Dear Tulsa Classical Families,
I am writing today to share a concern that has been raised. I have reminded the community in the past that car line does not begin until 2:50 PM. I previously requested that parents not arrive prior to the appointed time. The property is closed until Officer Tom opens the drive at 2:50 PM. It has been noted by other parties that some parents are arriving between 10–15 minutes prior to Officer Tom opening the property.
These vehicles are essentially parking on Sheridan Rd. to wait.
I am requesting an end to this practice. It is inconsiderate to others who need to use Sheridan Rd. and to our neighbors. As I have said before, the Tulsa Police Department may, at some point, take enforcement action. I was advised of at least one complaint that has been made with the Tulsa Police Department regarding this matter. Continued activity of this nature could lead to further complaints and subsequently to traffic enforcement. We would not have any control over that decision, and we certainly do not want to see any of our parents receive a traffic citation. Please work with us to remedy this situation for the good of the neighborhood and the school. The first carline takes less than twenty minutes from start to finish. It is generally over by 3:15 p.m. Waiting ten minutes on Sheridan and then another five to ten minutes for the first round of students to come down, load, and be released does not save much, if any, time. Please do not arrive prior to 2:50 p.m. daily.
While we are away for fall break, a great deal of work will be done on the storm-rated gym. Currently, there are sixteen cement panels, each weighing one hundred thousand pounds, on the property. Key Construction will bring an enormous crane onto the property during break, and each panel will be lifted into place. When we return, the walls of the gym should be up. This is exciting for everyone. I would add one caution. I know that there are some students who come onto the property after hours or during breaks for recreation. I would just ask that you speak with your students about avoiding the back of the property. The work will be amazing and fun to watch (my boys would love it!), but also dangerous to be near.
There are few things more edifying than raising children of noble character. As a husband and a father, I derive no greater joy than the work Nicole and I do to lead and guide our children in the pursuit of intellectual and moral virtue. Raising children is one of the most difficult and yet most edifying works in which men and women participate. Aristotle says that “it is with pleasures and pains that moral goodness is concerned…hence the importance of having been trained in some way from infancy to feel joy and grief at the right things: true education is precisely this.” If Aristotle is right—and I think he is—the proper education of children hinges on our ability to direct them to love what is good and to abhor that which is contrary to their nature—that which is evil. This is the most difficult work and requires a great deal of prudence. It requires a profound commitment to objective truth and the perseverance to attempt to live as a model for truth, as well as the patience to continually direct our children to it as an end. I applaud the sacrifice our parents make for the good of their children, our students.
Teachers and Administrators of Tulsa Classical Academy have a deep love for Western Tradition, Hillsdale College and its guidance, and particularly for the good of your students. We work hard to be models of virtue, and while none of us is perfect, that is the reality of humanity and parenting. Try as we might, our children often pick up not only what is good in us, but also that which is still in need of purification. I was particularly edified by my recent attendance at “See You at the Pole.” “See You at the Pole” is a day of prayer coordinated by students for the school. As I listened to our upperclassmen’s prayer intentions, I was grateful for their thoughtfulness and growth.
There were two themes that stood out in particular to me. The first was a sense of unity. There was a consistent prayer of thanksgiving for the unity among students, teachers, and administrators. They prayed that we could continue to have the courage to teach the truth in class. The second theme was that TCA is a family. This notion was not relegated to peers; rather, they resoundingly included teachers, administrators, and students in their definition of TCA as a family. I am often proud of our students. Nevertheless, hearing their sentiments expressed in prayer, the great love that they have for TCA, and the joy with which they approach it, I could not help but be deeply moved by their sincerity and the continued growth of this community.
Thank you for your continued support. I hope that we will always strive to be of one heart and roar with one voice! Go LionHearts!