The House System

The Foundations of the LCA House System

1. Relationship Building: The main goal of the House System is to build Christ-centered, quality relationships  as modeled in Matthew 22:36-40 and Matthew 5:43

2. Service: This pillar is based on the great commandment by Jesus to love God and love your neighbor. This applies to stewardship within CLPS and beyond. 

3. Ministry to the School Population: Students are able to engage in ministry to the younger population of students as well as their peers through Biblically- Centered activities, studies and devotions.

4. Student Leadership: The CLPS House System provides ample opportunity for service to the school through fulfillment of duties of office. This leadership includes high expectations of officers and members to critically think to plan events, ministries and traditions that increase the value of our school community and to execute them with excellence. 

History of House Systems

     The House System originated in England as the English school system was being developed and was used for the purposes of providing an environment where students are afforded “pastoral care” or individualized education (Dierenfield, 1975).  Originally, the houses were literally that: a place where students lived as they were boarded in school (The Latin School, 2015). 
     House systems vary widely in their implementation due to the specific needs of the school. 7-12th Students are often divided into one of several houses, each with a distinctive identity. In most cases, students are sorted “vertically” meaning that there is an “equitable distribution of students from all grade levels in each individual house,” and biological families are kept within the same houses (Brennan, 2012).
     Programming also varies widely. Most schools use the house system as a way to disseminate information (Dierenfield, 1975) and to host competitions between houses. These are sometimes in an academic or athletic format. Faculty leaders award merit points to Houses based on the outcomes of these competitions, leadership, community service, or other triumphs. Some systems also employ demerits for rule breaking (Dierenfield, 1975).

House Sorting and Induction

 All students entering 7th through 12th grade at Legacy Christian Academy will be sorted into houses. Each house has students from each grade represented. Families will be kept in one house to increase the whole family’s house pride. The oldest sibling is sorted and all siblings who enter grades 7-12 will be sorted into the same house, even if there is a gap between a secondary student leaving school and an elementary student entering 7th grade. This rule only applies to immediate family (i.e. brothers and sisters) and does not apply to cousins, etc. 

Sorting occurs at the beginning of House Week/Orientation. Students will be sorted one at a time and will then proceed with their new house to an induction ceremony and celebration.