Our boarding school life begins in the dorms. The boys live on three floors of our building where they are connected by an open style architecture which supports conversation, community, and occasional clowning around! Housemothers supervise the dorms both day and night and are easily accessible because their apartments are located on the dorm floors.
While some older boys enjoy the privilege of having their own private room, most students have a roommate. Roommates are thoughtfully arranged by the housemothers in consultation with other staff members. Each boy has his own bed, wardrobe, and desk in his room, and several of the larger rooms also include an en suite bathroom. There is a bathroom available on each dorm hallway as well, with cubbies for the boys to store their toiletries. Boys are welcome to decorate their rooms however they like, and many boys bring posters, pictures, and favorite toys, games, books, and other items with them.
The housemothers wake the boys up each morning, and put them to bed at night, with the help of the staff members on duty. In the morning, the boys get dressed and go down to breakfast first, giving them a chance to wake up as they drink their orange juice and talk to their friends. After their full days of choir, sports, and school, quiet evening and bedtime routines help the boys to move slowly towards those relaxing moments at the end of the day. In addition to showering and brushing their teeth, the boys have free time before bed to eat a snack, call home, read a book, or hang out with friends before turning their lights out.
Our close-knit community gathers together throughout the day for meals in the Dining Room, meetings in the classrooms, and mayhem in the Rec Room. Through these communal moments and experiences, the boys and the residential staff bond together in their shared home.
Athletics at Saint Thomas are divided into three sections by grade. Boys have PE class twice a week and an extended sports practice three times a week. The main focus of athletics for the school changes seasonally.
Our youngest students start with basic motor skill development: catching and throwing, and learning to efficiently move their bodies in large and small spaces. By the time the boys are in 5th grade, they are able to compete in interscholastic athletic competitions.
Our fall season features soccer and during the winter season the boys focus on basketball. Students are taught the basics of both games starting in their first year (dribbling, passing, shooting) and progress all the way up through basic strategies of attacking, defending, and positioning. The boys are tested both physically and mentally by completing drills over the course of each season, and the 5th through 8th graders play a number of scrimmages and official games against other New York City schools.
In the spring, our athletic program turns to general fitness. PE periods focus on fun competitive games, exposing the students to a range of different athletic endeavors (such as tennis, volleyball, hockey, baseball, football, and field games). During sports practices, all boys participate in our track program. The boys take advantage of the many running paths throughout Central Park, and in inclement weather spend their time indoors on conditioning exercises. They participate in interscholastic track meets, and work to improve their mile and 5K times over the course of the season.
By the time our students graduate, they will have developed an athletic skill set that translates to a variety of sports, and prepares them to compete in athletics at the next level, wherever it may be. Our graduates have gone on to participate in a variety of junior varsity and varsity interscholastic sports teams in high school and college.
The Choir School employs a live-in Registered Nurse as one of the housemothers. She is the principal medical provider for the choristers. The health of the boys is a paramount concern for the school’s faculty and staff. They closely monitor the choristers for evidence of illness and injury and direct them to one of the housemothers for treatment. A housemother is available to the boys 24 hours a day, and is responsible for administering any medication.
When students require more specialized treatment or evaluation, the housemothers work with parents in order to set up appointments. The Choir School has relationships with specialists throughout the city. Routine medical care for choristers residing outside of the immediate vicinity is provided by CityMD and Minute Clinic, both within a short walk from the school. For more advanced care, students are taken to nearby Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. When a parent is unable, Choir School staff accompany students to any appointments outside the school.
Saint Thomas also employs a school counselor for boys in need of specialized care and attention. The counselor is available to speak with boys every week, and often works with individuals and groups on conflict resolution and developing healthy interpersonal skills.
Mealtime at the Choir School happens family-style in our dining hall. Boys and faculty sit together at tables of 8 to enjoy three meals daily. Led by our own live-in chef, the Choir School kitchen serves delicious and healthy meals from fresh, organic, local ingredients (it may also be the only place in the world where kids unanimously queue up for crispy baked kale).
Lunchtimes are particularly exciting, whether it’s a boy favorite like BBQ Lancaster Farms ribs with homemade mac and cheese or something more adventurous like chicken tikka masala or farro “risotto.” Following the Sunday morning service each week, families are invited to join the boys and faculty for a special meal, expertly prepared and served with love.
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