Mission

 

St. Francis School is dedicated to the education of the total child, recognizing individual needs, gifts, talents and cultural differences. The administration and staff strive to provide quality education which promotes the development of each child physically, intellectually, socially and morally. This objective is accomplished in an atmosphere of Christian caring and involvement.

 

 

History

 

St. Francis School is the oldest continually operating K-8 school in the City of New Haven.

Currently the School includes grades pre K through eight, the school opened in 1882 with an enrollment of 700 students.

The school provided a half day kindergarten program as early as the 1930s.

St Francis School was originally staffed by the Sisters of Mercy of the Diocese of Hartford.

After 104 years of continuous, exceptional service to the children of Fair Haven, the Sisters of Mercy closed their convent adjacent to the school in 1985. With the resignation of Sr. Sheila Durante, RSM, the school was required to operate without the guiding influence of its primary teaching order.

 Today,St. Francis School serves a diverse student population including parish children, New Haven families from throughout the city and a small number of children from suburban communities.

The School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the State of Connecticut. In addition to its comprehensive education program, St. Francis school offers Day Care for its students.

 

 

Program

 

St. Francis School offers an ambitious range of programs beginning in pre K and extending through grade eight.

Significant attention is given to the basic subjects of reading, writing and mathematics.

Additionally, the school offers religion, language art, computers, science and social studies with an emphasis on geography and history, art, music, health, spelling and physical education.

 Curriculum guides and textbook recommendations are provided to the school by the Archdiocesan School office.

 St. Francis is also very proud of its computer program. The school has internet accessible computers in each classroom and has 27 workstations in the computer lab.

 

Parental Involvement

 

The Home School Association at St. Francis is active in providing educational programs, school fundraisers and community outreach to school families.

Newsletters and Home School Meetings provide parents with information on upcoming events and school activities.
 Parents are encouraged to be directly involved in their children's education and to assist the school in a wide range of areas.