It’s a boys/girls world
SINGLE-GENDER SCHOOLS PARTNER UP TO PROVIDE FOR MINGLING
When Nella Orsini volunteers at information nights for Holy Name of Mary College all-girls school in Mississauga, the one question that comes up all the time is, do girls get any exposure to boys? “The social life at school is a concern for many parents when choosing an all-girl school. But I always reassure parents that there are a lot of opportunities for mingling.”
Like a number of singlegender schools in the GTA, Holy Name has a partnership with an all-boys school. In their case it’s St. Michael College School in Toronto. Both schools make a concerted effort throughout the school year to allow students to engage in a number of co-curricular activities, from drama and music, to community services and research trips.
“Unlike what some people believe, there are plenty of opportunities for girls to socialize with boys,” says Marilena Tesoro, head of school for Holy Name of Mary College School. “Parents don’t want their children to be educated in a bubble and not interact with boys. The real world is co-ed, and parents don’t want their girls to be deprived of that experience.”
At the same time, an allgirl environment is ideal for helping students gain the confidence to pursue careers in all disciplines and be resourceful, she adds. “With that confidence, girls will go into areas such as engineering, software development and commerce, as well as be able to seamlessly transition to any environment.”
Nella’s daughter Julia, who is now a student at University of Toronto, says her experience working with the students at St. Michael during her time at Holy Name was a fruitful one, both in terms of her theatrical pursuits and her current activities at U of T.
“We really built strong relationships with the boys throughout high school. One thing I’m very passionate about is the arts. It was great to share that with very talented guys.”
When productions were in full swing, rehearsals were held several times a week.
“We always used to joke we spent more time at their school then our own,” she says. Now that Julia is at university, she says many of those friendships have carried through. “A lot of guys I hung out with are now in my political science and other courses. Others are part of the drama society.”
Tesoro says Holy Name’s partnership with St. Michael offers many collaboration opportunities. Their English curricula bring boys and girls together to participate in field trips to Stratford, for example. Other co-ed activities include dramatics, musicals and choir, where students often perform at each other’s schools. “They are interacting on a regular basis, whether it’s on stage of working behind the scenes as part of the backstage crew.”
Students also join forces for community service activities, fundraising events and student government activities, including planning and hosting semi-formals.
Community outreach is especially important to the two schools, Tesoro notes. Students from both schools often go on trips to international destinations in Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe and Asia to help in building projects, assist in medical clinics, or do joint research.
This year the girls will be working alongside the boys studying wildlife conservation on the Galapagos Islands. “Working together on these trips they get the best of both worlds: building a knowledge base and developing relationships in their mutual areas of interest,” Tesoro says.
Upper Canada College (UCC) engages in a number of co-curricular activities with Bishop Strachan School and Havergal College. Many of the activities are weekend programs that allow male and female students to interact in social settings. For example, they might collaborate on community service activities such as a charity car wash, plan dances and games/movie nights, or embark on a skating excursion.
UCC and Bishop Strachan often plan together to look for opportunities where boys can work in a collaborative environment with girls, says Dale Churchward, director of the co-curricular feeder program at UCC. “Each year we consult with each other to come up with opportunities for both young men and women, whether it’s in arts, debating or music.”
Theatricals are a particularly popular co-curricular activity, Churchward says. “Theatre provides an ideal way for the boys and girls to form friendships. Close to a 100 or more students want to be involved in live theatre. I think what draws students is the fact that the art form is so old, which might surprise some parents.”
Typically the school runs six shows a year, including two larger showcases. During production, students travel back and forth to each other’s schools weeknights and weekends for rehearsals.
Churchward notes that when boarding parents come through, there is always a discussion around co-curricular opportunities. “Most parents are delighted their boys will have opportunities to be working collaboratively with girls.”