Traditions
At Academy at the Lakes, school-wide traditions such as Friendship Week, Day of Manners, Grandparents Day, House Day and Founders’ Day unify all students and members of our community. These rich traditions differentiate the Academy experience from other Tampa Bay private schools.
Though all-school celebrations for Halloween and Thanksgiving are events all students look forward to each year, it is Academy at the Lake’s house system that makes the Academy experience especially unique. Academy’s house system is modeled after similar programs at British private schools – Hogwarts included.
From the moment a student enrolls at Academy, the student and his family become members of one of four houses. Academy’s houses are named after Florida birds of prey: Peregrine, Osprey, Nighthawk, and Kestrel. Younger students, older students, parents and faculty come together multiple times a year, whether to bake cakes, read together or cheer on their housemates at pep rallies or the annual House Day. The competitive spirit, both academically and athletically, that is a product of the school’s house system fosters the sense of connectedness that makes the Academy at the Lakes experience special.