The Lion’s Roar – August 2, 2026
HCA Families,
Welcome to the first edition of The Lion’s Roar – a revamped version of our weekly update (formerly known as News from the Lion’s Den). In this first edition, we are sharing all the back-to-school essentials as our faculty returns to campus this week. In response to our Family Survey, this will be posted in the FACTS Family Portal, emailed, and posted to our website under a new tab where these updates will be archived.
As mentioned, our faculty and staff return to campus tomorrow to begin a weeklong marathon getting classrooms set up and ready for the return of our students on August 10. Note that our school office is closed tomorrow as our entire team will be in training throughout the day. Any calls or emails to our office team or school administration will be returned Tuesday morning. We appreciate the opportunity to spend dedicated time with every member of our team as we set the tone for the great year ahead!
Upcoming Events
Monday August 3rd – Faculty return for the start of teacher workweek.
Thursday August 6th @ 6 pm – New Student Orientation
Sunday August 9th @ 10:45 am – Back to School Sunday at First Love Community Church (Hot Dog Lunch directly following service)
Sunday August 9th from 1-3 pm – Meet the Teacher
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.
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! All students previously enrolled in Afterschool will receive an invite directly from brightwheel to complete this year’s enrollment.
My Hot Lunchbox
We are excited to continue our partnership with My Hot Lunchbox to offer parents the opportunity to order meals for their students. Stay tuned for final details concerning delivery days and partner vendors. 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]).
New Student Orientation – Thursday August 6th 6:00-7:30 pm
New students and families are invited to attend this session as we share information about our school information systems, review student/parent handbooks, go over carline drop-off and pick-up procedures, and answer any other questions. We will also share information about our PTF (Parent Teacher Fellowship) and give parents the opportunity to join. Light refreshments will be provided; childcare and pizza will be provided for children ages TK-6th. Click here to register!
Save the Date: Back to School Sunday & Meet the Teacher
We are excited to kick off the new school year together on Sunday, August 9!
Our annual Back to School Sunday service will begin at 10:45 a.m. in the First Love Community Church Sanctuary. This special service is an opportunity for our school community to worship together, dedicate the upcoming school year to the Lord, and pray over our students, families, faculty, and staff. Immediately following the service, everyone is invited to stay for a hot dog lunch and fellowship.
Following lunch, our annual Meet the Teacher event will take place from 1:00–3:00 p.m. Families will have the opportunity to meet teachers, visit classrooms, bring school supplies, and begin preparing for an exciting new school year. We hope every HCA family will make plans to join us for this special day as we celebrate all that God has in store for the year ahead.
Staffing Updates
As HCA continues to grow we have openings for several positions on campus. If you or someone you know is interested in joining the HCA team, please click here view open positions and apply!
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].
School Office Hours
Our normal school office hours resume August 4th (8 am – 4 pm). Note – all HCA Faculty and Staff will be in required training August 3, 2026. All calls or emails to the office or administration will be returned beginning August 4th.
We are so grateful for every member of our HCA Community! We are looking forward to a great year ahead as we embrace this year’s theme: “Christ We Preach.”
“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” Colossians 1:28
We look forward to seeing you soon!
For the Kingdom,
Dr. Turner