Admissions
How to Apply
Family Visit
The first step in the admissions process is to visit the school. We offer several options:
Schedule a visit by calling (802) 442-4601. Please ask for a teacher. We’ll set up a time for you to meet with a teacher and take a tour of the school. Alternately, please email us at school@southshire.org.
Visit the school during school hours on one of our drop-in days. Drop-in days are held periodically through the winter and spring, and allow you to see the school in action.
Attend an open house in the evening. Open houses are held periodically through the winter and spring, and provide a chance to meet teachers, students and parents outside of normal school hours.
Child Visit with Application
The second step in the admissions process, once you have visited the school, is to complete our Application for Admission and schedule a day for your child to spend at Southshire. Your child’s visit is a key step in the admissions process. It allows teachers to observe your child in context, and get to know your child as a learner and a social being. During this process, please expect to meet with a teacher to discuss your child and answer any questions you may have.
Prerequisites for Admission
Parents visit the school.
Parents complete the Application for Admission, and meet with a teacher to discuss their child.
The child visits the classroom and independently participates in at least one day of school.
Supplemental prerequisites for admission include:
The child’s needs and abilities are compatible with the composition of the group the child will be joining, and consistent with the school’s capacity to serve its students.
Parents are willing to be active members of the school community.
Parents are comfortable with the philosophy and teaching practices of the school.
Information provided by parents as well as the child’s classroom visit all help the Admissions Committee make its determination. The Admissions Committee strives to maintain a balance in the composition of the group while meeting the needs of the individual students. We look forward to learning about your child and talking with you about our school!
As an approved independent school Southshire Community School follows these enrollment policies:
1) All applications to Southshire Community School shall be made voluntarily.
2) No student shall be denied acceptance for enrollment in Southshire Community School on the basis of disability (as defined in Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended), or that the student is eligible for special education or undergoing the comprehensive evaluation process for special education, or on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or any other classification protected by federal or state law.
3) Southshire Community School may make acceptance decisions based on considerations including enrollment of other family members, meeting minimum academic or extracurricular activity preparation requirements, student and family agreement with the school’s educational philosophy, student willingness to participate in extracurricular programs and activities, and family willingness promptly to pay invoices for tuition, fees and other student expenses.
4) If the number of applicants to Southshire Community School exceeds capacity, enrollment decisions shall be based first upon continuing to enroll previously enrolled students and then upon considerations itemized in paragraph 3 above.