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Tailoring Learning Environments

Holy Trinity is embracing a new learning model that blends the advantages of single-sex and co-ed classes for a more tailored educational experience. This approach recognizes the different learning styles and developmental needs of middle school girls and boys and offers the best of both worlds – rigorous instruction in girls-only and boys-only core classes paired with a variety of co-ed electives, extracurricular activities and social events. The core academic curriculum will remain the same for both girls and boys, but teachers will be able to customize and adapt their teaching styles to benefit each audience and ensure high student engagement and achievement.

Why a blended learning model is right for Holy Trinity

We teach
the whole child – mind, body, spirit.

Many parents are looking to us to help prepare their children to navigate a world increasingly driven by social media pressures and a contentious culture. Our mission is not only to prepare students to succeed academically, but also to meet their spiritual, emotional and social needs – so they can pursue excellence, grow in faith, and transform the world.

We appreciate
every child has unique gifts.

Boys and girls learn differently and at a different pace and sequence of cognitive development. Single-sex learning environments and teaching methods that recognize and capitalize on these differences can close learning gaps, improve student achievement (especially in subjects where boys or girls typically underperform), and produce more self-assured, engaged and curious students.

We instill the values of teamwork and respecting others.

Holy Trinity will continue to offer a broad range of co-ed elective classes, activities, social events and free time to help students learn to interact and work together at this important stage of their social and emotional development. Here boys and girls learn the value of teamwork and collaboration, appreciating diversity, and showing respect for others.

We offer a safe, welcoming place
to learn.

Single-sex instruction provides students with a comfortable, judgment-free zone to learn and participate with fewer distractions and social pressures. Our Education in Virtue program, which places boys and girls in separate classes, has already demonstrated many benefits of this approach. A relaxed, less distracted learning environment helps instill confidence and resilience.

Benefits of single-sex instruction

When delivered by teachers equipped to provide effective tailored instruction, single-sex learning environments can be more productive because they:

  • Ensure equal access to the same curriculum, but customized for different learning styles
  • Minimize distractions, and improve discipline as well as student-teacher interactions
  • Take into account and respond to the distinct learning styles of boys and girls and their different pace and sequence of cognitive development
  • Can address achievement gaps and gender differences in learning
  • Provide a comfortable space where students can participate and express themselves without fear of embarrassment, social pressures or gender stereotyping – making classes more conducive to discussions on sensitive subjects and matters of faith
  • Provide more leadership opportunities
  • Enable deeper friendship bonds and relationships, as well as better self-esteem and positive role models

Single-sex classes also narrow the teaching focus for teachers, so they aren’t trying to engage the different learning styles of girls and boys at the same time. Teachers also recognize there are variations in learning styles even within girls-only or boys-only classes, and are equipped to engage those differences as well.

Single-sex instruction has a long and successful tradition in the Catholic Church, especially in the Northeast and Midwest, yet we at Holy Trinity also recognize how critical socialization is for middle school girls and boys, so we are embracing both approaches to teach the whole child – forming them academically, emotionally and spiritually.

Further reading

Boys and Girls Learn Differently by Michael Gurian

Why Gender Matters by Dr. Leonard Sax

Brave: A Teen Girl’s Guide to Beating Worry and Anxiety by Sissy Goff

Raising Emotionally Strong Boys by David Thomas

Wild Things – The Art of Nurturing Boys by Stephen James and David Thomas

Raising Worry-Free Girls: Helping Your Daughter Feel Braver, Stronger, and Smarter in an Anxious World by Sissy Goff

“In single-gender classrooms, students have the opportunity to work on themselves. In after-school clubs, which are integrated, boys and girls can work on teamwork and building relationships.”
John Thornburg President, Malden Catholic High School, Malden, MA
“When children learn with single-gender peers, they are more likely to attend to their studies, speak more openly in the classroom, and feel more encouraged to pursue their interests and achieve their fullest potential.”
Katherine S. van Wormer M.S.S.W., Ph.D. Social worker, author, teacher
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