Curriculum Guide
Defining Characteristics
The Western Academy curriculum has four defining characteristics: it is detailed, connected, integrated, and alive. Details and little things are aspects usually loathed by boys but necessary for their education. Great emphasis is placed on the details of academics: grammar, handwriting, spelling, vocabulary, drawing, scientific classification, math drills and homework, historical and geographical data, the Ten Commandments, etc.; but attention to detail is also evident in orderly classrooms, composure, and neatness in dress. Detailed study becomes even more complete when connections are revealed; for example, the relations of birds, insects, weather, and animals are connected to the life of trees and the life that trees support. Similarly, the study of falcons is enhanced with writing a poem about them, and the study of live oaks is enhanced when they are connected historically with their use in frigates such as "Old Ironsides".
Beyond connecting matters within a subject, and subjects with other subjects, there is a sincere effort to connect learning with present living and the self—this includes connecting emotions and reason, the heart and mind. This type of connection can better be termed "integration" as it strives to integrate what one learns of the world and reality with how one lives in and perceives the world and reality. Furthermore, through quiet and humble observation the boy can experience awe and wonder at the mystery and power of creation—proper responses of the heart to the created world.
Efforts toward true integration necessarily involve action as a student applies lessons to his life—virtues don't become virtues unless one acts on what he sees as the right thing to do—whether this involves daring to reach out in friendships, or doing our work on time, or acting with compassion. Together these aspects of connection and integration, in perception and action, encourage the boy to be more creative, to be more "alive"—true personalities grow and a deep goodness takes firmer root. The goal of a Western Academy education is as St. Ireneaus puts it, "...a man fully alive."
Education comes to life when it is connected to the world around us and genuine interests are fostered. The importance of the imagination for this end of helping the education come alive is clearly understood at Western Academy. Examples include writing historical journals (imagining oneself a colonial settler), writing nature poems in natural history, and imagining oneself in the mysterious scenes of Christ's life presented in the rosary. The connection between choice, action, and well-being is especially present in literature, as characters' choices can be seen along with their consequences for others and themselves. The small class size and homeroom teacher relationship enables this connection as the teachers get to know each student more personally and can observe the boys in many different settings, from quiet academic situations to more vibrant and competitive ones. Our teachers have an eye for details and the skills to develop study skills, use narrative across the curriculum, and teach in the field, which includes nature walks and a variety of field trips.