The Lion’s Roar – August 16, 2026
Good Afternoon HCA Community,
I want to pause and say a quick “THANK YOU” to everyone for making this a terrific start to the school year! Our students and faculty are settling into their routines, building relationships, and already making great progress toward the goals we have set for this year. There has been a wonderful energy throughout our classrooms and hallways, and it has been exciting to see our students learning, laughing, growing, and reconnecting with one another.
A strong start like this does not happen by accident. It takes dedicated teachers, supportive families, hardworking students, and a community committed to working together. Thank you for the many ways you have helped us begin the year well—from preparing your children each morning to encouraging our faculty and extending patience as everyone adjusts to new schedules and routines.
As we move into another full week, I am excited about what lies ahead. Our theme this year, “Christ We Preach,” reminds us that everything we do at HCA ultimately points to something greater than academics, activities, or accomplishments. Our desire is that in every classroom, every conversation, and every opportunity, our students would be challenged to know Christ, grow in Christ, and represent Christ well. We have had a great start—and I cannot wait to see what God continues to do in the weeks and months ahead!
We have this week’s announcements listed below and have kept all our Back-to-School Resources following them.
Campus Traffic Pattern
As a reminder – our campus traffic pattern returns to ONE WAY TRAFFIC tomorrow. All traffic should enter campus on US 70 (at the FLCC entrance) and exit on Orange High School Road. All students should be dropped off in carline beginning tomorrow.
Student Medication Form and Medication Drop Off
Please remember that any student medications to be kept on campus (prescription OR over the counter) MUST be accompanied by an HCA Medication Form which has been completed by both a parent and the student’s physician. You can click the link here to view both the medication policy and medication form. Medication can only be dropped off at the school office by a member of the school administration from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Please do not send medication with your child to school.
HCA Learning Centers
Our faculty are getting prepared for the launch of our Afterschool Learning Centers, an opportunity for students in Kindergarten through 12th grade to receive additional help from their classroom teacher afterschool. See below for information on Learning Center times and pickup procedures. Note that the same procedures apply for our Extracurricular Activities which will launch in the near future. Classroom teachers will be communicating the details of their learning centers over the next week. Please be sure to utilize this FREE opportunity as often as your student needs!
Operational Times:
Lower Grades (K-5) Learning Centers: 3:15 – 4:00 pm
Middle Grades/Upper Grades Learning Centers: 3:15 – 4:15 pm
Extracurricular Activities: 3:15 – 4:45 pm
Pickup Procedures:
On both sides of campus – please remain outside the office entrance where your student(s) will be brought to you for sign out at the conclusion of learning centers/extracurricular activity. Students will line up orderly and will be dismissed as each parent signs them out from the teacher/advisor for the learning centers/extracurricular activity. Once all students with a parent present have been signed out at the entrance, any remaining students will be signed in after school. Once a student has been signed into afterschool, parents are then responsible for signing students out from our afterschool team.
Partner With HCA Through Prayer & Giving
As we begin another school year, we are reminded that HCA’s ministry is made possible by the faithful partnership of families, friends, churches, and supporters who believe in the importance of Christ-centered education.
We invite our entire HCA community to partner with us in two important ways: pray and give. Please pray for our students, faculty, leadership, and families—that God would provide for every need, give us wisdom, and continue to use HCA to make an eternal impact in the lives of our students. If God has blessed you with the ability to give, we also invite you to prayerfully consider making a financial gift to our Annual Fund. Every gift, regardless of size, helps strengthen our school and further our mission.
To learn more about supporting HCA or to make a gift, visit our Annual Fund page. Thank you for praying, giving, and partnering with us as together we invest in the next generation for the glory of Christ!
Upcoming Events
Monday August 17 – First Day of My Hot Lunchbox
Wednesday September 2 – Campus Preview Day
Friday September 4 – Fall Picture Day
Monday September 7 – No School (Labor Day Holiday)
Friday September 11 – Student Early Release (12 pm dismissal) and Professional Development September 14-18 – Fall Benchmarks (Kindergarten – 12th Grade)
Back-to-School Resources
In case you missed it in our last update, here are all the Back-to-School Resources available!
Classroom Supply Lists
Every grade level’s classroom supply list is available on our website. Each grade has its own link, making it easy to find exactly what your student needs.
2026–2027 School Calendar
Our printable school calendar is also available online. We encourage families to download or print a copy to help plan for the school year. The calendar includes holidays, teacher workdays, early dismissals, school breaks, and other important dates. You can also access an electronic version of our calendar by clicking here.
2026–2027 HCA School Calendar (Printable PDF)
2026-2027 Parent Student Handbooks
Our student handbooks have undergone a revision with all handbooks merged into one! This document is ready for your review. All families should read through the handbook in its entirety and complete the form to acknowledge receipt of the handbook, and to agree with current school policies. Click here to review the handbook and then click here to complete the acknowledgement form.
Car Line Map
Student drop off and dismissal will run utilizing the same one-way traffic pattern as previous years. Please click here to access the carline map and additional information.
Student Medication Form
Please remember that any student medications to be kept on campus (prescription OR over the counter) MUST be accompanied by an HCA Medication Form which has been completed by both a parent and the student’s physician. You can click the link here to view both the medication policy and medication form. Please do not send medication with your child to school. Medication can only be dropped off in the school office with a member of school administration from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Medication forms can be faxed to HCA from your primary care provider by sharing our fax number (919-732-1566).
2026–2027 Afterschool Program
HCA offers after school care from 3:15pm to 6:00pm daily. Daily drop-in rate is $25 per day, or parents can choose a monthly rate of $240 per month. To register your child, please click the link here to create a brightwheel account and sign up! Our office team will be reaching out to confirm your afterschool plan selection in the days to come.
My Hot Lunchbox – BEGINS TOMORROW (AUGUST 17)
My Hot Lunchbox kicks off Monday! Returning families and staff should log in and update their student/account information before ordering. New families will need to create an account before placing their first order.
Weekly Lunch Vendors:
Monday: Colorado Burrito
Tuesday: Jersey Mike’s
Wednesday: Domino’s Pizza
Thursday: La Fiesta
Friday: Zaxby’s
Please remember that orders must be placed by noon the day before the lunch is served. For example, Monday lunch orders must be submitted by noon on Sunday.
My Hot Lunchbox is hoping to average at least 25 orders in order to continue offering service to HCA next year. We hope our families will enjoy this convenient lunch option! If you have not yet created your My Hot Lunchbox account, click the link here to get started.
Share HCA with Another Family – And Receive $250!
One of the greatest compliments a family can give our school is referring someone they know to HCA.
If you have friends, neighbors, coworkers, or members of your church who are looking for a Christ-centered educational community, we would be honored if you would encourage them to visit Hillsborough Christian Academy. Word-of-mouth continues to be one of the most meaningful ways new families discover HCA.
As a way of thanking our current families, we are excited to offer a $250 tuition referral credit for every new family you refer who enrolls and remains enrolled through the 2026–2027 school year. The referral credit will be applied to your FACTS account in January 2027.
There is no greater testimony than a family who loves what God is doing at HCA and invites others to experience it as well. To connect with admissions, reach out to our Assistant Head of School for Admissions and Development – Mrs. Denise Al-Chacar ([email protected]).
FACTS Family Portal
Did you know that your FACTS Family Portal is THE PLACE for HCA news? Be sure to bookmark the Family Portal to stay connected to everything you need to know. A quick training is available by clicking here! (The video is password protected – the password is Portal with a capital “P”)
FACTS Financial Accounts
Please take a moment to log in to your family’s FACTS Tuition Payment Plan to ensure it is up to date. Please note – FACTS has dropped support for American Express as a payment method this school year. If you have any questions, please reach out to us by emailing [email protected].
Thank you again for making this a great start to the school year! We’re looking forward to a great week ahead!
For the Kingdom,
Dr. Turner