students
will be placed on the appropriate team as determined by the coaches and athletic director. 8th
graders may be placed on varsity teams.
Resolving Athletic Issues
Updated July 2016
If a parent has a concern to discuss with a coach, he or she should follow the guidelines below.
1.
Encourage the athlete to discuss the problem first with the coach.
2.
If the athlete and coach are unable to reach a resolution, please call or email the coach to
set up an appointment. (Please do not confront a coach with concerns immediately before or
after a contest. These can be emotional times for both the parent and the coach, so we require a
minimum of 24 hours to have passed after a contest before a parent can speak with a coach
about it.)
3.
If the meeting with the coach did not provide a satisfactory resolution, please set up an
appointment with the Athletic Director to discuss the situation.
4.
If the meeting with the Athletic Director did not provide a satisfactory resolution, please
set up an appointment with the Assistant Headmaster for Student Affairs.
Dual Participation
Students are allowed to participate in more than one sport each season. In such a case the
student-athlete, his/her parents, the coaches, and athletic director must meet to discuss and
design the practice/contest schedule for the athlete. A primary and secondary sport must be
designated.
Physical Education and Participation
All student-athletes who are in PE must participate in all activities during class, regardless of
after school practices or game commitments. If modifications need to be made the student
should speak with the instructor in advance.
Uniform Policy
Updated July 2016
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All school issued uniforms and equipment are to be used for athletic contests and practices
only. These items are not to be worn in PE class, in school, in the community, or at home. The
only exception is if an entire team wears their school-issued apparel for a special occasion
approved by the coach. Jerseys must be work with white or navy blue polo shirts during the
school day.
A student-athlete will not be allowed to play in a future season until all school issued uniforms,
warm ups, equipment, etc. have been returned. Lost or damaged items may result in a fine.
FCA athletes will be uniform in appearance. All uniforms will comply with sport-specific rules
and will not be altered to bring attention to an individual.
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Appendix E: Statement on Bowties
This Family Handbook, like nearly all things, is imperfect, and must be amended from time to
time. In the founding year of our school, two enterprising Upper School students, Logan
Carpenter and Christian Cruz, noticed an ambiguity in the language of the handbook. Boys were
asked to wear navy blue ties on Formal Wednesday, but no guidance was given about bow ties.
In the absence of a clear rule, it fell to Mr. Carpenter, Mr. Cruz, and Dr. O’Toole to interpret the
spirit of the handbook and reason together about whether the addition of bow ties to the
Formal Wednesday uniform would be advisable.
The document below is the product of their deliberations. It is provided here as a model for
future suggested amendments to the handbook, and for your amusement.
Founders Classical Academy
Statement on Bowties
The Founders Classical Academy Student Handbook 2014-2015 states the following under the requirements for
Formal Wednesday: “Beginning in 4th​​ Grade boys will be required to wear navy blue ties.” The question is raised, may
a boy wear a navy blue bowtie on Formal Wednesday?
After considering the matter carefully, we answer the following:
WHEREAS the bowtie is a classic accessory, appropriate to the classical environment of the school;
WHEREAS wearing a bowtie gives a student a personalized look that is also modest and clean;
WHEREAS many of the teachers wear bowties;
WHEREAS 46 out of 53 students surveyed by Mr. Logan Carpenter and Mr. Cristian Cruz responded that bowties are
classy and not distracting from work or concentration;
WHEREAS bowties would promote school spirit and be fun;
WHEREAS bowties are available in navy blue;
And finally, WHEREAS making bowties an acceptable part of the uniform would give Mr. Logan Carpenter the
opportunity to practice tying them regularly,
A bowtie is an acceptable and even encouraged accessory for boys in grades 4 and up on Formal Wednesday.
Signed, on this 29th​​ day of September 2014,
Kathleen O’Toole
Headmaster
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Appendix F: Student and Parent Agreement
FOUNDERS CLASSICAL ACADEMY 2016-17 HANDBOOK
Acknowledgement of Receipt and Oath of Loyalty
The Founders Classical Academy of Leander handbook outlines the policies and procedures that
are necessary to promote the mission of the school:
The mission of Founders Classical Academy is to train the minds and improve the hearts
of students through a rigorous, classical education in the liberal arts and sciences, with
instruction in good character and civic virtue.
The success of our school depends on a close partnership between parent, student, and the
school and fidelity to the school’s mission. Please sign below to acknowledge your receipt of the
campus handbook and your commitment to abide by the provisions contained therein.
I swear to uphold the mission of Founders Classical Academy and to observe the good, the true,
and the beautiful in word and deed.
______________________________________ Student Name
____________________________________ Student Signature
______________________________________________ Date
_____________________________________ Parent Signature
Please access this form through your Jupiter account and submit it online.
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