A schedule is not meant to fit into, but rather be borne out of, the liturgical life of the Church. It is how the passage of time is both marked and sanctified—daily, weekly, annually. These rhythms are how we encounter Christ and participate in His saving acts, both historically and in the present moment. Our academic year begins around September 1, as it is the first day of the Church New Year (or “Indiction”). According to Holy Tradition, this is when the Hebrews entered the Holy Land and when Christ entered the synagogue to announce his mission to mankind. 

Yearly Schedule: Our schedule consists of roughly 30 academic weeks, anchored around the Church's calendar of feasts, fasts, and commemorations, from the Church New Year through the end of May (usually Ascension, depending on where Pascha falls). This is followed by a flexible (and lighter) 6-week term that can be utilized by families or schools at their own pace for those who desire a full 36-week academic schedule. We also include occasional “Sabbath Weeks” where needed, to avoid more than six academic weeks in a row without breaks (when possible), for family time, planning, and catch-up. The Great Feasts of the Church are built into the schedule as well when they fall on weekdays, and while the schedule is designed to be fairly flexible in some areas, oftentimes assigned readings, hymns, and topics correspond with the Church calendar and may not match up otherwise. Within the yearly schedule, many studies and extracurriculars  are scheduled by term as well.

See suggested academic calendars at the bottom of the page.

Depending on where feasts and dates fall, the year generally follows these approximate rhythms:

• Sep. 1- Church New Year: The beginning of the academic year

• Term 1: 11 academic weeks (Sep.-Nov.)

  • ~6 weeks of studies

  • 1 week, Sabbath Break

  • ~5 weeks of studies

  • ~1 week, Thanksgiving Break

• Term 2: 9 academic weeks (Dec. -Feb.)

  • ~3 weeks of studies

  • 3 week, Nativity Break

  • ~6 weeks of studies

  • 1 week, Sabbath Break

• Term 3: 10 academic weeks (Mar. -May) 

  • ~2-9 weeks of studies (depending on where Pascha falls)

  • 2 week, Pascha Break (Holy Week & Bright Week)

  • ~1-8 weeks of studies

  • *Term 3 sometimes includes an optional Sabbath Break when Pascha falls late in the year

• Flex-Term 4 [Optional]: ~6 weeks (anytime between June -Aug.)

  • This flexible term is not tied to any particular dates and can be utilized as needed. It generally includes suggested read-alouds, literature books, historical fiction tied to that cycle, and it can be a great time to focus on more leisurely extracurriculars, keep up with math and languages, or finish longer courses or books that may not fit into 30-weeks (especially for older students).

Weekly Schedule: Our weekly schedule is generally comprised of four days, to allow for flexibility in the event of feast days, co-ops, extracurriculars, etc. (though it can be spread out as desired).

Daily Schedule: While the daily rhythms will vary significantly based on the family, school, student ages, etc., this is a sample of how we have implemented it for the younger years: