Many of these kids are vegetarians who bring their own lunch, go home over the noon hour, or visit one of the Fairfield's eclectic blend of restaurants. The students study Sanskrit, an ancient language that originated in the area of India. They begin the study in kindergarten, learning first the alphabet, then the sounds and, finally, in tenth grade, grammar. Except for few upper level courses, the students are in gender-separate classes all day long, a practice that is rare in public schools in the state. The high school athletic roster excludes football because of the injuries it produces.
Students stand when called upon to recite in class.
They watch little television. And it appears that they take their studies very seriously. In both schools, the girls tend to work cooperatively, supporting one another in a generally quiet atmosphere. The boys tend to compete to answer a question, and the younger ones wiggle almost constantly in an atmosphere charged with energy. Children from the two systems mingle with each other in their neighborhoods and play together on league baseball and basketball teams.