Curriculum Guide

Art

Art is taught one day a week for an extended period of one hour and fifteen minutes. The basic skill developed throughout the program is that of drawing. Students learn to draw basic three-dimensional shapes and move to more difficult assignments such as drawing the human person, the use of perspective, etc. Other projects include learning about and coloring heraldic shields with a special regard to understanding the color wheel. There are also some light craft projects connected with various feasts throughout the year.

Languages

Latin language and culture is introduced throughout the lower and middle school. The students begin by learning Latin words and roots of words and advance to more formal study with a weekly class in the middle school years. Spanish is offered two days per week throughout the lower and middle schools; it is a flexible program geared to introduce the language to beginners and to deepen the literary experience of native speakers.

Music

Music is taught two days a week. The classes are a blend of theory and musical experience. Students learn rhythm and beat, notation and composition, and play music as well as compose songs with musical notation. Singing is taught throughout the curriculum.

Writing

At Western Academy writing is taught in several classes: the boys are encouraged to write in their journals in silent reading/journaling time; the boys are taught the fundamentals of grammar, diction, and usage in language arts and poetry class; they write paragraphs and longer compositions in their literature, history, religion, and science classes. Each grade also has a weekly class devoted to writing; this class focuses on the whole, the others on its parts. The boys learn the craft of writing through assignments that give them experience in various genres—narrative, persuasive essay, description, the fable, etc.

The goal we pursue is the skilled writer. The means we employ in Writing class combine experience in the writing process—the process of drafting, revising (revising again), and editing.