Year-round

The academy operates on a year-round, annual calendar divided into academic quarters. Each year begins on January 1 and ends on December 31. The quarters consist of Q1, Jan-Feb-Mar, Q2, Apr-May-Jun, Q3, Jul-Aug-Sep, and Q4, Oct-Nov-Dec.

Each quarter features two weeks off for students, one week off for teachers, plus various holidays. (Students receive eight weeks off, and teachers receive four weeks off, plus other days as defined, per year.)

The last year of school (age 18 students) can be, at the student’s option, one-half year (Q1 and Q2, Jan-Jun), at which time they can graduate, in a manner of their choosing.

Full-day

Students (can optionally) attend the academy for eight hours per day, plus a one-hour lunch. The first half of the day (mornings) are typically reserved for cohort learning and activities. The second half of the day (afternoons) are typically reserved for electives, activities, sports, work-study, governance, business, recreation, and free-play. Some activities, sports, rehearsals, and performances may extend into the evenings, some of the time (all optional).

Once we have our full campus, students will be able to arrive as early as 6:00 am for free-play before school. Students will be able to stay as late as 6:00 pm for free-play after school. Students will be able to stay as late as 11:00 pm for planned/supervised activities, sports, rehearsals, and performances. Other exceptional (optional) events may also be planned and supervised that require earlier, later, or overnight stays.

In our temporary learning center headquarters in Laguna Niguel, we will not be able to provide extended before/after hours.

Part or full online participation is an option as desired by students and families.

Day schedule for students up to age 7 is 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Day schedule for students age 8 to 14 is 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.

Day schedule for students age 15-18 is 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Lunch for everyone is 12:00 noon to 1:00pm. Students can snack and hydrate generally as desired (as appropriate).

When feasible, breakfast will be available before day schedule start times.

Work, Play, Imagine, Do

Cohort learning takes place in the mornings and cohorts are grouped by age. Electives, activities, sports, rehearsals, performances, work-study, and free-play take place in the afternoons (and sometimes evenings) and participants are generally mixed-age groupings.

Despite this structure, students can choose to do what they wish. For example, students are encouraged but not required to participate in cohort activities. Individual students may go through extended periods of heavy involvement in a single activity, or extended periods of boredom, or they may prefer to follow a teacher’s lead. We provide opportunities but we do not insist on anything in particular and we do not restrict or judge.

If the school had a lake, and a student wished to fish all day, every day, they could fish all day, every day.

Land and Facilities

Our longer term goals including building and/or improving upon the school facilities as we go. We are presently seeking donors of land and construction. Designing, planning, developing, building, and equipping the academy is part of the project-based curriculum. We can open the academy with minimal space and resources. Because students and teachers, working together, will develop the academy, literally, from the ground up.

The Schools

The campus is divided generally as follows:

The Cohort Homerooms - where students meet by age grouping each morning.

The Three Schools, which include:

- The Visual & Performing Arts School
- The Science & Technology School
- The Business School

As the academy develops, many options are possible. Some of the things we envision for the future include, for example:

The Farms and Gardens - where students and teachers can farm and garden.

The Trails and Natural Open Spaces - where students and teachers can walk, hike, ride, climb, and explore.

The Cafeteria - where people can get food!

The Office - where the business and governance of the academy might be conducted.

The Community Center - where students and teachers can gather and host events.

The Businesses - the actual operating businesses, where students can hold real jobs (on campus, off campus, and/or online/virtual).

Boarding and Part-day Options

The academy can, when feasible, offer boarding and part-day options.