House System

To train our students in self-government and civic virtue, and to encourage them to strive for excellence in all areas of life - academic, athletic, and social - Tyler Classical Academy instituted a house system.

All students were sorted into one of four different houses, led by one or two teachers who serve as the Head of House. The original house systems of elite British schools were named after the residence halls in which the students lived. These halls were themselves usually named after prominent alumni whose memory endured. Here at TCA, we have chosen to name our houses after animals from medieval bestiaries (encyclopedic-like works which would catalogue and describe animals both real and mythic). The beasts described in the works were often ascribed significant symbolic qualities which were meant to tie what was perceived as physical reality with a spiritual and moral reality. Each house has developed its own personality over and above its titular animal representative, however, and these personalities are to be celebrated and encouraged. Here follows a summary of the unique attributes of each house: