House System
While the house system at Providence was formed in August of 2021, the tradition, originating in British boarding schools, dates back to the 1800s and was established as a means to support and encourage students in their academic and social lives while apart from their families. The students actually lived in houses with the faculty and students with whom they were grouped, hence the name.
“The strength of the house is each member. The strength of each member is the house.”
Today, House systems have made a resurgence in many classical schools and college campuses across the globe with the purpose of promoting student leadership, governing and service opportunities, encouraging school spirit through healthy competition, creating new traditions for the school, and developing friendships across grade levels. The very structure and purpose of the House System supports one of the two elements of the vision at Providence Academy, equipping the next generation for Christ-centered leadership.
Our system splits the School of Rhetoric students (9th-12th) into four houses, each of which contains students from different grade levels. Within each house, the students elect a Prefect, Reliquarian, Baron and selects an Ambassador of Service, an Ambassador of Events, and an Ambassador of Fortitude. Furthermore, Houses compete for points in various events throughout the year such as service projects, creative and athletic events, and exhibiting support for one another.
Ninth graders and new high school students are inducted into their House during the first week of school.
When our students graduate, they will have had up to four years of planning and executive experience. If and when they choose to attend college, they will have the practical knowledge of how to begin clubs and associations, which is one of the core features of strong citizenship. The House System, then, is an education in civics because of the habits it encourages and forms.
Meet our Houses
Each House is uniquely represented by its own values, colors, animal, cross, and coat of arms, all of which serve to foster identity, unity, and camaraderie among students while reflecting the character and traditions of the House.
Lewis
Colors- Purple is the color of majesty and gold reflects wisdom.
Animal – The stag appeared as a symbol of Christ in the story of St. Eustace. This saint, like C. S. Lewis’s fictional character Eustace Scrubb in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, experienced a miraculous conversion.
Cross – The Canterbury Cross symbolized the Christian faith in medieval England.
Coat of Arms – A white stag leaps across a purple fess on a gold background, which represents readiness to serve the public.
Truth
’25, ’26 Overall Winner
Colors – Black signifies wisdom and gold reflects generosity.
Animal – In medieval times, the bear was a symbol of strength and known to be cunning with ferocity in the protection of one’s kindred.
Cross – The Coptic cross is shaped like the letter T with a circle behind it that represents the sunrise, another reference to the resurrection.
Coat of Arms- The bear is on a background of black and gold quarters. The quarters represent equal parts of a whole under a Coptic Cross.
Ten Boom
The House of Corrie ten Boom values optimism, forgiveness, patience, wisdom and perseverance.
Colors – Red is a symbol of courage and white provides hope.
Animal – In medieval heraldry, the griffin became a Christian symbol of divine power.
Cross – St Andrews Cross is an x-shaped cross. Notice three St. Andrew’s crosses on a field of black surrounded by red on the Flag of Amsterdam, Corrie ten Boom’s homeland.
Coat of Arms- The coat of arms is a griffin on a red and white chevron background denoting faithfulness under the St. Andrews cross.
Graham
Colors – The color maroon symbolizes confidence and in medieval heraldry, white depicts faith and purity.
Animal – The dragon is a symbol of a most valiant defender of treasure.
Cross – The cross on the shield is the Chi Rho cross. Chi and rho are the first two letters in the Greek word for Christ.
Coat of Arms – The coat of arms is a dragon on a background of maroon and white piles beneath the Chi Rho cross.