Why Connecticut Friends School?
Connecticut Friends School teaches children academic and social skills while encouraging a permanent and joyful love of learning. We perceive learning not as a set of principles to be memorized but as a continual process of inquiry. We have chosen our particular academic model not because we feel it is most fun for kids, but because we believe it is a powerful pedagogy, capable of affecting children in a profoundly positive way as they navigate through life.

By fostering cooperation rather than competition among students, CFS creates an atmosphere that celebrates individual differences. Working together, the children learn the joys and challenges of building a community while, at the same time, gaining a sense of their specific interests and abilities.

What is a Friends school?
Friends schools are based on the values of equality, integrity, simplicity, community, stewardship, and peace. Since the opening of the first Friends School in Philadelphia in 1689, Friends education has steadfastly maintained that social, ethical, and spiritual development is just as important as academic excellence in the education of a child. A Friends School cares deeply about the type of individuals its students are becoming. Friends Schools stand as beacons for tolerance, love, and mutual understanding.

Are you a religious school?
Although we are rooted in the Friends, or Quaker, belief system, we do not teach religion per se nor do our students need to be Quaker. We enroll students from a variety of faiths at CFS. Students are encouraged to share from their own faith traditions. They explore the role of faith and religious traditions as part of their social studies work.

Is CFS right for my child?
CFS is a mainstream school, well-suited for a variety of learners, from accelerated to average. We are not equipped to meet the needs of students with serious learning challenges. As educators, we believe that the right school is one in which a child learns best, where the educational approach is valued by the family, and where the family feels a sense of belonging. Such a school will be different for different families. Getting to know our school as well as possible is the only way to find out if CFS is right for you and your child.

Can we visit the school?
Of course! Parents may visit Wednesday mornings at 10:00 am or by appointment with the Director of Admissions. Just call (203) 762-9860. Students visit later as part of the admissions process.

Parents and children may attend our Open Houses, held three times a year (February 29, 2008 and April 4, 2008 are the next open houses).

How are children evaluated for admission?
CFS does not test children as part of our admissions process; rather, there is an informal assessment of applicants in the areas of reading, math, and writing fluency, according to their age.

Children entering grades 3 through 8 spend a full day integrated into a classroom program. Children participate in on-going classroom activities and discussions, and are welcomed into the social group of the class for that day.

Children entering grades K through 2 meet one-on-one with our K-1 teachers for 30 minutes. They play games and engage in various activities that allow the teachers to observe each child in a general sense.

Our admissions committee also looks at information provided by the applicant’s parents and current school as well as teacher recommendations.

How are children evaluated as students once enrolled at CFS?
Teachers provide written narrative assessments at the end of every trimester. We do not assign grades, nor administer standardized tests. Our curriculum is in alignment with national standards for the various disciplines and our teachers accumulate samples of student work, quizzes, and test scores to supplement their close observation.

Where do CFS students go after graduation?
Some graduates move on to local public high schools in Weston, New Canaan, Norwalk, and Westport as well as magnet schools such as Academy of Information Technology & Engineering (AITE), Nutmeg Ballet, and the Academy for the Performing Arts. Other students go to day or boarding independent high schools including The Masters School, Fairfield Prep, Westtown (Friends) School, St. Luke’s School, Suffield Academy, International School (Rome, Italy), Wooster School, Soundview Prep, Waldorf School (Oberberg, Germany), and la Unidad Educativa Americalatina (Quito, Ecuador).

What about college?
In 2006-2007, CFS alumni were accepted at the following colleges and universities:
American University, Bryn Mawr College, College of the Redwoods, Colorado College, Columbia University, Earlham College, Goucher College, Green Mountain College, Guilford College, Hampshire College, Lewis & Clark College, University of Rochester, University of Vermont, Wellesley College.

How long is the school day?
School begins at 8:30 am and ends at 3:00 pm Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, school ends for K through 4 grades at 12:30 pm and for 5 through 8 grades at 3:00.

How much homework is assigned?
Generally speaking, students in grades 2 through 8 should expect daily homework. Although teachers may give assignments to be completed outside of school, we do not equate long hours of busy work with a rigorous academic program. We expect our students to work diligently during school hours so that they can spend time with their families each evening.

Is there an after school program?
Yes, see the complete description of the after school care program at the end of the FAQ section below.

Is bus service available?
Yes, although the route varies from year to year depending on the geographic configuration of students. Families may sign up for both am and pm bus service, only morning, only afternoon, and any number of days of the week. See the schedule of fees for pricing. Some transportation requests cannot be filled.

What sort of physical education is offered?
Weekly movement classes involve stretching and improvisational dance, aerobic exercise, and strength training. Students participate in a variety of fitness activities including yoga, dance, and soccer. Students also have generous amounts of unstructured outdoor recess each day—30 minutes at lunch and an additional break in the morning. Our middle school students take an Outdoor Education and Leadership program, a sequential, skills-oriented approach to being safe in the outdoors.

Our After School Care Program (ASCP) offers on-site care four afternoons per week. The program is a low-key, fun, friendly program; a chance for students of all ages to continue the community building that happens naturally during the course of the school day.

The after school program begins at 3:00 pm when the students check-in with the adult-in-charge in the Treetops classroom. We take attendance, enjoy a simple, healthy (organic) snack, make any necessary announcements, and begin to work on homework assignments and/or play some games. At approximately 4:00 pm we head outside to play, or, during inclement weather, we have indoor activities such as arts and crafts projects, a variety of board games and puzzles, and the ever-popular Kapla Blocks (2,000!). We wind down with a second snack and enjoy some quiet games and cleanup time. Our day ends by 5:30 pm when the students are picked up by a parent or caretaker.

On certain occasions we have visitors to ASCP who demonstrate and teach a game, skill, or activity, such as Frisbee, Hackey-Sack, knitting, or pottery. Space for these events will be limited, advance notice will be given through email and Pine Needles, and drop-ins will be welcomed on a first-come basis as space allows.

Fee Structure and Scheduling Options
Connecticut Friends School is committed to offering this program to our families both as support to working parents as well as a means by which students can socialize with friends after school. ASCP is the perfect place for low-pressure after-school playdates. As an added benefit, students often find that it is easier to get going on homework when several kids sit down to purposefully tackle the day’s assignments—supervised by a caring staff.

One fee is charged for the entire afternoon (an entire “session”) whether or not the student stays until 5:30 pm. Students may be picked up anytime in the afternoon prior to 5:30 pm. They must be signed out before leaving and no student should be picked up later than 5:30 pm. Parents or other caregivers who are picking up students from Connecticut Friends School After School Care Program should know that those failing to pick up by 5:30 p.m. will incur steep late charges (see fee chart).

*The ASC Program year runs on semesters Fall (Sep-Dec) and Spring (Jan-Jun)

In addition, a 10% discount will be offered to second and third siblings enrolled in the ASC Program; however the siblings must attend Connecticut Friends School in order to be enrolled in the program.

Our co-heads often refer parents and teachers to their favorite books on education, children, and parenting.

The Blessing of a Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel
Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv
Teaching Children to Care by Ruth Charney
What to Look for in a Classroom… and Other Essays by Alfie Kohn

CFS follows closings and delays of the Wilton Public Schools.

Closings
If Wilton Public Schools close, CFS will be closed for the day.

Delays
If Wilton Public Schools delay the start of school for any length of time (and they usually delay for 2 hours), CFS WILL DELAY FOR 90 MINUTES, meaning that classes begin at 10:00 am. Because we have a half-day on Fridays, we do not hold school when Wilton announces a delay on Fridays.

Unexpected Closings and Delays
Head of School will activate the telephone tree.

TV Postings for Closings and Delays
Cable Channel 12 (strip runs at the bottom of the screen and also on their web site www.News12.com)
NBC 30 Channel 6

Radio
WNLK‚ 1350 AM (four times per hour)
WSTC‚ 1400 AM (four times per hour)
WKHL‚ 96.7 FM KOOL (every ten minutes)
WEFX‚ 95.9 FM FOX (every ten minutes)