Tulsa Classical Academy now has a House System. We have received many questions regarding what this is, how it works, and why it exists. In order to communicate in a concise manner, we have prepared this introduction for you in order to explain these details and to express our excitement about this new addition to the culture of our school. Please see the following points regarding the new House System, as well as the final note and exhortation at the end.
The House System is designed to foster a strong sense of community, responsibility, and school spirit among students and faculty. Rooted in classical principles, the system will provide students with consistent peer groups and teacher mentors throughout their time in both Grammar School and Upper School. House identity will be woven into all areas of school life: academic, athletic, and social, creating a culture of camaraderie, mentorship, and accountability. Through structured leadership roles and a meaningful House point system, students will be encouraged to grow in virtue and character, with opportunities to lead, support one another, and be recognized for both individual and collective excellence. The House System is an organization of the student body into smaller, distinct communities centered around particular virtues.
At TCA, we have four student Houses: Aquila (Eagle), Equus (Horse), Ursus (Bear), and Vulpes (Fox). Each of these Houses represent–and are oriented toward–the development of the four cardinal virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance (for more information on these, please see Hillsdale’s new Core Virtues website, which provides an eloquent assortment of information on these). In addition to being designated toward one of these virtues, each House has its own animal symbol and seal (like our Lion seal for the school), and its own color. Each House is named after the Latin name for their respective animal symbol, and each animal symbol classically represents each virtue.
All students in the building have been evenly sorted into the Houses at random. Once sorted into a House, students belong to that House for the remainder of their tenure with TCA. This is to ensure fairness and finality in the assignments. Additionally, siblings are sorted into the same House together. This is due to the fact that Houses will be having their own unique events throughout the year, and it is more efficient for families if all of their children are in the same House. We desire for the House System to affect the entire culture of the school, and it is designed to allow parent participation, and for a unique family community culture to develop naturally within each House.
Yes. The House System is for both the Grammar and Upper School. However, the way in which the Grammar and Upper School students engage with the House System is different. For the Grammar School, the House System is largely honorary, and these students will be mentored by and treated as members of the House System community by the Upper School students in each House. For Upper School students, the House System is much more heavily integrated into their daily school life; and will eventually become incorporated into the whole of the school culture, from Poetry & Prose to Student Government.
All students will be required to wear their House symbol on their school uniform. This is so that students and staff can identify each student by their House, and to provide a visible sign of unity within the Houses. For the Grammar School students, they are given an iron-on patch to be worn on the LEFT sleeve of their school uniform. For Upper School students, they are given a metal pin to be worn on the LEFT shirt collar of their school uniform. These will be a part of the school dress code, and must always be worn. Replacements and extras of all of these will be available for purchase for those who need them. Eventually, as we begin to integrate more formal shirts and ties into the Upper School uniform, we will be providing special ties for both male and female students that are colored according to their Houses. Details on this are forthcoming. For now, we have the patches and pins for lower and Upper School, respectively.
As the House System is, by definition, oriented toward the development of a sense of genuine community, it will also be integrated into lunch time. For the Grammar School, students will sit with their House for lunch, not their homeroom class. This is to foster a deeper sense of school community and mentorship for students, allowing them to socialize beyond their own class. For Upper School students, they will participate in our new Library Lunch Colloquium.
Each week, all of the Upper School students of a particular House will meet for a Lunch Colloquium in the library, for the entire week. Houses will rotate each week. For example: the first week, House Aquila will be assigned to the library for the Lunch Colloquium. For that whole week, all Upper School students in House Aquila will meet to have lunch together in the library. The following week, a new House will be assigned the same, and so on, in rotation between the four Houses throughout the year. This means that each House will meet for lunch in the library every fourth week, with three weeks in between each Lunch Colloquium; effectively, one week out of every month. For the three weeks that a House is not in the library for Lunch Colloquium they will be following the normal school lunch schedule for Upper School, eating and socializing with all of the other Houses and students.
The Colloquium will be a time for students to share a meal with their House, to have an open and free conversation as a House (and, eventually, as friends). Mr. Barrett, our Hillsdale Fellow and one of the House Arbiters, will participate in their lunch conversation to provide each House with a direct relationship with the school’s administration. This activity will NOT be treated like a class, and there will NOT be any assigned homework for the Colloquium. The Colloquium is intended to foster a free intellectual community of open conversation, aimed at the development of authentic friendship among the Upper School students and the members of their House. Contact Mr. Barrett for more information on the Colloquium (email: joshuabarrett@tulsaclassical.org)
The House point system is our way of keeping track of the behavior and culture of the Houses. Throughout the year, students will occasionally either earn points for their House or have points deducted from their House based on their own individual actions. For example, if a student goes out of their way to help tutor a classmate, a teacher or administrator may award points to that student’s House. On the other hand, if a student treats another student or teacher with disrespect, a teacher or administrator will deduct points from their House. Individual actions done in pursuit of good habits (virtues) and in concord with the mission and culture of the school will be rewarded with points for the House. Likewise, individual actions done in opposition to the development of virtue and in discordance with the mission and culture of the school will result in a deduction of points for the House. There will be a prize for the House with the most points at the end of the school year. More on the point system will be made available soon.
Teachers are sorted into the Houses as well, and will wear their House pins to school as part of the employee dress code. Each House will have a Tribune for each grade level. A Tribune is a teacher overseeing and directly involved in the culture of the House. The Tribunes will be the first point of contact for their Houses. All teachers will be encouraged to interact and support their House, and will participate in House events.
The Houses are structured in a formal way, resembling the Roman Republic from classical antiquity. More information will be available soon on how the governing system works, but here is a basic overview of the formal government structure and roles within the Houses:
Student roles:
Teacher/Admin roles:
At the end of the school day, prior to car-line dismissal, students will go back to their homerooms for House Studium. During this time, the House can operate a study hall or conduct meetings on matters pertaining to their House. It is a brief time of communal conversation and study time.
The House System is primarily structured to cultivate student life during the school day. However, there are areas that call for parent support and participation. There will be events pertaining to each House, such as fundraisers, field days, and more (details forthcoming). For many of these we hope for parent participation in order to create the unique spirit and culture of each House. Part of the reason we insist on having sibling students in the same House is so that we can develop a distinct sense of spirit among the families of each House, and so that parents can be more directly invested in the unique culture of each House. We hope to see parents also benefiting from the House System by excitedly finding communal identity as united parents of their children’s Houses! In this way, the House System provides a way for the entire school community of parents, students, teachers, and administrators to participate together in the pursuit of a culture grounded in virtue and true friendship.
Please note that the House System is a new addition to our school, and as such we are still in the process of developing it to function in an effective and meaningful way for our school culture. The House System is also a large undertaking that requires careful thought in planning and implementation, and there are many details that are still being refined by our administration and House Arbiters. As such, further specific information regarding particular aspects of the House System will become available soon. The intention is to gradually expand the House System, integrating it into all areas of life at the TCA, and to enrich our daily lives by planting our mission within an intentional community life of virtue.
Lastly, we would like to exhort all parents, students, and staff to consider with honesty the nature of the work that we do together at TCA. A truly great school culture will not be maintained if we do not begin to value better activities, or begin to orient ourselves toward the community we want. The House System, by nature, provides students with a unique sense of personal and communal identity, centered upon the cardinal virtues. Furthermore, it must be noted that nearly all of the schools that have thus far won the Hillsdale Salvatori Prize (the highest honor and recognition as a Hillsdale member school) have integrated House Systems. House Systems have long been recognized as beneficial to the mission and culture of the academic pursuits of classical schools, and the tradition has existed for hundreds of years. In many ways, House Systems are essential to the pursuit of a classical school’s mission and culture, and they increase the level of dignity with which we perform our dutiful coordinated work as teachers, students, and parents.
Therefore, we hope that all may see the value that the House System brings to TCA, and that we will challenge our students to pursue real virtue throughout their lives by instilling a well-ordered communal life within our entire school and its culture.
Please reach out to the House Arbiters with any questions:
Mr. Barrett: joshuabarrett@tulsaclassical.org
Mr. Meadows: gmeadows@tulsaclassical.org
