Virliter Age – Act Manfully

Achilles defeating Hector by Peter Paul Rubens c. 1640, and in the words of Homer: “As he spoke he drew the keen blade that hung so great and strong/by his side, and gathering himself together he sprang on Achilles/like a soaring eagle which swoops down from the clouds on to some/lamb or timid hare–even so did Hector brandish his sword and/spring upon Achilles.

Classroom etiquette and expectations

Education is such a wonderful gift, both given and received, and should be treated with respect, reverence even, at all times. Hopefully wit and wisdom will also be coming along for the ride. We'll throw in some beauty too.

Seriously, your "subfusc" (school uniform) will be a button-down shirt, school tie (tied), chinos, blazer, and shoes. No hip-hop hoodies or flip-flops. In shop class you’ll wear your boiler suit instead of a blazer. You need to be serious about learning and devote yourself fully to focusing on the task at hand. Age quod agis, "do what you're doing" is our mantra for everything. No cell phones or computers are permitted in the classroom. All notes, class essays, and homework will be written out long-hand, in a notebook. We provide you with a fountain pen to give you the tactile feel of forming words, from the mind to the eye to the hand, the sheer physicality of it, the subtle art of mastering (body) English as it were. Being awake and alert and alive involves every sense intensely. All-in, all-out.

Homework reading assignments need your undivided attention, in a quiet place, in two half-hour sessions. Longer than that and you can’t concentrate; shorter and you don’t have enough time to settle in. You should also try to read aloud, to yourself or to a fellow student, on a regular basis, which we will do in class every day. Again we recommend thirty minute sessions – hearing your own voice and the rhythm of the words will give you a better feeling for the genius of the material and become a transformative way of experiencing the whole world, really. You'll find excellence is hard-earned but well worth the effort and will serve you in any endeavor you undertake in life.

And never forget that punctuality is the courtesy of kings.

The Honor Code

You will not lie, cheat, or steal (except when playing One Up!) nor tolerate those who do.

Tuition

All programs are tuition free, thanks to our generous sponsors and patrons.

Course textbooks and supplies

The course book list includes: The Aeneid, Trojan Women, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, A Tale of Two Cities, Lolita, Heart of Darkness, Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, The Great Gatsby, All Quiet on the Western Front, Lord of the Flies, West with the Night, Empire of the Sun, Arabian Sands, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, Liar’s Poker, The Prince, Cosmos, The Worst Journey in the World, Walden Pond, Frankenstein, Brave New World, 12 Rules for Life, The Iliad, Plutarch’s Roman Lives, Montaigne’s Essays, Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, The Road to Serfdom, The Gulag Archipelago, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and Ivanhoe.

Leather-bound notebook, fountain pen, and school supplies, i.e. ruler, #2 pencils, sharpener, eraser, etc. Each student will also receive one school uniform as well as an Old’s Cool polo and rugby. 

A day in the life of a Wiseacre*

Monday - Friday

At 7:00 am the American flag is raised every morning to start the day while To The Colors is played.

From 8:00 am to 11:00 am there are three morning classes, 45 minutes each. First period always starts with the Pledge of Allegiance.

“I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.”

Every Monday morning from 8:00 am to 8:45 am there is a mandatory school-wide assembly to reflect on the previous week and plan the upcoming one.

From 11 am to 12:30 pm students plan, prepare, cook, eat and cleanup the midday meal together. We will also “play games” right after lunch, if there’s time.

At 12:30 pm afternoon shop class begins and ends at 3:30. These traditional skills classes can be anything from car restoration to boat building to beekeeping to brewing beer.

From 3:30 pm to 5 pm is optional extra-curriculars, where students participate in activities of their own choosing, ranging from sailing to sewing to trap shooting.

At 6 pm Retreat will be played and the flag will be lowered to end the day.

At 10 pm lights out.

Saturday

At 7:00 am the American flag is raised to start the half-day while To The Colors is played.

From 8:00 am to 11:00 am there are three optional classes that can be academic, traditional skills, or extra-curricular. Lunch, from 11 am to 12:30 pm is optional and can be prepared and eaten at the Academy.

At 12:30 pm Retreat is sounded to end the day and the week and students are on liberty for the remainder of the weekend.

Sunday

A day of rest. At 5 pm there is an optional Sunday supper.

*Our nickname. 

Curriculum

Program starts July 1 and January 1. There are six subjects at the Academy: English, History, Science, Life 101, Traditional Skills, and Business Basics. We will have a “master” lecturer once a week, every Friday morning at 11 am, for a total of 25, on a broad range of topics in their individual areas of expertise, from viticulture to civil engineering to canning tuna in Alaska.

In the six-month academic program there will be a total of 325 class periods. 

These will be divided as follows: 

English – 3 x week = 75 classes

History, Science, Life 101, and Arts – 2 x week = 50 classes each for a total of 200 classes

Traditional Skills and Business Basics – 1 x week = 25 classes each for a total of 50 classes

Students will read a total of 33 books during the academic year, broken down by subject: English – 14; History – 6; Science – 4; Business – 3; Traditional – 2; Apprenticeship – 4.

Traditional-skills class

All students will either build a boat or restore a vintage automobile/motorcycle as a requirement for graduation.

The choice of boats is up to the student, but our three recommendations are:

Lutra cedar strip canoe from Otter Creek

Petral Play Kayak from Guillemot Kayaks

Jimmy Skiff II, sailing pram from Chesapeake Light Craft

Vintage car restoration is wide open, but we’ve already done a 1961 gray fin-tail Mercedes nicknamed “The Bismarck,” and a 1969 Beetle Convertible.

As for motorcycles, our two favorites are a 1977 Honda CB 175 in Hawaiian Orange, and a 1966 Honda Super Cub. Original patina is only original once.

Tool kit and shop materials

Old's Cool Tool Kit includes Old’s Cool coveralls, gloves, safety glasses, ear plugs and tool bag, which the students will make themselves. It'll be filled with numerous essentials starting with our old's cool pal Tim Leatherman's Sidekick or Wingman. Shop materials include boat building/ car restoration supplies, parts, and paint. 

Extra-curricular activities

Students can choose – boxing, trap or pistol shooting, sailing, rowing, horseback riding, pickleball, painting, photography, ceramics – the possibilities are almost endless.

Apprenticeship

As we've already mentioned, the Academy’s comprehensive program includes a paid six-month apprenticeship out in the real world, in the field or career path of your choice, with one of our sponsors or partners.

We’ll spend a lot of time together mapping out a potential career path for you, based on your interests, strengths, and the direction you want to pursue. You'll be matched you with a company (and a mentor) that will nurture and guide you, teaching you the basic skills necessary to start your career, while you’ll bring enthusiasm and heart, as well as heaps of elbow grease and sweat equity to the table. A win-win for everyone.

The apprenticeship will be six months (twenty-six weeks), five days a week, eight hours a day for a total of 1,000 hours.

"Back-to-Basics" Summer Camp

We've gotten many requests from parents who are looking for a summer camp program, so we're putting together a simple but rigorous curriculum which will essentially be the same as the first eight weeks of the Academy's regular schedule.

Since we believe in the benefits of total immersion, we encourage students to board with us at the Academy for this two-month intensive. Students who wish to continue with the full one-year program are welcome to stay on and will be able to transition seamlessly.

Students will be encouraged to work part-time (up to 20 hours/week) during this program as part of the community outreach aspect of the Academy.

Tuition for the eight-week summer program (July 1–September 1) is free, and will include the forty days of school, in addition to breakfast and lunch every day, as well as the course/shop materials and tool kit.  

Room/board is also included as part of this special summer program package.

"Poetry and Penmanship" Program

This introductory class is a condensed version of our regular curriculum, aimed at introducing students of all ages in the community to the life-changing joys of a classical liberal arts and the beauty of valuable and almost-forgotten tradition of learning the vocabulary, mechanics and overall value of having poetry in our lives.

Students meet twice a week for eight weeks, from 3 - 5 pm. Sessions are four times per year and enrollment is limited to six students. We'll study all the greats from Ovid to Shakespeare to Wallace Stevens, and teach the Zaner-Bloser method of handwriting, both block and cursive. All school work/homework will be written in longhand in white-lined notebooks with Pilot Metropolitan fountain pens.

Writing well = living better – and we'll show you how to do it right.

Citizenship and community

Respect and personal responsibility are the cornerstone of any successful society, and they must be taken seriously. Our Quaker grandmother taught us “Doing well by doing good,” i.e. genuine kindness, given with sincerity and generosity, was one of the keys to a meaningful and happy life. We couldn't agree more.

This spirit of service, noblesse oblige, will be a large part of our mission, and will extend beyond our family to our neighborhood and city (where there will be regular and mandatory community service), and to our great nation too. 

Students will study The Declaration of Independence, and The U.S. Constitution, the two most important documents in the history of the universe, bar none, and come to know and love the wisdom and impact of these astounding philosophical and cultural achievements. A great education should also promote great citizenship, cui servire regnare, and to us this is summed up in our alma mater's motto: Duty. Honor. Country.

Testimonial

"I learned more important things at Old's Cool than I did at the Naval Academy." – Ensign Michael Calais, USNA Class of 2026