Events

At the end of each semester, the six houses compete against each other in a series of academic and athletic competitions called the Archer Games. Victory in the Archer Games carries with it honor, glory, and a bronze plaque on the Archer Award, an oak trophy that is presented to the winning house at the end of each year.

Our alumni come back each year in January to spend the day with us. Their day begins with Coffee with the Headmaster and parents for an informal discussion about life after Founders. They choose morning classes to attend and then have an offsite lunch together. They reconvene at 3:00 at the school to talk with our students and parents about their experience at Founders, and how the transition to college has been. This event is especially helpful to our rising juniors and seniors and families interested in learning how classical education prepares students for college and adulthood.

Families are invited to attend the American History Night for our grammar students. This is a culmination of all that our K-5th grade students have learned about our nation's past. The evening is full of patriotic recitations, songs, and skits.

The Back to School Social is an evening for our families to spend time reacquainting with old friends, meet new friends, say hello to their teachers, and drop off school supplies. We begin with a welcome message from our Headmaster and introductions of our faculty and staff. Archers Council and committee representatives are available to answer questions, register members, and deliver spirit wear. The office staff is available to answer questions about our volunteer program, administrative procedures, and general school questions. This is a family social event and not a time for families to ask questions about classroom procedures and curriculum. That information is done during Curriculum Nights for parents only.

Coffee with the Headmaster is held monthly at 8:15 in the Upper School Library. Mr. Sowers invites parents to join him for coffee and a chat about classical education. This is a time for parents to ask questions and give informal feedback about the school year.

Parents play a crucial role in their child’s education and classical education requires a close partnership between school and home. The purpose of curriculum nights is for parents to hear about classical education from our headmaster and talk with the teachers about what students will be learning over the course of the year so they can support their children at home. This is a mandatory event and it is important for all parents to attend. We ask that children stay behind so that parents and teachers can have time to talk directly. Grammar (K-5th) and Upper School (6th-12th) are held on separate evenings.

At the End of Year Award Ceremony, students are recognized for their hard work academically with individual subject awards. We also recognize those students that most uphold our virtues with the hero awards. The winners of the Teacher of the Year award are also announced. These events are held in the evenings so all family members can attend.

Our Fall Festival is hosted by the Archers Athletic Booster Club. The event includes a Trunk or Treat for our grammar students, carnival games, a silent auction, cake walk, face painting, inflatables, and concessions. Fun for the whole family!

Our family Valentine’s dance is hosted by our Fine Arts Boosters and the high school fine arts students. During the dinner portion of the evening, our guests listen to chamber music performed by our orchestra, are served by our theater students that are dressed according to the theme, and are surrounded by beautiful table decorations that our studio art students have created. Dinner is followed by the dance in the gym. This dance is open to all students (K-12th) and their parents.

The Fine Arts Boosters team up with the fine arts teachers to showcase our student's hard work in visual arts, theater arts, and music. The showcase features artwork from Kindergarten to the 12th-grade art studio, musical performances from each of our middle school and high school orchestras, and theatrical performances from our high school theater class. We host two showcases per year; one in the winter and the other in the spring. Our winter showcase is accompanied by photos with Santa and hot cups of cocoa!

Field Day is a fun way to spend the last day of school for our grammar students (K-5th). Volunteers help run the games and activities. Bring a change of clothes because you might get wet!

We celebrate Homecoming in the fall with a week of themed spirit days, a pep rally at the end of the day on Friday, and home volleyball and football games.

Our Fine Arts Boosters host two movie nights each year to help raise funds for the fine arts programs including supplies for art, music, and theater programs. The movie night includes themed games, concessions and a raffle with the purchase of a family meal deal.

Our Middle School orchestra and High School orchestra perform twice a year; once in the fall and again in the spring. This free performance includes great music from a wide variety of composers and styles. This event is open to all Founders families.

In May before commencement, we have a special awards assembly for our seniors with all of their peers from K-11th grade. They are presented with their honor cords and stoles. The administration and faculty present the subject, Plato and Aristotle awards. Our Seniors present their arrow and Senior gift at this time. This tradition is followed by a pinning ceremony where our seniors go to the Kindergarten classes and present them with their own arrow pin to keep until they graduate.

The senior class celebrates their upcoming commencement with their parents and faculty at an offsite venue. Seniors will be honored with a toast and a special dinner. The junior class and their parents help host the event.

These traditions began with our first graduating class in 2017. Seniors leave a message for future generations on a prepared sidewalk in front of the school. They then sit together and pin a map with the college they plan to attend.

At Founders Classical Academy, the senior thesis is the culmination of a student’s classical education and a rite of passage to a life of virtue and self-government. The student’s thesis is focused on a book from the curriculum and serves as a capstone project, one which brings together the things a student has learned during his or her time at the school. Students begin their thesis the summer prior to their senior year by choosing a book. The presentations are done in the spring. Students, family, and friends are encouraged to attend.

Students, faculty, and staff meet at the flagpole to remember the events of September 11th. The color guard will present the flags and we have a moment of silence. Teachers take time in class to discuss the events and the importance of remembering that tragic event.

Our sixth-grade classes celebrate their first semester with an etiquette lunch. Students practice their semi-formal dining etiquette with a seated meal that is served by parent volunteers. As classical students, we appreciate the beauty and learn the virtue of friendship both in everyday and formal settings. The students learn the proper use of silverware, how to partake in a toast and the etiquette of eating a dinner roll while enjoying holiday piano music.

6th graders and their families are invited to the annual 6th Grade Promotion and House Sorting Ceremony. We spend the evening celebrating their achievements and their official promotion to Upper School and induction into their Houses. The evening concludes with the class reciting our school poem, "Ulysses," from memory and a reception with light refreshments.

The Archers Athletic Booster Club hosts two award ceremonies each year. The fall awards are to celebrate the football, volleyball, and cross country teams. The spring awards celebrate our basketball, soccer, and track teams. Each team awards an athlete as Most Valuable Player, Most Improved Player, and the Archer Award. The high school ceremony begins with a banquet.

To acquaint our students in each grade and across the campus, we have developed team building days during the first few days of the school year. This brings our new students closer to those returning students building friendships and good memories for all.

Each year a house hosts our annual Talent Show in the spring. Open auditions are held for all students in K-12th grade. There are two shows split by grammar and upper school. Tickets and concessions are sold. This is a great event to see the many talents of our students including a lip sync battle between our houses.

Our Teacher Appreciation Committee hosts breakfast or lunch once a month for our amazing teachers and staff. In the late spring, the committee showers our teachers and staff with lunches, treats, and gifts for an entire week. This week-long event is hosted by our Teacher Appreciation Committee and generous members of our community.

Five of our six houses will host a dance for our upper school students (7th-12th) throughout the school year. The first dance of the school year is our Homecoming dance followed by a winter dance. We also host a middle school and high school only dance in the spring. At the end of the year, we have a prom for upperclassmen only. Dress codes range from casual to formal with a variety of themes that are determined by the host.

The Archers Support Committee hosts the annual Usborne Book Fair in time for the holidays. Books are available for all reading levels and interests. The fair is available for viewing by the students during the day and to our families after school and in the evenings. This is a great way to support our school and your student's love for reading. The school receives 50% of the proceeds in new Usborne books for our classrooms and libraries.

The faculty and staff show their appreciation for our volunteers at an annual volunteer breakfast. The Volunteer Coordinator will congratulate all those volunteers who have completed their Archer Hours and earned additional awards. This event is for all volunteers whether they serve one or one hundred hours.

In a classical curriculum, our students complete a full study of the world and American History over the course of their K-6th years. It's quite impressive to see it all laid out. In the fall, our campus is overtaken by Roman soldiers, Greek philosophers, knights and ladies, Shakespearean actors, and the stray Wampanog on World History Day. This is also an opportunity for our upper school houses to work with our grammar students.