The boys in grades 3 through 8 board at the school during the academic year and not just because their singing schedule requires it. Life in community is the very thing that allows the boys to achieve the musical excellence for which they are known. It is also one of the most valuable experiences the Choir School has to offer.
The Third Grade, begun in the fall of 2006, follows a modified boarding plan with the boys arriving each week either Sunday evening or Monday morning as their families’ schedules allow. All Third Grade boys go home for the weekend on Friday afternoon. The number of boys in the grade is kept to a very small number to allow for the care and attention needed as well as to reserve space for those boys who live at a greater distance from the school who will audition and join the choir in fourth or fifth grade.
Many parents’ first reaction is, “But I can’t send him away to school.” We quickly assure them that if they were looking to ‘send him away’, we most likely wouldn’t be interested in offering their son a place at the school! It is never easy for parents to let their child go, especially at this young age – which is why the school has gone to such great lengths to create a home away from home. Everything about the school is tailored to the needs of the boys.