School Terms
Pupils attended the Brookeville Academy seven hours daily during the period of March 20th through September 20th and six hours daily from September 20th through March 20th allowing for the decrease in daylight hours (1811). By 1834 students attended school eight hours daily from March through September and six and one half hours daily from September through March. Pupils were taught five and one half days each week (1822) and received two short morning and afternoon recesses varying from a minimum of five minutes to a maximum of fifteen minutes (1831). It was not until 1831 that every alternate Saturday was given to boarders to visit parents and teachers to transact business not related to school "with every alternate Friday afternoon preceding Saturday recess given as reward to those pupils who merit it in the opinion of the Principal."(29)

Over the years the length of the sessions shortened-48 weeks (1834), 44 weeks (1854), 42 weeks (1859), and 40 weeks (1870). Students were required to enroll for at least one quarter. The earliest record of vacations was in 1819 when vacation was ordered during the month of August due to excessive heat (1819). Later, vacations commenced in August for two weeks (1825); at the end of April and the end of October for two weeks each (1834); and during August for two weeks and after Christmas for one week (1846). No other references were made to vacations in the Minutes.