Children's Community School (CCS) Mission is to lay the foundation for urban students' educational success by offering a robust curriculum and unique experiences, by developing their individual character and cultivating strong family involvement. Our guiding principle is to educate the mind, body, and spirit of the children. CCS provides an educational alternative for low-income families living in the Waterbury area. Most are single parents and represent a cross-section of the city’s ethnic makeup. CCS has been providing a unique, high-quality, private education for 50 years. CCS is open for extended hours and has a strong focus on character development and parent involvement. This focus, the educational model and the support of hundreds of volunteers results in a 94% and higher on-time high school graduation rates for our children. Some other factors contributing to the success of the students: 1 - Class sizes are limited to no more than 16 students, allowing for individualized instruction and favorable student-teacher ratios. 2- An enormous number of Volunteers dedicate THOUSANDS of hours a year tutoring and mentoring students and providing enrichment activities. 3 - The Mentoring Program supports CCS graduates through middle school. 4 - CCS is the site of the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra’s Bravo Waterbury! program, which provides intensive music instruction every afternoon from 3:00 to 6:15 pm. 5 - The Character Development program is an integral part of every grade every day and teaches students respect and self-respect as well as how to make good choices. 6 - A full-time on-site chef prepares nutritious breakfast and lunch, plus fruit and vegetable snacks every day. 7 - Most children start in pre-K and stay through 5th grade. Classmates and staff become an extended family. 8 - A 6 week summer program helps prevent the “summer slide” typical of urban, underserved students and keeps our students actively engaged and academically stimulated.