St. Christopher’s School is an all boys’ JK-12 school. Our sister school, St. Catherine’s, is three blocks away. Both schools have single-sex classes JK-8. Grades 9-12 have a coordinate program and share classes. Students in Grades JK-7 are together in the after-school program, Extended Day. We interviewed students in the Upper School and in Extended Day to learn about their experience being on the St. Christopher’s campus.
Boys in the Upper School said that they like having the girls come over for classes because it expanded their group of friends. It gives the students the opportunity to get to know more students that they may not have known before Upper School. The girls we interviewed said that they enjoy taking classes at St. Christopher’s. They stated that they like the classes at St. Christopher’s because the boys are more relaxed than the girls, so girls in the classes at St. Christopher’s seemed less competitive than when they are in all-girls’ classes. Some of the girls expressed dismay at some boys’ assertion that classes and athletics at ”Club St. Catherine’s” are easier than at St. Christopher’s. One girl, who is on the co-ed winter track and field team, stated that she does not like being on the same team with boys because the boys make fun of the girls.
In Extended Day, we talked with Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten boys and girls. We asked them if they liked being together in the after-school program. Interestingly, the younger boys immediately said that they did NOT like having the girls around. One girl stated that the boys only like to play Legos and draw whereas the girls prefer to play in the kitchen. In another classroom, a boy who is a year older, said he liked having the girls come over and that he had made a couple of friends among the girls. One girl avowed that she had already found her true love–Heaton– and that he and she would be getting married.
February 3rd, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Nice to know that a few girls are welcome at StC!
February 3rd, 2010 at 4:01 pm
It’s good to be reminded of the many opportunities St. Chris boys have to collaborate with girls.