Happy Thanksgiving from Seacoast Community School!

Happy Holiday to the SCS Community!:  Naturally, as a school dedicated to families there are lots of great things going on at SCS to celebrate one of our favorite holidays - Thanksgiving!  Classes are having activities such as churning butter, baking bread, and participating in a family turkey project, while the Campus ECE classes celebrated as a full group with an assembly of songs, fun, and a group quilt project.  A great time was had by all! 

New SCS Extended Half-Day Preschool opening on January 7th: As many of you know we are super-happy to announce that we will be opening a new Preschool for ages 3-5 called SCS at the Meadows at the beginning of the new year.  Answering the call for the highest quality Preschool services for all families of the Seacoast, we will enjoy renovated facilities, expert teachers, and special hours (7:30am-1:30pm).  It's open to all current and potential SCS families so if you know someone who may be interested in this service, please contact Admissions Director Jess Couture immediately to get a spot!  Jess can be reached at: 603-422-8223 x113.

Portsmouth Holiday Parade December 1st:  Each year we parade our school in front of thousands of people (and prospective families) in this annual event.  This year it will occur on December 1st at 5:30-7:30pm and we would love to have you join us and have your kids IN THE PARADE!  Our theme this year is "Hot Cocoa" and we are looking for folks who would like to dress as marshmallows to hand out packets.  (Yup, you read that right!)  Contact Sarah Fleck sfleck@Seacoastcommunityschool.org if you want to take part!

  SCS Strategic Planning Gathering a Success!:  After six months of planning and preparation the gathering to brainstorm the new direction for the school brought out over 45 people to do the "heavy lifting".  We gathered as a whole group and imagined what our school would look like, broke into smaller groups to work out the details, and then reviewed the Survey we sent out to the larger community over the past few weeks.  Now comes the culling of ideas into larger concepts that will be done by the Strategic Plan Committee and the Board in retreat in January.  Special thanks goes out to everyone who turned a good event plan into a great day!

Giving Tuesday is a GREAT day to Give!  How do we do so much as a school and still keep our tuition costs reasonable for families?  Why, the Annual Fund of course!  Because we never charge what it takes to fund the full experience for each child at SCS, we use our Annual Appeal to make up that difference.  Last year we set a record of raising $50,000 from our community and this year we will be shooting for $65,000.  PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY ON GIVING TUESDAY, Nov. 27th.  We need your help!

New SCS Preschool to Open in Portsmouth!

Seacoast Community School Preschool at the Meadows

 The Portsmouth Housing Authority, the Portsmouth Public Schools, and Seacoast Community School are pleased to announce the establishment of “The Preschool at the Meadows” located at The Gosling Meadows Recreation Center in Portsmouth.  Dedicated to early childhood education for ages 3-5, the school will be operated, staffed, and administered as a branch of Seacoast Community School, and will formally open its doors on January 7th, 2019.

The new school reflects the missions of the three institutions as the Housing Authority seeks to provide quality services to families in the Gosling Meadows neighborhood, the Portsmouth School Department seeks to ensure all families have the option to attend high quality preschool before entering Kindergarten, and the Seacoast Community School has provided “nurturing care and exceptional education” for children in the region for over 50 years.

The idea for the school came from meetings between the three organizations that started last spring and continued through the summer.  A special research committee formed by the school system in 2017 had identified the need for quality preschool for incoming Kindergartners in Portsmouth, and simultaneously the Housing Authority recognized that in its quest to improve quality of life for families in the Gosling Meadows neighborhood, a preschool within walking distance of the families would be a great help to the community.  Seacoast Community School saw this as an opportunity to fulfill its mission by opening a “licensed plus” early childhood education facility beyond its current programs at The Community Campus.

The school will primarily serve families in the Gosling Meadows community and surrounding neighborhoods with admissions preference given to those families in PHA housing, and other families in the broader SCS community as well.  Children ages 3-5 will experience an extended half-day program open from 7:30am-1:30pm Monday through Friday.  Highly experienced SCS teachers will deliver a curriculum emphasizing interpersonal skills, creative play, intellectual development, and physical activities.  The renovated facility located in the heart of the Gosling Meadows neighborhood will include new classrooms and play areas.  The school will offer 2, 3, and 5 day schedules each week with breakfast and lunch served each day at no extra charge.

Applications for admission are available now, and the process can be started by contacting Seacoast Community School at 603-422-8223.  Tuitions are competitive, billed weekly, and may be supplemented by New Hampshire childcare subsidies as well as scholarships provided by the school.  Families are encouraged to seek assistance when applying for subsidies and scholarships by contacting Admissions Director Jess Couture at 603-422-8223 x113.  For more information about Seacoast Community School please visit the website at www.seacoastcommunityschool.org.  In addition to public donations, organizations supporting SCS include The United Way, The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, The Lindsay Trust, and The Foundation for Seacoast Health.