Celebrating a Boys School Education
We see first hand the strengths and attributes of an education designed for boys. Our insights are garnered mostly from the living proof of the 296 boys that we work with on a daily basis: our charges in the classrooms, the dormitories, and the theater, and on the fields and over the weekends. This is a special place to learn, play, and grow. So much has been published to complement our experiences and validate our opinions. What was once viewed as an outdated education model is now being promoted nationally. We know and understand young men, and celebrate what it means to be a boy!
Why Boys Choose Salisbury
It is often the boy who makes the mature decision to attend Salisbury instead of a rival coed school. He feels the camaraderie and the kinship, and is attracted by the high quality academic program, the nurturing environment, the leadership opportunities, and the healthy social environment that is short on pretense and posturing. Salisbury can greatly impact a young man’s academic, social, and co-curricular life because we focus on a single gender.
A 100 Year Tradition
We provide boys with an educational environment that is uncomplicated, and focused on core values and high standards. We are a school that is designed for boys. We are a school that recognizes and works with a young man’s academic and developmental needs. We educate young men by inspiring in each student an enthusiasm for learning and the self-confidence needed for intellectual, spiritual, physical, and moral development. We want every boy to achieve, and to have fun doing it!
Benefits of a Single-Gender Classroom
An all-boys classroom is one with less distraction. The teacher, male or female, is able to foster confidence and promote growth. Open discussions result where boys challenge themselves and each other. Boys become confident risk-takers in the arts as well as in the sciences. Perhaps he will write a poem for our literary magazine or design and edit a Faulkner web page. Also, he may enroll in one of our ten lab science classes or become active with the solar or electric car.
An Active and Healthy Social Life
Some boys will not pursue a single-gender boarding school for fear that they will not have a social life. It is a fact that life at any boarding school is quite busy. Time that is not filled with academics and co-curricular activities (e.g. athletics and the arts) is sometimes at a premium. Over 90% of our students are boarders, so our director of student activities has the charge of providing numerous fun and healthy choices. Dances with a variety of girls’ and coed schools are a mainstay on Saturday night. On and off campus special events provide opportunities for our boys to meet girls, and are always on the calendar, like our annual Winter Carnival and trips to Six Flags. We have fewer disciplinary issues because we are a single-gender school. As for the boys, they like feeling that they can be themselves, and are less susceptible to peer pressure and social cliques.
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A Niche for Every Boy
Just as we offer English for every student, we have a sports team or a spot in the play for every boy. Students feel comfortable trying something new, be it a sport or painting. Being given an opportunity such as this means everything to a boy, whether he is an experienced athlete or a novice. It is important to note that boys do not compete with girls for resources or leadership positions in clubs and organizations. For example, prime ice or gym time is not fought over, and, thus, we can have more teams for boys. The editors for our newspaper, literary magazine, and the yearbook as well as the student government will be boys.
Truly, Salisbury School is a unique place. Our setting, size, and mission set us apart. Being a boy’s school might not be the reason that candidates decide to attend Salisbury, but it is one of the reasons that boys have a wonderfully rich experience while they are here.
Peter B. Gilbert
Director of Admissions and Financial Aid
pgilbert@salisburyschool.org
860-435-5732