Upper School Student Life
Student life at The First Academy is a rich and vibrant experience. Whether it involves cheering at a sporting event, participating in drama after school, playing in the worship band, leading in Student Government, or participating in a variety of clubs, students have ample opportunity to make friends and participate in group activities beyond the classroom.
Participation is a way of life at The First Academy. There are a wide variety of ways in which a student can find community and involvement.
Student Government Association
The SGA exists to act as an advocate on behalf of student interests within TFA. The SGA also provides the student body with the resources necessary to function as an effective Royal Community. SGA is vital to the ongoing health of the teaching atmosphere at The First Academy. Its members are elected each spring by their peers to serve the following year. Membership is open only to elected students.
Student Government Association By-Laws
Upper School Activities
Events and activities are a major part of The First Academy experience. These events give students an opportunity to learn cooperation, leadership, the value of participation, work ethic, planning and implementation, and the joy of a job well done.
Homecoming
Each October TFA has Homecoming festivities that include a parade, king and queen coronation, a Homecoming football game, spirit week, and powder-puff football game. The week is a whirl of color and fun. Upper School students build floats for the parade, cheer their class in class competitions, cheer with major enthusiasm at pep rallies, and tailgate at the Homecoming game to cheer our heroes of the gridiron.
If you are an alumnus of TFA, please come and join us. Check out the school calendar to see when this year's festivities are scheduled and plan on coming out to renew old friendships and make new ones.
Missions Projects
"Service before self is an important element in the mission state of The First Academy." Yearly, TFA students have the opportunity to participate in missions projects across the world. Recent trips have seen TFA students in Europe, Asia, South America and North America. We partner with First Baptist Church Student Ministries to provide students a rich missions experience.
Clubs
Clubs provide an opportunity for students to pursue a common academic, social, or spiritual mission or goal in concert with or outside of the classroom. TFA offers more than 20 different clubs in which students can participate. Skip to 14:40 in the following clip to see our own Cooking Club on Fox 35 News!
Senior Retreat
Each year seniors begin the school year with a several-day retreat with the Headmaster and Upper School Principal. This retreat is designed to strengthen the bonds of friendship within the class and focus them on their last year of secondary education. One of our goals is to begin to prepare students for college in earnest. This retreat allows the seniors to set the tone for their class and, in leading by example, for the school. It is a great time of renewal, focus, and fellowship for our seniors.
Spring Musical
Each spring our Fine Arts Department selects and presents a musical for the enjoyment of the TFA family and the community. This production involves student musicians, singers, dancers, actors and technicians. It is a great venue for students to ply what they have learned during the year. It is also a great venue to allow students to learn from performing before an audience.
Past shows have included The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, The Wizard of Oz, Oklahoma! and many, many more. Check out the school calendar to see what's in store for this spring production.
Breckenridge Ski Trip
This yearly trip is available to seniors and represents the final class trip of their secondary educational experience. For the last several years the destination has been Breckenridge, Colorado, which represents a radically different atmosphere for the Florida student. While the focus is on fun, year in and year out, this trip pulls students out of their comfort zone and, for many, provides an opportunity to accomplish things they never possible. It is a confidence-builder as seniors look ahead to the remaining few weeks before graduation and then to college beyond.
Poetry Out Loud
This school wide competition national competition allows students to perform poetry before the school. Students select works from existing poets and then recite them before their English classes. Winners from the class level move on to perform their selected poem before the school. Students are adjudicated at this level and winners go on to perform at regional and then state levels. This relatively new competition has greatly raised the awareness of the art of poetry in our school and is a terrific way for students to involve themselves in the literary arts.
Inside Insight
This literary magazine was begun in 2009-2010 by three TFA students. Printed three times per year, Inside Insight is a repository of creative student essays, poetry, short stories and even paintings, drawings, photographs and general creative art. Copies of Inside Insight are available in the Administrative Offices of the school.
Chapel
Weekly, TFA students have the opportunity to participate in worship of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Students plan and implement this worship experience for all Upper School experiences. We are fortunate to be able to meet in the Student Center of First Baptist Church, Orlando. Speakers from both without and within grace the stage at TFA and a Worship Band comprised of students provide the music for the worship experience.
James Madison Competition
Six years ago The First Academy originated the James Madison Constitutional Scholars Competition. This yearlong voluntary (open to all upper-classmen) scholastic event for TFA juniors and seniors allows the best of TFA's upper classmen the chance to compete for multi-thousand dollar college scholarships and cash prizes as well as personal recognition for scholarship involving the U. S. Constitution and founding principles of our nation.
Due to the generous support of Mr. Walt Meloon and other contributors, The First Academy has had 13 students awarded a total of $33,000.00 since the program's inception.
Under the sponsorship of TFA's National History Club Chapter, the school will also launch a chapter of the National History Honor Society during the 2010-2011 school year. Included within that activity will be the National History Club's "Scholar's Corner" which awards cash prizes to students who write articles worthy of submission for publication, and additional cash prizes for those authors whose work is published. The James Madison Competition is held every April.