Children’s Community School (CCS) was founded in 1969 by the Sisters of Mercy in the basement of the Berkeley Heights Housing Project.  It grew as parents and community educators got involved who were concerned by the challenges facing Waterbury’s inner-city children.  Over time it became what we know now as a pre-kindergarten to grade 8 school.

In 1979, CCS was incorporated as a nonprofit and moved to its current residence in the former Sacred Heart School building at 31 Wolcott Street. In 2003, a pre-kindergarten program was added.

The school’s original mission remains its guiding principle today: to lay the foundation for urban students’ educational success by offering robust curriculum and unique experiences, by developing their individual character, and by cultivating strong family involvement. The school primarily serves children from inner-city Waterbury whose families live at or below the federal poverty level. Most are single parents and represent a cross-section of the city’s ethnic makeup.

As a consequence of its mission and audience, CCS is open for extended hours and has a strong focus on character development and parent involvement. We believe that focus and the following factors contribute to the school’s on-time high school graduation rate for its graduates.

Class Size Class Size
Class sizes are limited to no more than 16 students, allowing for individualized instruction and favorable student-teacher ratios.

Volunteers Volunteers
An enormous number of Volunteers dedicate THOUSANDS of hours a year tutoring and mentoring students and providing enrichment activities.

Mentors Mentors
The Mentoring Program supports CCS graduates through middle school.

Music Instruction Music Instruction
CCS is the site of the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra’s Bravo Waterbury! program, which provides intensive music instruction every afternoon.

Character Development Character Development
The Character Development program is an integral part of every grade every day and teaches CCS students respect and self-respect as well as how to make good choices.

Nutritious Meals Nutritious Meals
A full-time on-site chef prepares nutritious meals (breakfast and lunch) plus fruit and vegetable snacks every day. Outside food is discouraged.

Extended Family Extended Family
Most children start in pre-K and stay through 8th grade.  Classmates and staff become an extended family.

Summer Program
A six-week summer program helps prevent the “summer slide” typical of urban, underserved students and keeps our students actively engaged and academically stimulated.

Contact Us

For general information and inquiries, email Office@ccswaterbury.org or Secretary@ccswaterbury.org. 

For information and questions regarding pre-kindergarten, email PreK@ccswaterbury.org. 

To reach the principal, email Principal@ccswaterbury.org.