Salisbury School
September 2021
Salisbury
School Maintains Tradition of
Exceptional
All-Boy Education
our boys are resilient,
and learning how
to move on
from failures and
grudges is a wonderful skill to acquire before the stakes are raised later in life
The value of a single-gender education cannot be understated, an opportunity to build fellowship, to serve your classmates, and build confidence from a foundation of mutual trust and shared achievement. Ask most alumni of an all-boys high school what mattered most and you'll likely hear a spectrum of anecdotes, lessons, and important moments that continue to define their professional and social lives. Though many all-boy schools have transitioned to co-educational institutions, today's single-gender schools are thriving, traditional environments where boys can concentrate on studies, athletics, and a variety of meaningful extra-curricular activities.
Located in Connecticut’s bucolic Litchfield County, Salisbury School has nurtured a community of 300 boys for over 100 years. This all-boys boarding school provides students with additional opportunities to develop a close-knit community where working together far outweighs individual accolades, a place to call home with peers, teachers, and other adult advisors.
maintains its historic ties to the Episcopal church. Chapel explores the spiritual journey from every perspective by inviting guest speakers to discuss their personal pathways. In addition to teachers, specials guests, coaches, and other leaders, each student is encouraged to speak at Chapel and share his life story. Among all the sports achievements, academic accomplishments, and other school memories, Salisbury alumni most often identify Chapel as the most cherished element of their Salisbury education.
“We took a group of boys to Broadway to watch Jeff Daniels tie a bow around his Tony Award-winning run as Atticus Finch in Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird,” says English department chair Trevor Rees. “At the end of the play, Scout Finch is meditating on the lessons of the tragedy they’ve endured, and she’s struggling to calibrate her moral compass. Ultimately, Scout settles on the bearing that ‘trying to do the right thing, is the right thing.’”
These experiences not only enliven the discussion of Lee's canonical novel, but they also springboard critical conversations that might not otherwise arise concerning personal life decisions, a virtue of an all-boy environment built on trust and interdependence. This commitment to fellowship remains with Salisbury students after they depart for college when they enter their professional lives, and as they interact with family members, including their future spouses and children.
“When you don’t trust people, you make them untrustworthy,” says Mr. Rees. “It takes a little jujitsu and a lot of faith, but when you can align behind the consensus that we’re all trying to do the right thing, you’re more likely to move forward in the end. There’s an aphorism called Hanlon’s Razor: ‘Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by ignorance.”
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Over the last century, many of Salisbury’s once all-male peer schools have transitioned to co-educational institutions. By contrast, Salisbury maintains a traditional college preparatory curriculum, classrooms in which the boys are expected to wear suit jackets and ties and maintain the decorum befitting well-educated gentlemen. The school’s intimate 300-student size facilitates unique community events like the twice-weekly All School Meeting and a host of fabled cultural traditions.
Bi-weekly Chapel Talk offers significant insight into Salisbury's unique approach to the whole man. Salisbury welcomes students of all faiths, but
In addition to all levels of athletics, all boys are encouraged to take advantage of the school’s 725 acre campus. Salisbury School staff understands the adolescent boy’s “need to roam.” The center of campus features two primary academic buildings, 10 residences, and several contemporary athletic and arts facilities that are on par with or excel assets located on a college campus. The Flood Athletic Center anchors facilities that include numerous fields, courts, a boathouse, and an ice rink. In addition to traditional sports, boys often invent their own unique games to work off energy, a long-standing school tradition.
The world-class academic buildings feature state-of-the-art classrooms, computer centers, and science labs. In addition to the Centennial Humanities building and the Wachtmeister-Bates building dedicated to math and sciences, students take advantage of a well-rounded academic program in the Field Music Center, a digital media lab, the Siefert ’53 Theater, and the Ruger Arts Center.
Building an outstanding campus and academic program specifically designed for the adolescent boy is just one example of how Salisbury excels as a single-gender school. The teaching community is committed to developing confident, ethical, and respectful young men who will carry the Crimson Knight's banner throughout their lives, whether running errands for a local elderly resident as part of Community Service or leading a company toward a more sustainable business model. Constructed of trust and supportive risk-taking, Salisbury School continues to thrive as a unique college preparatory school. Visit the Salisbury School website to learn more.
Morning Chapel is scheduled at 8:05, a period for reflection that launches the rigorous day. Throughout their day students work closely with 68 full-time faculty, taking advantage of the 5:1 student-to-teacher ratio. Salisbury also offers 1:1 tutoring for students who require enrichment. Classes vary every day, with academic disciplines rotating to create a dynamic schedule that benefits all learners. The Salisbury week is also designed with the flexibility to enhance in-class academics with unique learning opportunities, like when AP English students traveled to New York City to attend an award-winning play.
Mr. Rees also talks about competition, a common theme at Salisbury, given the school’s legacy as a sports powerhouse in the competitive Housatonic League. Well known for its outstanding coaching staff and exceptional facilities, Salisbury’s athletes are also lauded for their sportsmanship and teamwork.
“Boys love to compete. BUT, it has to be competition that’s fair, competition that’s outcome is uncertain, and competition that has a clear winner. Yes, competition can lead to bickering. That’s okay, they can learn to resolve differences, our boys are resilient, and learning how to move on from failures and grudges is a wonderful skill to acquire before the stakes are raised later in life. Usually when girls fight, that’s the end of the relationship, often with boys, it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Don’t worry, the Hilltop doesn’t turn into the Thunderdome when the parents leave.”
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