St. Thomas Choir School

My son started in 3rd Grade, now he is in 5th Grade. When my husband and I decided to send my son to Saint Thomas Choir School (STCS), many people around us worried about it, and told us to rethink. Everybody said he was too young to live apart from us. However, contrary to many people's expectations, my son liked the school and mostly didn`t have any problem. The two house mothers were very thoughtful in taking care of my son, and other boys at the school also helped him - the youngest - to adjust to the school. As a boys' choir school, the boys take a variety of music classes in the school, and their choir is very professional and sing very hard pieces/works. In addition to singing as a choir in the weekly evening song and Sunday Eucharist, their Messiah in Christmas season and special concerts in Tribulation Week are very famous. Additionally, the school is academically excellent and students are educated well by good teachers. Students start learning French from third grade and Latin from sixth grade. Their daily schedules are very tight, but the school makes the boys exercise a lot. Especially, my son loves going to Central Park. Chef Heidi's food is as good as a full five star, fancy, restaurant. Heidi also makes the birthdays very special. Instead of just the regular schedule, pinewood derby racing and design competition, ski trip, and Incarnation summer camp just once a year are precious things that the boys love so much. The variety of experiences that cannot be experienced in ordinary schools not only develops children's manners and self-esteem but also makes a very special life time. Even during this long period of pandemic that no one expected, STCS is constantly making various attempts for students to come in person with special plans. We are very grateful to God for leading my son to Saint Thomas Choir School.

My son started in 5th grade and is now in 8th. I can't say how much we love Saint Thomas Choir School. The music education is simply the best in the nation. Boys grow from novice singers to professional-level musicians through the intense, varied music program. Music theory, music composition, private vocal lessons, private instrument lessons, frequent recitals, 5 concerts, over 100 weekly services, and over 500 unique pieces of music sung per year — it's a deeply rich musical education. The music is matched with equally amazing academics, sports, and fine arts. Faculty and staff truly care, and my son has grown into a remarkably poised, confident and kind young man. Alumni attend top high schools afterwards, and the school does much to prepare students for SSAT exams and shepherds' high school applications. We also just love the friends we've made here and the moral compass of our son and his friends. The boys graduate, having lived the complete arc of what it takes to become excellent at something and take that knowledge with them throughout life. This was the best parenting decision I ever made. I can't imagine our lives without Saint Thomas.

The Saint Thomas Choir School (STCS) is an extremely unique place, with its only true "sister" school being the Westminster Abbey Choir School in London. I graduated from the school in 1981 and also had the pleasure of being a parent of a student at the school as well. My son graduated in 2013 and recently graduated from high school. This Fall he is entering the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. The STCS is very different today than it was when I graduated thirty-six years ago. It has adapted with the times and become a much more welcoming environment for families of students. The school, under the leadership of its headmaster, Rev. Charles Wallace, continues to thrive, even in the face of significant challenges in recent years. The choir director, Daniel Hyde, is settling in quite well, having taken the reins after the sudden and unexpected death of the former director, John Scott. The continuity of the school, which celebrates its 100th year in 2019, is a testament to the strength of the leadership and the enduring value that the school offers its students.As a board member of the school`s Alumni Association, I continue to be strongly impressed by this wonderful school even now, forty years after starting as a young chorister and student. I welcome any interested parent of a prospective student to contact me directly regarding STCS. As both an active alumnus and parent of a recent graduate, I can personally attest to the value of this school. Feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]. We have a saying about the Choir School, one which transcends any particular period in which you, or your child, attend the school. More important than any one person, it is simply stated that the school offers an The Opportunity of a Lifetime. Just as my wife and I did for our son, I would encourage you to look into this special place for your son.Chad Newsome, Class of 1981Parent of 2013 graduate