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Leander, TX
Parent/Student Handbook
2014-2015
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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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Table of Contents
Message from the Headmaster..........................................................................................................................5
Section 1: School and Faculty Directory....................................................................................................6
Office and Contact Information.........................................................................................................6
Faculty Biographies...............................................................................................................................8
Section 2: Founders Classical Academy Philosophy and Mission
Mission Statement...............................................................................................................................18
What is a Charter School?..................................................................................................................19
Section 3: Curriculum...................................................................................................................................20
Course of Study...................................................................................................................................20
Grading.................................................................................................................................................21
Promotion............................................................................................................................................21
Latin.......................................................................................................................................................21
Homework…………….....................................................................................................................23
Study Hall…………………………………………………………………………23
State Assessments................................................................................................................................20
Controversial Issues............................................................................................................................25
Religion and Religious Expression.....................................................................................25
Human Sexuality....................................................................................................................25
High School Graduation Requirements...........................................................................................26
Latin………...........................................................................................................................26
Senior Thesis..........................................................................................................................26
Additional Graduation Policies...........................................................................................27
Outline of High School Coursework.................................................................................27
Ranking...................................................................................................................................29
Section 4: Decorum and Discipline..........................................................................................................30
Decorum...............................................................................................................................................30
Attendance..............................................................................................................................30
Uniform...................................................................................................................................31
General Decorum..................................................................................................................35
Academic Honesty................................................................................................................36
Discipline..............................................................................................................................................36
Disciplinary Action................................................................................................................36
Pink Slips.................................................................................................................................37
Bullying....................................................................................................................................37
Section 5: School Activities..........................................................................................................................38
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Extracurricular Activities....................................................................................................................38
TCSAAL.................................................................................................................................38
Athletics Policies....................................................................................................................38
External PE Credit……………….........…………………………………...38
Field Trips...............................................................................................................................39
Chaperones.............................................................................................................................39
School Dances........................................................................................................................39
Section 6: Procedures and Policies...........................................................................................................41
School-day Procedures.......................................................................................................................41
Pick-Up/Drop-Off...............................................................................................................41
After-School Care..................................................................................................................42
Morning Assembly................................................................................................................42
Pledges of Allegiance...............................................................................................42
School Meals and Lunchtime...............................................................................................43
Snacks......................................................................................................................................43
Medication..............................................................................................................................44
General Campus Policies...................................................................................................................44
Inclement Weather................................................................................................................44
Illness.......................................................................................................................................44
Network & Internet Access.................................................................................................44
Videos......................................................................................................................................45
Electronic Devices.................................................................................................................45
Campus Visitors.....................................................................................................................46
Sex Offenders...........................................................................................................46
Parent Visits..............................................................................................................46
Classroom Observations.........................................................................................46
Volunteering.............................................................................................................47
Lost and Found......................................................................................................................47
Parking.....................................................................................................................................48
Parent-School Communication...........................................................................................48
Grievances..............................................................................................................................49
Section 7: Appendices...................................................................................................................................50
Appendix A: School Uniform Ordering Information...................................................................50
Appendix B: Handbook Acknowledgement Form .......................................................................51
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August 1, 2014
Dear parents and students,
Welcome to Founders Classical Academy. I am delighted to serve as the founding Headmaster of
this very unusual and very important school.
Parents and students, this year marks the beginning of an important partnership between your
families and Founders Classical Academy. The purpose of this partnership is the education of your
children, understood in the fullest sense of the term. The mission of Founders Classical Academy is
to train the minds and improve the hearts of our students 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.
In this difficult and important work, we have the support of our parent organization, Responsive
Education Solutions, which operates over 60 charter schools in Texas and surrounding states. We
work alongside Hillsdale College’s Barney Charter School Initiative, which advises classical schools
like ours on matters of curriculum and school culture. Hillsdale’s professors have trained our
teachers, and they will work closely with us throughout this founding year.
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.
Please read the handbook carefully and sign the acknowledgment form included in the Appendices.
I thank you for the work you have already done to support our school, and I look forward to
building a strong and lasting partnership with you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kathleen O’Toole
Headmaster
Founders Classical Academy
Leander, TX
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Section 1: School Directory
Founders Classical Academy
1303 Leander Drive
Leander, TX 78641
Front Office
Monday-Friday
7:15am-4:00pm
Closed weekends and major holidays
Main Phone Line: (512) 259-0103
Absences (morning): (512) 259-0103
After School Care (afternoon): (512) 259-0103
E-mail: [email protected]
Administration and Office Staff
Dr. Kathleen O’Toole
Dr. Robert Garrow
Mrs. Elizabeth Moreno
Mrs. Pamela Cunningham
Mrs. Edi Sowers
Mrs. Catherine Van Arnam
Headmaster
Assistant Headmaster
Office Manager
Administrative Assistant
Office Aide
Office Aide
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Student Services
Mrs. Heather Locricchio
Mrs. Heidi Fowler
Mrs. Kirsten Wheeless
Ms. Jacqueline Elliott
Mrs. Dana Thompson
Mrs. Elizabeth Loderup
Child Nutrition Program
Child Nutrition Program
Instructional Services Teacher
Instructional Services Teacher
Dyslexia and Reading Specialist
School Nurse
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Grammar School Faculty
Ms. Aislinn Deviney
Mrs. Lyndsey Rariden
Mrs. Tara Hollis
Ms. Penny Williams
Mrs. Josie Barkocy
Mrs. Angela Horton
Mrs. Mona Jenkins
Ms. Pamela Baggett
Ms. Tabitha Loy
Ms. Lauren Hall
Mrs. Tara Hargrove
Mr. Dane Skorup
Mrs. Cameran White
Kindergarten Teacher
Kindergarten Teacher
First Grade Teacher
First Grade Teacher
Second Grade Teacher
Second Grade Teacher
Third Grade Teacher
Third Grade Teacher
Fourth Grade Teacher
Fourth Grade Teacher
Fifth Grade Teacher
Fifth Grade Teacher
Physical Education Teacher
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[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
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Mr. Scott Harrison
Mrs. Taryn Trousdale
Music Teacher
Art Teacher
[email protected]
[email protected]
Upper School Faculty
Mr. John Baker
Mr. Evan Fellman
Mr. Darrell Frost
Mr. Alexander Harner
Mr. Christopher Lyon
Mr. Nathan McClallen
Dr. Stephanie McIntyre
Ms. Veronica Miller
Mr. John Peterson
Ms. Caroline O’Brien
Mr. John Sercer
Mr. Doug Sowers
Mrs. Kim Walley
Latin Teacher
Music Teacher
Mathematics and Science Teacher
Art Teacher
Literature and History Teacher
History and PE Teacher
History, Science, and Comp Teacher
Literature and Composition Teacher
Literature and History Teacher
Mathematics Teacher
Latin Teacher
Physical Education Teacher
Science Teacher
Founders Classical Academy of Leander
Parent/Student Handbook
2014-2015
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
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Faculty and Staff Biographies
Administration
Dr. Kathleen O’Toole, Headmaster
Dr. O’Toole grew up in Claremont, a small college town in Southern California. She
attended the University of Dallas, a liberal arts college in Irving, TX famous for its core
curriculum. Like most UD students, she spent her college years laboring through countless
pages of the great works of history, literature, and philosophy and emerged having learned to
like it. She graduated with a BA in Politics and moved back to California, where she began a
Ph.D. in Political Philosophy. While in school, she was an editor for the Claremont Review of
Books, a quarterly journal of political thought and statesmanship.
Dr. O’Toole has presented academic papers on Aristotle, Cicero, St. Augustine, Shakespeare,
and Alexis de Tocqueville. Her doctoral dissertation is on Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and
Politics and examines the place of moral virtue in the happy life, focusing on magnanimity,
justice, and prudence.
Her career in higher education showed her how important good moral and intellectual
formation is before college and before adulthood. Being the Headmaster of a classical school
is the realization of a lifelong hope for her and an opportunity to teach and learn with a
community that takes education seriously. She lives in Austin with her new husband Daniel
and two gray cats.
Dr. Robert Garrow, Assistant Headmaster
Dr. Garrow was born and raised in Colorado. He fell in love with American politics and
completed his BA in political science at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He received
his doctorate in political philosophy and American politics from Claremont Graduate
University, where he wrote on two great thinkers – Thomas Hobbes and Alexis de
Tocqueville. His studies led to a career in higher education where he taught at the
undergraduate and graduate levels in both large state schools and small liberal arts colleges.
He also spent one semester teaching aboard the USS George Washington, stationed in
Yokosuka, Japan. Working with Navy sailors taught him about the importance of courage,
discipline, and sacrifice, lessons that he brings to Founders Classical Academy. He is excited
to work with younger students, their families, and a community that takes classical education
seriously.
Outside of Founders Dr. Garrow is an avid runner and reader. He has completed several
long-distance races as well as triathlons of varying distances. His favorite books tend to be
old books, though he is also interested in questions of modern science and politics. Dr.
Garrow and his wife, along with their one-year-old daughter, are very excited to be Texans.
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Mrs. Elizabeth Moreno, Office Manager
Mrs. Moreno, a California native, has been settled with her husband and two children in the
Austin area for a little over 3 years. Her previous years of experience working as an Assistant
Business Manager in property management, a Business Manager for Bobbi Brown
Cosmetics, and years of service in her church’s children’s ministry, have all aided her in her
role as the school’s Office Manager. Mrs. Moreno has a love for travel and serving others.
She has had the opportunity dedicate herself to serve the women and children in Haiti the
past two summers, and plans to continue these trips yearly.
Mrs. Pamela Cunningham, Administrative Assistant
Mrs. Cunningham and her husband, Kyle, have four children, ages two to thirteen. She is a
Texas native, raised in Amarillo and Waco, and has lived in the Austin area for 17 years.
Pamela studied Global Business Management and worked in the global industry with
Emerson Process Management and Sanmina-SCI, for a combined 15 years. She comes to
Founders with a background in Supply Management, Information Technology, Facilities,
and Corporate Security. After years of traveling frequently overseas and in the States, she
decided to take a two year engagement to stay at home with her two youngest children.
Because of her love of children and education, together with her desire to be at home with
her family, Pamela joined Founders of Leander.
Mrs. Edi Sowers, Office Aide
Mrs. Sowers is proud of her heritage as a native Texan. After growing up in a small town
near the gulf coast, she attended the University of Texas at Austin and enjoyed her
participation in the Longhorn Band. After graduating from the University of Texas, she
chose to follow a family legacy of service in the United States Navy. Mrs. Sowers served in
many shore-station support, leadership, staff and training positions from San Diego, to
Tucson, to the Pentagon, where she was assigned on the day of the 9-11 terrorist attacks.
While in service she earned a Master of Arts in Education Administration and eventually
retired as a Commander after 21 years of service. She is happy to be living “back home” in
Texas, and is excited to be a member of the team at Founders Classical Academy of Leander.
Mrs. Catherine Van Arnam, Office Aide
Mrs. Van Arnam is very pleased to be contributing as an Office Aide this founding year of
Founders Classical Academy. She very much enjoys helping Founders’ families and staff
achieve an excellent experience on campus. Mrs. Van Arnam has an extensive background as
an Executive Assistant and volunteer. She sacrificed her Red Sox season tickets to move
with her family from Massachusetts to Texas this year, and has no regrets.
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Student Services
Mrs. Heather Locricchio, Child Nutrition Program
Mrs. Locricchio comes to Founders Classical after 13 years as a part-time legal secretary and
a full-time mom. She has been married for 17 years and has two children, a 13 year-old son
and a 10 year-old daughter, both of whom attend Founders Classical Academy. Mrs.
Locricchio is originally from Michigan and moved to Leander last October, because of her
husband's job. She looks forward to a new adventure at Founders Classical Academy.
Mrs. Heidi Fowler, Child Nutrition Program
Mrs. Fowler is a native Austinite and a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in
Nutritional Science. She has worked as a Registered Dietitian in both the public and private
sector. Also, she worked for several years at a pre-school. She and her husband have 3 active
kids. She is looking forward to a wonderful year at FCA-Leander.
Mrs. Kirsten Wheeless, Instructional Services Teacher
Mrs. Wheeless was born in Atlanta, GA and came to Texas with her family as a youngster.
She was raised just north of Houston and completed high school in Cy-Fair ISD schools.
She attended Sam Houston State University where She earned a BS in Psychology with a
minor in Special Education. She concluded her teacher training and received her teacher
certification in 2003. She is beginning her fourteenth year in education but has been working
in the field of Special Education since her pre-teenage years. She has a passion for children
and believe that they can all reach high and achieve their personal goals. She is blessed to be
at FCA Leander and cannot wait to see how our children grow and thrive!
Ms. Jacqueline Elliott, Instructional Services Teacher
Mrs. Dana Thompson, Dyslexia and Reading Specialist
Grammar School Faculty
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Ms. Aislinn Deviney, Kindergarten Teacher
Miss Deviney was born and raised in Texas, although she moved to Oklahoma to attend
college. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Oklahoma City University in 2009
and following graduation she moved to Sydney, Australia. There, she studied worship music
at Hillsong International Leadership College. She moved back to Texas in 2012 and began
teaching. She is certified in both Music Education and Generalist EC-6, and this will be her
third year teaching Kindergarten. In her spare time, she writes songs, leads worship weekly at
her church and teaches occasional voice lessons. Miss Deviney also loves to travel and has
visited New Zealand, Kenya, El Salvador, Mexico, and most of the US. She traveled to
Kenya with her church to visit a project they sponsor through World Vision. In Kenya, she
met her sponsored child and fell in love with the people and culture. She plans to visit again
in 2015. Her goal is to travel all around Europe the year of her 30th birthday. Although she
enjoys traveling, she is a Texan at heart and is very happy to be teaching in her hometown.
She is excited to be a part of Founders during its first year and is looking forward to teaching
her little ones to enjoy learning, pursue knowledge, and live virtuously.
Mrs. Lyndsey Rariden, Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Rariden very excited to be teaching Kindergarten at Founder’s Classical Academy of
Leander this year. She was born in South Africa and moved to Connecticut when she was six
years old. She has a Bachelor’s of Arts in History with minors in Psychology and Women’s
Studies from Union College in Schenectady, New York, and a Master’s of Science in Early
Childhood Education and General Childhood Education from Bank Street College of
Education in New York City. After school, she taught in Indiana for three years, and
recently moved to the Austin area with her husband and two pups!
Mrs. Tara Hollis, First Grade Teacher
Mrs. Hollis was born and raised in Kentucky, where she was active in 4-H, Girl Scouts, and
her local church. After high school and two years at the community college, she began a
career in culinary arts. At this time, she was also working at the afterschool care at her
church. It was there that she discovered her true passion—teaching children. Shortly
thereafter, she began education courses at the local community college. A few years later, she
was married moved to be with her new husband in Virginia. She transferred to Liberty
University to complete her education and graduated in May of this year. She is looking
forward to a wonderful school year!
Ms. Penny Williams, First Grade Teacher
Born and raised in a small town deep in the heart of Texas, Ms. Williams has a welldeveloped appreciation of community and a strong commitment to working together with
others to build a brighter future for children. Having earned a Bachelor of Science degree in
Agricultural Services and Development from Tarleton State University, she has invested
eight years as an Executive Assistant to the CEO of a business consulting firm before
beginning a career in teaching. Her experience as a Kindergarten teacher and working with
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special needs students has furthered her desire to be an integral part in helping students excel
both in academics and in moral discipline.
Mrs. Josie Barkocy, Second Grade Teacher
Mrs. Barkocy comes to Founders Classical Academy with a Bachelor of Science in
Interdisciplinary Engineering & Management from Clarkson University. Her recent
experience includes teaching for Classical Conversations, and classically homeschooling her
own children for 5 years, including leading a variety of learning cooperatives. Prior to
teaching, she worked in the Silicon Valley as a Product Marketing Engineer for NEC
Electronics. Mrs. Barkocy has a passion for classical education and finds joy in the
opportunity to engage children through hands-on, inter-modal activities and exploration. She
is excited about the opportunity to bring her prior experience into the classroom as she
walks beside families to develop a positive, effective learning experience for students. Josie
and her husband live in Leander and have two children.
Mrs. Angela Horton, Second Grade Teacher
Mrs. Horton has an art degree from The University of Texas and specializes in teaching
reading and art at the elementary level. She taught First Grade for three years in the Round
Rock School District, where she also team taught a combined First and Second Grade for
two years. She has been a Preschool Coach at her church as well as a Preschool Teacher and
a First grade aide at a private school. With her husband, Alan, she has four boys aged 18, 16,
13, and 10.
Mrs. Mona Jenkins, Third Grade Teacher
Mrs. Jenkins is honored to be a part of Founders Classical Academy this year. She graduated
from Abilene Christian University with a Bachelor of Arts in Finance. Mrs. Jenkins received
her certifications for Generalist EC-6 and Special Ed from Region 14 in Abilene, Texas. She
taught two years for Fortis Academy. She has tutored and worked as a substitute for various
Leander and Abilene, TX, school districts. Her core values are service, faith, and peace. She
absolutely loves helping students of all ages and is passionate about making learning fun and
meaningful. Her focus is on helping students feel confident about their ability to master the
subject. She loves to bring the lessons to life and creative excitement about the subject, so
that the students enjoy coming to school and are eager to learn. Mrs. Jenkins is married and
they have two children. When not pursuing her love for learning and teaching, she enjoys
watching movies on family night and attending sporting events, especially football and
basketball games.
Ms. Pamela Baggett, Third Grade Teacher
Ms. Baggett is a native Texan and has lived in Austin since 1997. She graduated from
Tennessee Temple University with a degree in English and Secondary Education and holds
Texas teaching certificates in English Language Arts, Reading, and Elementary EC-6. Her
experience includes teaching English to middle and high school students, editing and writing
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reading textbooks and assessments for educational publishers, and classically homeschooling
her children for five years. She enjoys cooking, collecting classic children’s books, and hiking
and exploring the Hill Country with her family. Her three children attend Founders and are
in Third, Fifth, and Sixth Grades.
Ms. Tabitha Loy, Fourth Grade Teacher
A native of Colorado, Ms. Loy received her B.A. in Literature and Secondary Education
from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, and her M.A. in Special Education from Adams
State College in Alamosa, Colorado. Her teaching experience, in both private and public
schools, includes almost all grade levels from 1st to 12th. Recently, she has been teaching
middle school literature and history in Parker, Colorado. Reading, horseback riding and
spending time with her three children are her favorite activities.
Ms. Lauren Hall, Fourth Grade Teacher
Lauren Hall is a native Seattleite who graduated from UCLA in 2011 with degrees in
psychology and history. For four years, she was a full-time NCAA student-athlete, Captain,
and NCAA All-American and Academic All-American for the UCLA Swim and Dive team.
Lauren moved from Phoenix, Arizona where she was working at a classical school as a 5th
grade teacher and coached cross-country, soccer, and track. She will be teaching 4th grade at
FCA of Leander, and she hopes to learn and grow with her students as she teaches them
from her academic and athletic experiences. Lauren recently learned how to play bridge and
welcomes anyone who is willing to play a few friendly games with a new learner.
Mrs. Tara Hargrove, Fifth Grade Teacher
Mrs. Hargrove is a native of Louisiana and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin,
where she received her B.S. degree in Communications. Following her undergraduate studies
in Austin, as a Rotary Foundation Scholar, she attended the University of Wales, U.K.,
where she received a Post-graduate Diploma in Journalism. She went to graduate school at
the University of New Orleans where she received an M.A. degree in Political Science and
International Studies. She has taught for 20 years in private schools in Louisiana and Texas,
and for the past 7 years she has worked in a classical school setting in the Dallas metro area.
She has been married to her high school sweetheart for 30 years, and they have three grown
boys who are working and in college. She is delighted to be a part of the faculty at FCA
Leander and especially happy to be back in Austin!
Mr. Dane Skorup, Fifth Grade Teacher
Mr. Skorup is native of northern Illinois, and a graduate of Hillsdale College in Michigan.
Like most of his classmates at Hillsdale, he learned a love of the very widest breadth of
academic subjects. Now in his new home, he hopes to foster in students the same love of
the liberal arts, in all their interconnected beauty, as has been fostered in him.
Mrs. Cameran White, Physical Education Teacher
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Mrs. White is excited to begin her first year teaching Elementary Physical Education at
Founder’s Classical Academy of Leander. She received her Bachelor of Science in
Kinesiology from the University of Texas, and recently obtained her Master of Education in
Physical Education from Texas State University. Mrs. White has also earned her EC-12
Texas Teacher’s Certification, and is AFAA Certified in Group Fitness Instruction. She
recently married her husband, Daniel, and resides in the Austin area with their two dogs,
Annie Belle and Whiskey.
Mr. Scott Harrison, Music Teacher
Mr. Harrison was born in Texas but has lived in France, South Carolina, and Illinois.
Regardless of where he has lived, he has always been immersed in music. Participating in AllState choirs, bands and orchestras since middle school, he went on to complete his high
school education at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities in
2002. After studying music at this program, I later received a B.A. at the Chicago School of
the Performing Arts in 2006. During college, he studied trombone performance and music
history and composition. He also performed in ensembles, was a substitute for the Chicago
Symphony, and held a position in the Skoke Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, he was a
music minister at Cranes Mill Baptist Church in Canyon Lake, the Assistant Music Director
for San Marcos Academy’s middle and high school ensembles, the brass instructor for
Canyon Lake High School, and a freelance performer for local ensembles and small combos.
Mrs. Taryn Trousdale, Art Teacher
Mrs. Trousdale is an artist born in California and raised in Kansas. She graduated from
Emporia State University in 2009 with a degree in the Fine Arts, with an emphasis in
painting. She has over five years of experience in studio painting, custom art framing, and
design. She speaks a little Japanese and likes to play ukulele in her free time.
Upper School Faculty
Mr. John Baker, Latin Teacher
Mr. Baker has taught Latin for five years. He is a graduate of the University of Dallas. He
holds an M.A. in philosophy from Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
He has also taught as an adjunct professor of philosophy at St. Edward's University.
Mr. Evan Fellman, Music Teacher
Mr. Fellman lived in Maine for most of his life, and has studied music since he was seven
years old. He taught music in a middle school before moving to Texas to work at FCA
Leander. He has a wife and four young children.
Mr. Alexander Harner, Art Teacher
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Mr. Harner graduated from Hillsdale College with a bachelor’s degree in fine art and later
received his master’s degree in architecture from Washington University in Saint Louis. Prior
to taking the position of art teacher at Founders Classical Academy, he worked as an
architect in Seattle, Washington. Mr. Harner believes that the appreciation and practice of art
is essential for the development of the whole person and is excited to bring his experience as
both an artist and a designer to the classroom. In his spare time he enjoys developing his
own illustration projects.
Mr. Christopher Lyon, Literature and History Teacher
Mr. Lyon grew up in the orchards of northern Wisconsin, and has spent a large portion of
his life in or around that magnificent state. He was homeschooled and classically educated,
and attended the University of Dallas, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, and
Marquette University. He holds two history degrees (BA and MA) and has moved from
Wisconsin to Texas for the purpose of teaching at Founders Classical Academy. Mr. Lyon
spent four years in the Marine Corps, where he was a machine-gunner in the infantry, and
deployed to Iraq twice. He is married and has three beautiful daughters. He has played and
coached rugby for over 13 years and the High School, Collegiate and Club levels. He also
enjoys soccer and has played at various levels.
Mr. Nathan McClallen, History and PE Teacher
Mr. McClallen graduated from Hillsdale College in 2011 with a B.A. in Economics. During
his time at Hillsdale, Mr. McClallen became the Sports Editor of the Hillsdale Collegian, as
well as a Founding Father of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. For the past three years Mr.
McClallen has been working at a Classical Liberal Arts charter school in Arizona—Scottsdale
Preparatory Academy—where he taught junior high history and high school economics. Mr.
McClallen will also be active in the athletic department, and has experience coaching a
variety of sports. Mr. McClallen enjoys traveling and recently returned from a trip to Brazil.
Dr. Stephanie McIntyre, History, Science, and Composition Teacher
One of Dr. McIntyre's favorite things to do is teaching. She has studied history, science, and
composition throughout her academic career, which culminated in the completion of a
doctorate in Trans-Atlantic History in 2014 from the University of Texas at Arlington. Since
she began teaching in 1995, Dr. McIntyre has taught students in a variety of school
situations. Through it all, she has maintained her committment to high academic and
character development. One of Dr. McIntyre's strengths as a teacher has been her ability to
inspire her students to achieve more than they believed they were capable.
Ms. Veronica Miller, Literature and Composition Teacher
Ms. Miller was born in Southern California and raised in the Sacramento area. After
receiving her undergraduate degree in English Literature from Christendom College in
Virginia, Ms. Miller moved to Texas to pursue a master’s degree in English Literature at The
University of Dallas. Previously, Ms. Miller taught at Faustina Academy in Irving, TX—two
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years in 6th Grade and one year in 4th Grade. She is excited to be teaching 6th and 7th Grade
English as well as one section of 9th Grade composition at Founders Classical Academy this
year. In addition to reading, Ms. Miller’s interests and activities include travel, crafts, music
and movies, soccer, skiing and snowboarding, and coffee.
Mr. John Peterson, Literature and History Teacher
Mr. Peterson received his Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College in
Annapolis, MD and his Master of Arts in Politics from the University of Dallas. He is
writing his doctoral dissertation on the connection between the idea of property and privacy
of conscience in Montesquieu’s Spirit of the Laws. He has formerly worked as a substitute
teacher for Founders Classical Academy of Lewisville and as a Seminar Leader for Arete in
Irving, a summer program which introduces high school students to foundational texts of
philosophy and literature in a college setting. In addition to studying the Great Books, John
enjoys baseball, poetry, and cooking.
Ms. Caroline O’Brien, Mathematics Teacher
Ms. O'Brien graduated from Hillsdale College with a degree in English and an Elementary
Teacher Certification and Secondary English and Mathematics Teacher Certification. She
went on to teach at Will Carleton Academy in Hillsdale, where she taught 5th and 8th grade.
Miss O'Brien enjoys playing and coaching volleyball and in her spare time follows the
Detroit Tigers and Michigan State Spartans.
Mr. John Sercer, Latin Teacher
Mr. Sercer grew up in Southeast Kansas. He attended college at the University of Dallas,
graduating with a degree in English Literature in 2009. Saint Gregory’s Academy in Elmhurst
Township, PA was his home for two years. In addition to serving as director of student life
there, Mr. Sercer taught Literature, Latin, and Poetry courses, and coached soccer and rugby.
Three years of graduate work in English Literature later, Mr. Sercer returns to teaching.
Though teaching middle school Latin and coaching cross country will take up most of his
time, Mr. Sercer hopes to have some time left over to read great poetry, run a marathon or
two, and play at some chess tournaments. Along with Mrs. Laura Sercer, to whom he has
been married for three years, he expects baby Sercer Number One in January.
Mr. Doug Sowers, Physical Education Teacher
After graduating from West Virginia Wesleyan College with a degree in Elementary
Education, Doug Sowers went to work for the Marriott Corporation in a restaurant
management training program which led to a successful career in the hotel industry, where
he managed four hotels. He went on to own and operate two restaurants in Maryland, which
he and his wife Edi sold to relocate to her native state of Texas in 2013. Doug grew up
behind a school sports complex of which he claimed “king of the hill” status at a young age
playing basketball, baseball, tennis, football, and golf regularly. He went on to play high
school football and was an All-Scholastic basketball player. He has coached football and
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basketball and participated in numerous recreational sports as an adult including rugby,
swimming, volleyball, softball, flag football, cycling, and triathlons.
Mrs. Kim Walley, Science Teacher
With a Master of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Florida, work
experience in online math education, patent law, and teaching as a 4-H Agent, Mrs. Walley is
very excited to join the Founders Classical Academy Upper School team. Mrs. Walley is
looking forward to passing on her passion for science and learning to her students. In
addition, Mrs. Walley brings an interesting background of growing up on a farm in
Zimbabwe, Africa, attending a highly academic all-girls boarding school, and coming to
America to play on a golf scholarship for the University of Central Florida. Mrs. Walley and
her husband love being part of their local church, enjoy playing tennis and golf together, and
live in the Georgetown/Round Rock area with their two dogs, Bella and Annie.
Section 2: The Mission of Founders Classical Academy
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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.
B. What is a Charter School?
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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 West.
Section 3: Curriculum
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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 welleducated 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 6th Grade, and the Upper School, serving 7th through 12th 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;
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
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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 1st grade we will use the following marks:
E = Excellent performance
S = Satisfactory performance
N = Performance needs improvement
U = Unsatisfactory performance
In 2nd Grade through 12th Grade, we will use the following grading scale:
Grading scale
>94%
90-<94%
87-<90%
84-<87%
80-<84%
77-<80%
74-<77%
70-<74%
<70%
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CF
GPA
4.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
2.3
2.0
1.7
0.0
Students will receive report cards every 9 weeks. Only semester grades will count toward a student’s
Grade Point Average in the Upper School.
C. Promotion
Grammar School (K-6)
A student will only be promoted if he or she can read just above grade level and if he or she is
competent in the other core subjects (English, Math, History, Science). In addition, students in
Kindergarten through 2nd 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) to pass to the next grade. Students must retake core courses for which they
receive a failing grade.
D. Latin
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Part of what distinguishes our curriculum is the study of Latin, the language of the ancient Romans.
In 3rd 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 (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
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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 1st grader will
have approximately 10 minutes of homework per night and a 6th 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.
Study Hall
Students in 6th through 12th grade will have a 30-minute study hall at the end of the day. During
this time, they must either work on their homework or, with permission, receive assistance from
a teacher on class assignments.
F. State Assessments
The state of Texas requires standardized testing (STAAR exams) in reading and math for Grades 38, as well as writing in 4th and 7th grade, science in 5th and 8th grade, and social studies in 8th 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.
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
3rd Grade: Mathematics and Reading
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4th Grade: Mathematics, Reading, and Writing
5th Grade: Mathematics, Reading, and Science
6th Grade: Mathematics and Reading
7th Grade: Mathematics, Reading, and Writing
8th Grade: Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Social Studies
End-of-course (EOC) Exams
Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, U.S. History
Dates
February 2015
February 9-February 20
STAAR Alternate
March 2015
Monday, March 30
Grade 4 Writing Day 1
Grade 7 Writing Day 1
Grade 5 Mathematics
Grade 8 Mathematics
English I
Tuesday, March 31
Grade 4 Writing Day 2
Grade 7 Writing Day 2
Grade 5 Reading
Grade 8 Reading
April 2015
Wednesday, April 1
English II (EOC)
Tuesday, April 21
Grades 3-4 Mathematics
Grades 6-7 Mathematics
Grade 8 Social Studies
Wednesday, April 22
Grades 3-4 Reading
Grades 6-7 Reading
Grade 5 Science
Grade 8 Science
May 2015
Assessment Window May 4-May 8
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Algebra I (EOC)
Biology (EOC)
U.S. History (EOC)
Tuesday, May 12
Grade 5 Reading (retest)
Grade 8 Reading (retest)
G. 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
such a topic elicits, so long as those views are offered respectfully and with the solemnity they
merit.
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 5th 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.
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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.
H. High School Graduation Requirements
Updated February 2015
High School students must complete 26 credits worth of coursework, broken down in the
following manner:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
4 credits (8 semesters) of Literature.
4 credits (8 semesters) of History.
4 credits (8 semesters) of Mathematics.
4 credits (8 semesters) of Science.
3 credits of Latin, usually earned over 8 semesters.
1 credit (2 semesters) of Fine Arts.
1 credit (2 semesters) of Physical Education.
1 credit of Composition.
1 credit of Rhetoric.
.5 credit of Economics.
.5 credit of American Government.
3 additional elective credits
a senior thesis
Latin
A student must demonstrate competence in Latin 1, 2, and 3. 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.
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.”
Additional Graduation Policies
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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 9th 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 12th 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.
Outline of Coursework
Upper School students will follow the order of courses listed below.
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade
Literature and Composition
Literature and Composition
Literature and Composition
Core Knowledge History &
Core Knowledge History and
Core Knowledge History and
Geography
Geography
Geography
Singapore Math 6A/6B
Singapore Pre-Algebra
Pre-Algebra or Algebra I
Core Knowledge Science
Core Knowledge Science
Core Knowledge Science
Latin
Latin
Latin
Core Knowledge Art and Music Core Knowledge Art and Music Core Knowledge Art and Music
Physical Education
Physical Education
Physical Education
9th Grade
Classical Literature
Western Civilization I: The Classical World
Algebra I or Geometry
Biology
Latin I
Composition
Elective
10th Grade
British Literature
Western Civilization II: The Middle Ages,
Renaissance, and Enlightenment
Geometry or Algebra II
Chemistry
Latin I
Rhetoric
Elective
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For the 2014-2015 school year, 9th and 10th Grade students will choose among the following
electives:
Choir, Drawing, Painting, Physical Education
Each elective lasts one semester. Students will have the opportunity to choose a new elective after
the semester has ended.
We expect to offer the following courses as our school matures:
11th Grade (anticipated)
Fall
American Literature
American History
Algebra II or Pre-calculus
Physics
Foreign Language
Economics
Elective
Spring
American Literature
American History
Algebra II or Pre-calculus
Physics
Foreign Language
American Government
Elective
12th Grade (anticipated)
Fall
Modern Literature
20th Century History
Pre-calculus or Calculus
Biology II, Chemistry II, or Physics II
Foreign Language
Elective
Elective
Spring
Modern Literature
20th Century History
Pre-calculus or Calculus
Biology II, Chemistry II, or Physics II
Foreign Language
Elective
Elective
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G. 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 will 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.
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.
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.
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Section 4: Decorum and Discipline
A. Decorum
Attendance
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 7:45 for Kindergarten through 5th Grade and at 8:00 am for all
students from 6th through 12th Grade. If your child is absent because of illness or an
appointment for which we have not been notified previously, please call the front office to make
us aware of the situation before 8:00 a.m. It is critical to student safety that we know where all
students are on school days. Please notify the school every day your child is to be away from
school. Office staff will place calls daily to parents for unaccounted absences.
Students must attend 90% of classes in order to receive credit. This threshold includes both
excused and unexcused absences.
Excused Absences
Teachers will allow students to make up work for excused absences, though these days will
still count against the total of days in class. Absences will be excused for religious
observances, court appearances, illness, and other reasons required by law. For more
information please consult the RES Parent/Student Handbook.
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. Students who arrive after attendance is taken will be deemed absent. In order to
excuse the absence, parents must come to the front office and explain the emergency that
caused the delay.
Students will be disciplined if tardies become habitual.
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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.
Make-up Work
Missed work due to an 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.
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.
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.
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Below are the uniform requirements for each grade:
Grammar School
Updated February 2015
Boys: Kindergarten-3rd Grade
Bottoms
Khaki Shorts; Khaki
Pants
Tops
White Oxford (Short or Long
Sleeve); White Knit Polo (Short or
Long Sleeve); Navy Knit Polo
(Short or Long Sleeve)
Formal Wednesdays
Khaki Pants or Shorts and a White
Oxford Shirt (Short or Long
Sleeve)
Boys: 4th-5th Grade
Bottoms
Khaki Shorts; Khaki
Pants; Solid Black or
Brown Belt
Tops
White Oxford (Short or Long
Sleeve); White Knit Polo (Short or
Long Sleeve); Navy Knit Polo
(Short or Long Sleeve)
Formal Wednesdays
Khaki Pants or Shorts , a White
Oxford Shirt (Short or Long
Sleeve), and a Navy Tie or Bow
Tie
Girls: Kindergarten-3rd Grade
Bottoms
Khaki Jumper; Khaki
Shorts; Khaki Pants
Tops
White Knit Polo (Cap, Short, or
Long Sleeve); Navy Knit Polo (Cap,
Short, or Long Sleeve)
Formal Wednesdays
Plaid Jumper; White Peter Pan
Blouse
Girls: 4th-5th Grade
Bottoms
Khaki Jumper; Khaki
Shorts; Khaki Pants;
Solid Black or Brown
Belt
Tops
White Knit Polo (Cap, Short, or
Long Sleeve); Navy Knit Polo (Cap,
Short, or Long Sleeve)
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Formal Wednesdays
Plaid Skirt; White Oxford (Short
or Long Sleeve)
33
Upper School
Updated February 2015
Men: 6th-10th Grade
Bottoms
Khaki Shorts; Khaki Pants;
Navy Shorts; Navy Pants;
Solid Black or Brown Belt
Tops
White Oxford (Short or Long
Sleeve); White Knit Polo (Short
or Long Sleeve); Navy Knit Polo
(Short or Long Sleeve)
Formal Wednesdays
Khaki Pants or Shorts and a
White Oxford Shirt (Short or
Long Sleeve); Navy Tie or Bow
Tie
Ladies: 6th-10th Grade
Bottoms
Khaki Skirt; Khaki Shorts;
Khaki Pants; Navy Shorts;
Navy Pants; Solid Black or
Brown Belt
Tops
White Knit Polo (Cap, Short, or
Long Sleeve); Navy Knit Polo
(Cap, Short, or Long Sleeve)
Men’s PE Uniform
Formal Wednesdays
Plaid Skirt; White Oxford
Blouse
Ladies’ PE Uniform
Navy or Black Gym Shorts or Pants and a Navy, Black, White, or Navy or Black Gym Shorts or
Red T-Shirt
Pants and a Navy, Black, White,
or Red T-Shirt
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 K3 will wear jumpers, and girls in Grades 4 and up will wear skirts. Boys will wear khaki pants,
or shorts if it is hot. Beginning in 4th grade boys will be required to wear navy blue ties.
Students are welcome to wear their Formal Wednesday uniforms throughout the week if
they so choose.
PE Clothing
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.
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Students may wear Founders Classical Academy spirit wear during PE if they choose. These
items will be available for purchase from the PTO.
Shoes, Socks, and Tights
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 avoid 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 should not wear boots, Crocs, sandals, flip-flops, moccasins, or slippers.
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
Students may wish to bring a light jacket or sweater to school because classroom
temperatures can be cool. Families may wish to purchase any of the outerwear options made
available through Parker Uniforms. Other sweaters and jackets should be in a solid color and
without messages, large logos, or images. Trench coats and dusters are not allowed.
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
Shirts should be tucked in at all times, and students should strive for a neat and respectable
appearance. Girls should avoid overly tight clothing, especially during PE, and boys should
avoid overly 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. Boys’ hair should not touch the collar of the shirt when the boy is standing, and
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sideburns should be neatly trimmed and extend no longer than the bottom of the earlobe.
Boys must be clean-shaven.
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 ¼ 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.
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 their 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 property and extends 300
feet beyond the property line. Beyond that line, students may be disciplined if their behavior
causes or may be 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.
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`Academic Honesty
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. 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.
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.
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
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.
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Students may receive detention in conjunction with the Poor Behavior Slip. Detention will occur
in the early morning, before school begins, and will not be used for study time. For habitual or
more serious disruptions the student will be sent to the Office and will receive a Pink Slip.
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.
1st Pink Slip: Student is sent to the Office.
2nd Pink Slip: Student is sent to the Office and calls home. Student may receive detention.
3rd Pink Slip: Student is sent to the Office, receives detention(s), and calls home. 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.
4th Pink Slip: Student is sent to the Office, receives detention(s), calls home, and goes home.
Upon the student’s return, a parent must accompany the student to class for one full day to
observe the school day.
5th Pink Slip: Student is sent to the Office, receives detention, calls home, and goes home. The
administration will consider suspension and 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 is
intended to coerce, intimidate, or cause 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. Extracurricular Activities
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 at the
end of a grading period cannot continue to participate in any extracurricular activity, except with the
approval of the Headmaster.
The school is not able to provide transportation to school athletic events and we will rely on the
assistance of parents.
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.
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.
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
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
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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.
B. 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.
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.
C. 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.
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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
School starts promptly at 7:45 a.m. for Kindergarten through 5th Grade and at 8:00 a.m. for all
students from 6th through 12th Grades. Class ends at 3:05 p.m. for Kindergarten, 3:15 pm for 1st
through 5th Grades and at 3:30 p.m. for 6th through 10th Grades.
Drop-off Procedure
Students should begin arriving no earlier than 7:15 a.m., although our doors will open beginning
at 7:00 a.m. for parents who must drop children off early. Faculty and staff 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 8:00 a.m. our doors will
be locked to ensure the security of students and staff.
Parents:
1. Enter the north-most entrance and exit at the south-most exit.
2. Drop students off along the east side (facing Leander Dr.) of the building. Parents should
drive forward as far as they can along that stretch so that we can expedite the drop-off
process.
3. Parents, do not get out of your car.
4. Plan on dropping off grammar school students beginning at 7:15 a.m. and upper school
students no earlier than 7:40 a.m.
5. Grammar school (Kindergarten – 5th grade) begins at 7:45 a.m. and upper school (6th – 10th
grade) begins at 8:00 a.m.
6. Grammar school students must proceed to the gym in their building. Kindergarten, 1st, and
2nd grade students are in building 1 (the main building) and 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students are
in building 2.
7. Students must walk, not run, in the drop-off area and hallways.
8. Students in the upper school who have siblings in the grammar school, or who carpool with
students in the grammar school, may come early. They may stay with their siblings in the
gym, or gather on the deck next to the portables or in the field behind the school. We will
have teachers supervising these areas.
9. The middle entrance is reserved for parents of students who wish to park and walk students
in.
10. Parents may not park in the spots designated for faculty and staff along the north, south, and
west sides of the campus.
11. Exit the parking area promptly.
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Pick-up Procedure
Updated February 2015
School dismisses promptly at 3:05 p.m. for Kindergarten, 3:15 for 1st through 5th Grades, and
3:30 p.m. for 6th through 10th Grades.
Parents:
1. Enter the north-most entrance and exit at the south-most exit. You may wish to approach
the campus from the north, so that you are traveling south on Leander Drive.
2. Make sure your student’s placard is clearly visible on the passenger side of the
windshield.
3. The middle entrance is reserved for parents of students who wish to park and walk their
children out.
4. Parents may not park in the spots designated for faculty and staff along the north, south, and
west sides of the campus.
5. Parents, please do not get out of your car while in the car line.
6. Parents of students in the upper school should not arrive until 3:30 p.m. Parents who will be
picking up students in both the grammar and the upper school should plan on arriving for
upper school pick-up.
7. Students will be brought to their cars along the front side (east side, facing Leander Dr.) of
the buildings, and along the north side if necessary. Parents should drive forward as far as
they can along that stretch.
8. Children must not run ahead to their cars.
9. Exit the parking area promptly.
All students must be picked up by 4:00 p.m. unless they are part of our After School Childcare
program. Students who are not picked up by this time will wait in the front office or gym 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 school will hold the
student’s report card until it is paid. School records will not be released in the event of a transfer
or withdrawal until the fee is paid.
After-School Care
We offer after-school care for Kindergarten through 5th grade from 3:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. The
program will begin during the second week of school and end on the final school day in May. If
you are interested in participating, you may pick up a registration packet in the front office.
Students who have not completed the full packet will not be able to use the After-School Care
program.
Grammar School Assembly
Every morning from 7:45-8:00am students in Grades K-5 gather in the Building 1 Gym for an
assembly. Parents and students from the Upper School are welcome to join the assembly and
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begin the day with the pledges of allegiance. On Wednesdays, Grammar School assembly will
often feature a performance from students or faculty members.
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
We will offer breakfast and lunch during the school day through Preferred Meals. 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.
Snacks
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.
Students attending After-School Care will need to bring their own snacks.
With the exception of Grammar School snacks and water bottles filled with water, food and
drink are not permitted in the classrooms.
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Medication
Frequent and open communication about students’ medical needs is very important. If your
student takes medication during the day, please let us know promptly so that we may take the
necessary precautions.
All student medication will be kept secure in the front office. If a student uses medicine that
must be on his or her person or with a teacher, parents should provide a doctor’s note
explaining this and seek permission from the Headmaster.
If a student is sick and must take medication temporarily, the medication must be administered
by Founders staff or faculty. Please provide us with the medicine, instructions, and a note
granting us permission to administer the medication.
All medication that is not used by the end of the school year will need to be picked up promptly
or it will be discarded.
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 the 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.
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
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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
allowed to view the material without parent permission.
Electronic Devices
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, 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. 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.
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:
1st 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.
2nd 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.
3rd 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.
4th 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.
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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
Founders Classical Academy has a mandatory sign-in procedure for all visitors on campus,
including parents. Any visitor to campus between the hours of 7:00am 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.
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.
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Classroom Observations
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.
Volunteering
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 sign up through
Responsive Education Solutions at the following web address:
http://foundersclassical.com/school-volunteers/
Parent volunteers should conduct themselves professionally and with decorum while on campus.
School volunteers may not discuss school business with teachers and staff members while
volunteering.
PTO
The Parent-Teacher Organization 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. Please refer to the PTO’s bylaws for specific information about member obligations, officers, elections, and meeting
schedule.
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.
Lost and Found
Lost clothing, notebooks, lunch boxes, and other items will be placed in the lost-and-found box
located in the front office and kept for two weeks. Unclaimed lost-and-found items will be given
to a local charity or discarded. Books will be returned to the classrooms or the library. Valuable
items will be kept in the front office for safekeeping.
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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.
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.
Parking Fee
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. 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 $5.00 per year.
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.
Parent-school Communication
Parents may contact the school through email or by phone. Please consult the directory at the
beginning of this handbook for contact information.
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Parent/Student Handbook
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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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Parent/Student Handbook
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Section 7: Appendices
Appendix A: School Uniform
Founders Classical Academy uses 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.
Parker Uniforms has a storefront in North Austin and an online store. You may purchase uniforms
in person or online.
Parker Uniforms
7756 Northcross Drive
Austin, TX 78751
(512) 451-1667
www.parkersu.com
Tuesday-Friday, 10:00am-6:00pm
Saturday, 10:00am-3:00pm
The only items that must be purchased from 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 purchases 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.
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Parent/Student Handbook
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Appendix B: Student and Parent Agreement
FOUNDERS CLASSICAL ACADEMY 2014-15 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.
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 turn this page into the front office by September 15, 2014.
Founders Classical Academy of Leander
Parent/Student Handbook
2014-2015