The All Boys School Conundrum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If some of the higher level classes at STA and NCS are co-ed, I have a question about one of the reported benefits for girls of a same-sex education being that girls have confidence, exhibit leadership, and aren’t shy to speak up in front of boys. So does the STA/NCS model diminish that benefit and affect the way the girls are in the classroom.

there is actually very little contact between the 2 schools, especially if your kid does not do choir/theatre or does not take Chinese or one of several advanced math classes which only a few kids take. they make it sound like far more than it is. You are very much signing up for a single-sex school if you choose either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If some of the higher level classes at STA and NCS are co-ed, I have a question about one of the reported benefits for girls of a same-sex education being that girls have confidence, exhibit leadership, and aren’t shy to speak up in front of boys. So does the STA/NCS model diminish that benefit and affect the way the girls are in the classroom.

there is actually very little contact between the 2 schools, especially if your kid does not do choir/theatre or does not take Chinese or one of several advanced math classes which only a few kids take. they make it sound like far more than it is. You are very much signing up for a single-sex school if you choose either.

Neither is a co-ed school, that is true. But it is simply not accurate to paint STA/NCS as being these isolated single gender campuses and then throw darts at them for being same.

By intent and planning there is a lot of mixing from MS on at STA/NCS: social dances planned from 7th grade multiple times a year, theater is co-ed from Middle school onward as are a significant number of the HS sports teams. A lot of volunteer work is co-ed.

The kids who take honors classes be it science or English lit have a mix of girls and boys in the class- no, not 50/50, but the boys are given a healthy dose of female intellect - assertive and confident female intellect- whether from their teachers who are female, or NCS girls in combined classes or their mothers and sisters at home at the dinner table every night. This is not some boarding school isolated way out in the NE countryside. I don't think those even exist anymore as most have gone co-ed.

But more than that, socially the kids meet up at Open City, the NCS girls come over all the time to Sam's bar or STA boys lingering at the Rock Climb wall in NCS sports center. Long walks up Pilgrim Road after Track Practice or across the close after Crew practice.

The atmosphere is kinda like two small liberal arts colleges of 450 + pupils each sharing a beautiful arboretum like campus together for 9 years while having a 9:1- 15:1 max student to teacher ratio. Many think that is the best of both worlds.

Best of luck to you in your search.