Highlights

The Friendship School is a model urban-suburban collaborative effort between Waterford and New London with LEARN, the regional educational service center for southeastern Connecticut, serving as the local educational agency for the school. Opened in a new building on the shoreline on August 31, 2005, this unique school serves 520 three, four, and five-year-old children, with its mission to ensure that all enrolled preschool and kindergarten children will acquire the readiness skills to be active members of a diverse learning community, and that their families will be informed advocates who will be actively involved in the development and education of their children. Natural inclusion of children with identified special needs takes place in every classroom, with related services taking place in natural environments within the school with typically developing peers. Full day/full year family-friendly learning opportunities are available, as well as out-of-school-time care options.

• 520 students – three, four, and five-year-old children
  • 420 of these will be magnet school students
    • 220 kindergarten students – 110 from Waterford, 110 from New London
    • 200 preschool students – 100 from Waterford, 100 from New London
    • 100 non-magnet preschoolers with IEPs (1046e Grant)
      • 60 from New London
      • 40 from Waterford
• Full-day, year-round (including comprehensive support services) family resource center
• Kindergarten classrooms are full day with out-of-school-time care options that are funded by parent fees
• Preschool programs are based on individual family and student needs as indicated on the IEPs of children with identified special needs
• Before and after school child care is available on a fee-for-service basis provided by Carelot Children's Center, Inc.
• Head Start and non-Head Start preschoolers have full time educational offerings
• NAEYC, Head Start Standards, CT Standards for Preschool and Readiness Programs are included
• School calendar: 180 educational days for students; maximum of 187 for teaching staff; the Waterford school calendar will be followed
• Full day/full year learning opportunities are available with some parent fees funding those options
• Students are selected from each town by lottery