The Collegio class setting is a unique opportunity, offering incoming freshmen numerous academic and social-emotional opportunities. As an interdisciplinary course, Collegio supports the tandem experience of history and literature as students learn how the foundational underpinnings of western civilizations shape and inform the rich literature of the time. And because Collegio is a non-tracked course, the class itself helps shape the Loyola ninth-grade experience. Students have a chance to get their high school bearings in a class that teaches the necessary skills for future academic success: note taking, time management, writing revision, and critical thinking. The class meets daily (unique in a block schedule), so students use Collegio as a de-facto homeroom; through intentional team-building activities and a safe and welcoming environment, incoming freshmen develop both a sense of self and a sense of community with their peers.
