Schools

The Waltham YMCA has both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a fitness facility, and a gymansium. Lessons are offered in basketball, swimming, and more. Childcare and babysitting services are available for members.

Family Membership (two adults and two children) is $83 per month, plus a $100 joining fee. Youth membership is $81.

Since 1893, the Charlestown Clubhouse has provided extensive extracurricular programs for the youth of Charlestown and its surrounding communities. Membership is open to kids ages 6 to 18.

Education: It offers one-on-one tutoring, computer instruction, homework help, test preparation, enrichment activities, and newspaper and science clubs.

Arts: Provides classes in visual arts such as painting, drawing, sculpture, and photography. Performing arts include music lessons and dance classes for children ten and up.

Social Recreation: Children are offered a variety of fun activities and events. These include dances, peer leadership groups, and tournaments.

Physical Education: It offers basketball and volleyball clinics, hockey and basketball leagues, and intramural sports.

Teen Center: Programs focus on college prep, tutoring, computers, and career prep. Social activities and field trips are also available.

Child Care Program: School-age child-care program for children ages 6 to 10 is provided from 2:30pm-6pm during the school week and 8:00am-5:30pm during school and summer vacations. Call 242.1775 ext 231 for information on eligibility and fees.

Mother's Helpers provides experienced, adult babysitters for full-time, part-time, and overnight care of kids ages infant through 16 in your home including evenings and weekends. Sitters undergo a screening process, including a personal interview, references check, criminal background check, and driving record check. Mother's Helpers covers the Metro West area, including, but not limited to, Wellesley, Weston, Dover, Sudbury, Wayland, Natick, Sherborn, Hopkinton, and the surrounding area.

Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. It was founded a mere 16 years after the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Seven presidents of the United States - John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Theodore and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Rutherford B. Hayes, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and George W. Bush (biz school, not undergrad) - were graduates of Harvard.

It hosts many academic, cultural, and theatrical events throughout the year.

Boston University's Agganis Arena is a state-of-the-art, multipurpose sports and entertainment center opened in January 2005. A 290,000-square-foot premier venue with 6,300 seats for hockey and ice shows, the Arena is expandable to over 7,200 seats for concerts, sporting events, and family shows.

Located on the campus of Northeastern University, the Blackman Theatre is a popular venue for a variety of performances.

The MetroWest YMCA, Framingham Branch offers a variety of services to the community. The center offers aquatics, fitness & wellness, enrichment, dance, sports, gymnastics, and camp options. Childcare options include an Early Childhood & Education Center and Out-Of-School programs for children ages 15 months to 6th grade..

For a complete listing of all classes, please see the current program guide available online.

The MetroWest YMCA, Hopkinton Branch offers a variety of services to the community.

Accredited Child Care and Education facility for youth ages 2.9-5 years old, Pre-Kindergarten Academy, Discovery Corner Programs, and Wrap Around Kindergarten half- and full-day schedules are available.

Out-of-school time programs service the Hopkinton, Ashland and Holliston Public Schools, with transportation provided, for youth K-Grade 6.

MetroWest YMCA Hopkinton Summer Day Camp has two-week sessions and runs all summer long. For children ages 3-16, busing available from Natick, Framingham, Wayland, Sudbury, Ashland, Sherborn, Millis, Medway, Milford, Holliston, Hopkinton, Southborough and Marlborough. Financial assistance is available. Brochure and forms are available online.

Outdoor education, challenge courses, teambuilding, community & family programs, facility use, and birthday parties are available all year long. The MetroWest YMCA Hopkinton is an outdoor center nestled on 116 acres of wooded and open land. Activities change each session, so please check the current session program guide, available online.

West Suburban YMCA offers over 100 programs which run six times a year and over 50 free group exercise classes per week, as well as four summer camps: Camp Frank A. Day, Camp Chickami, Camp Polliwog, and Camp Pikati. It serves the communities of Newton, Weston, Wellesley, Watertown and Belmont.

Teach-At-Home is a resource website for the homeschool community, providing information and features designed to make homeschooling easier, more rewarding, and less costly.

Home Education Magazine offers free online newsletters, discussion boards, a networking list, and selections from the magazine, including articles, interviews, columnists, resources, reviews and more.

Like a virtual children's art museum, Artsonia is an online collection of kids' artwork from around the world. Kids can take the masterpieces they've created and upload them onto the website. Family and friends can then visit the artwork and participate in activities that allow them to take an active role in a child's art education, even if they live far away. There is no cost to participate, and Artsonia currently has artwork from children in over 100 countries.

There is no cost to participate and the site includes artwork from children in more than 100 countries. Artsonia is a young, Chicago-based company, and was recognized by the National Art Education Association (NAEA) in 2005 for its outstanding contribution to art education in the United States.

Homeschoolers can also find a variety of complete lesson plans created by art teachers. And many artsy gift items available for sale online.

Gentle Dragon Preschool is a parent co-operative, for children aged 2.9 to 5 years old, with a maximum enrollment of 13 children. Three-, four-, and five-day options available.

Children's Happy Day School has enriched minds and nurtured spirits of children for more than 15 years. CHDS opened a new West Roxbury home near the Millennium Park in January 2004, and offers educational preschool and kindergarten programs for children ages 2.9 to 7 years. Check the website for program details.

CCNS is a cooperative school and educational center that reflects a strong commitment to family, community and education. It is both a Reggio-Emilia based preschool and enrichment center with programming for children younger than age 2.9 so that families have many local opportunities in music, tumbling, foreign language instruction, and more.

Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston is a Jewish day school for grades K-8. The school enrolls 493 students from 35 cities and towns. The school's comprehensive education in both secular and Judaic studies guides students to reach their full potential through a curriculum that is engaging, challenging and supportive.

The school has two campuses in Newton: Kindergarteners through third graders are at 60 Stein, and 4th through 8th graders are at 125 Wells Avenue.

Grades: PreK-8

Enrollment: 220

Class Size: 15 (average)

As the only Quaker school in Massachusetts, Cambridge Friends School educates 250 students in grades pre-kindergarten through eight. They believe that the future depends on children who have a vision of a just and peaceful world, and the academic skills and confidence to create it.

In child-centered classrooms, teachers focus on developing competence and confidence in analytical, critical, verbal, creative, mathematical, aesthetic, physical and spiritual areas. Teachers design curriculum to be challenging, interdisciplinary, experiential, collaborative and reflective. Each homeroom works to become a close community of learners and to realize its connections to the wider community of the school and beyond.

Students in 1st through 5th grades take art, music and physical education twice a week. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten have regular classes with the art, physical education, and music specialists. All students in the school have library class once per week, with extra times on ad ad hoc basis. The school science specialist coordinates the Lower School science program. Teachers work together in teams to plan curriculum and coordinate activities within the grade.

The Lower School meets for assembly twice each month and joins the Middle School for assembly once a month. Each Lower School class is paired with another class in the school in a yearlong buddy program. Community service is integrated into the curriculum, as well as in special projects throughout the year.

Students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades have regular homework, and they learn to take increasing responsibility for following through on their own assignments as well as for working together in cooperative ways. Classroom meetings, which take place each day, are often dedicated to group discussions of social issues, as well as to sharing discoveries, stories, and projects. Class meetings also provide an important structure for students to participate in the process of consensus decision-making and problem solving.

The Middle School begins each day at 8:15am with a five-minute period of silence and a homeroom meeting. The use of silence as a means for gathering one's thoughts and preparing for the tasks at hand is an important aspect of life at CFS, and especially in the middle school. The 6th grade includes an on-going emphasis on critical thinking skills, problem analysis, investigation, and experimentation. Students in these grades vary greatly in their cognitive, social, and emotional growth, yet, within a supportive environment, they all respond well to a challenging program. There are five academic courses: English, math, science, history, and Spanish. Art, drama, technology, and physical education are central parts of the students' experience. The instrumental music and dance programs offer opportunities for private and group lessons.

The Afterschool Program begins each day with student check-in at 3pm and ends with pick-up at 5:45pm. The afternoon includes outdoor play and/or gym time, snack, activity time, and clean-up/quiet time. The school also provides a time and space for the older children to do homework.

Afterschool activities include arts and crafts (e.g., woodworking, clay, painting, weaving, sewing, recycle sculpture, papier maché), drama, cooking, science experiments, building life-sized structures, playing board games, and experimentation with construction materials. In the gym, activities range from organized mixed-age group games to free play and skills practice. The music room, library, and art room are occasionally available for special activities.

Grades: PreK-8

Enrollment: 220

Class Size: 15 (average)

As the only Quaker school in Massachusetts, Cambridge Friends School educates 250 students in grades pre-kindergarten through eight. They believe that the future depends on children who have a vision of a just and peaceful world, and the academic skills and confidence to create it.

In child-centered classrooms, teachers focus on developing competence and confidence in analytical, critical, verbal, creative, mathematical, aesthetic, physical and spiritual areas. Teachers design curriculum to be challenging, interdisciplinary, experiential, collaborative and reflective. Each homeroom works to become a close community of learners and to realize its connections to the wider community of the school and beyond.

Students in 1st through 5th grades take art, music and physical education twice a week. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten have regular classes with the art, physical education, and music specialists. All students in the school have library class once per week, with extra times on ad ad hoc basis. The school science specialist coordinates the Lower School science program. Teachers work together in teams to plan curriculum and coordinate activities within the grade.

The Lower School meets for assembly twice each month and joins the Middle School for assembly once a month. Each Lower School class is paired with another class in the school in a yearlong buddy program. Community service is integrated into the curriculum, as well as in special projects throughout the year.

Students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades have regular homework, and they learn to take increasing responsibility for following through on their own assignments as well as for working together in cooperative ways. Classroom meetings, which take place each day, are often dedicated to group discussions of social issues, as well as to sharing discoveries, stories, and projects. Class meetings also provide an important structure for students to participate in the process of consensus decision-making and problem solving.

The Middle School begins each day at 8:15am with a five-minute period of silence and a homeroom meeting. The use of silence as a means for gathering one's thoughts and preparing for the tasks at hand is an important aspect of life at CFS, and especially in the middle school. The 6th grade includes an on-going emphasis on critical thinking skills, problem analysis, investigation, and experimentation. Students in these grades vary greatly in their cognitive, social, and emotional growth, yet, within a supportive environment, they all respond well to a challenging program. There are five academic courses: English, math, science, history, and Spanish. Art, drama, technology, and physical education are central parts of the students' experience. The instrumental music and dance programs offer opportunities for private and group lessons.

The Afterschool Program begins each day with student check-in at 3pm and ends with pick-up at 5:45pm. The afternoon includes outdoor play and/or gym time, snack, activity time, and clean-up/quiet time. The school also provides a time and space for the older children to do homework.

Afterschool activities include arts and crafts (e.g., woodworking, clay, painting, weaving, sewing, recycle sculpture, papier maché), drama, cooking, science experiments, building life-sized structures, playing board games, and experimentation with construction materials. In the gym, activities range from organized mixed-age group games to free play and skills practice. The music room, library, and art room are occasionally available for special activities.

Grades: K-6

Enrollment: 1,250

Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:24

Applications deadline: February 28th.

The Boston Renaissance Charter Public School is a city public elementary school that has its own unique curriculum. Minimum age requirement for Pre-K is 4 by September 1st; Kindergarten is 5.

Lottery admission applications are available at the school from January-February.

The Hurley School is a public elementary school located on Worcester Street in the South End. The school offers an innovative two-way bilingual program that allows both native Spanish and English speakers learn in both languages.

King Open School began as an alternative "magnet" program within the Cambridge schools, developed by interested parents and teachers. As one of the oldest alternative programs in Cambridge, it has a rich history of curriculum development and educational values, along with the freshness of new ideas that are continually tested and incorporated into the program.

Over the years, the King Open School has developed a culture in which children, parents and staff are encouraged to learn about each other and to respond sensitively to each other's needs. Formal programs that promote such interaction include Open Community Time, during which children get together across grade levels to work on community service projects, and the Reading Buddies program, in which older and younger children are paired and meet once a week to read to one another.

St. Agatha School integrates Catholic Christian principles in the teaching of all academic subjects. Faith formation, social awareness, and responsible decision-making are essential elements in the education of each child. Enrichment programs and service projects broaden the student's perspectives and prepare them for their contribution to society in the future.

Montessori Parent Child Center offers classes where children and their parents or caregivers learn together in a Montessori environment, one that is specially suited to the developmental needs of young children. Through observation, discussion sessions and other resources, parents have the opportunity to watch their child (or children) thrive while they themselves grow in their role as nurturing caregivers.The center offers two Montessori Parent/Child classes: Original Montessori and French Montessori.

A school directory that lays out in clear, easy-to-understand fashion all the public schools in the state. Not only does it provide brief profiles of each, it enables you to compare salient features of one school against another.

The force behind this website, GreatSchools, Inc, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the best, most comprehensive information about schools. Its mission is to not only help parents choose schools for their children, but to help parents and community members understand, support, and improve public schools in particular.

For each school, the site includes class size, test scores, demographics, and teacher qualifications. What we like best are the tools, which allow you to refine your own search for the right school. It lets you look by district, type (charter, public, private), and specialty (gifted, special needs). We're slightly less enthusiastic about the service articles, which address various ways of coping with problems parents might encounter along the way. Topics include "Homework Horrors," and "How to Choose the Right School for Your Child." You're likely to still be looking for the answers after you've finished reading these.

There's only so much detail the site can go into in describing each school. It's not clear, for instance, how involved the parent body is, nor how effectively particular programs are implemented. (And the site that can figure out how to do that is a truly great one.) But if you're just beginning the search for a school and need an overview, you might want to start here.

This site gives a good overview of the Boston Public School system, including FAQs and family resources.

Boston Public Schools (BPS) offers a variety of academic, social, and cultural experiences in its 144 schools. When you register your child for school, you may choose from more than 20 elementary and K-8 schools and at least 5 middle schools in your assignment area, schools within walking distance of your home, and several citywide K-8 and middle schools. All high schools are open to students in all neighborhoods. In addition, high school students may apply for the 3 "exam" schools, as well as other schools with special application requirements. The BPS also offers adult education.

To register your child for the Boston Public Schools, you must go to a Family Resource Center. Only residents of the City of Boston may enroll in the BPS. Check the website to find out about your school choices and what documents you need to bring with you: www.bostonpublicschools.org/register.

All Centers are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30am to 5pm and Wednesday from 8:30am to 1:30pm. They are closed on weekends and federal, state and city holidays. Check the website for satellite registration centers and extended hours during peak registration periods.

West Zone Family Resource Center

617.635.8040

Jennie Barron Building

515 Hyde Park Ave, Roslindale (near Cummins Highway)

Help available in Cape Verdean creole, English, Haitian creole, Portuguese, and Spanish.

East Zone Family Resource Center

617.635.8015

Campbell Resource Center

1216 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester (next to Burger King)

Help available in Cape Verdean creole, English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

North Zone Family Resource Center

617.635.9010

55 Malcolm X Blvd., Roxbury (in the Madison Park High School complex)

Help available in Cantonese, Cape Verdean creole, English, French, Greek, Haitian creole, Mandarin, Portuguese, Somali, and Spanish.

Brookline Music School offers a broad variety of classes and lessons for all ages, abilities, and talents. The School's faculty comprises over 80 highly qualified musicians and educators, most of whom hold graduate degrees and are considered experts in their fields.

For the very young musician, Brookline Music School offers Suzuki instruction for piano, violin, cello, and flute. The program requires a deep level of commitment from both students and families. The school also offers a variety of classes for all ages including ensembles, dance, music theory, music technology and Suzuki and has a generous scholarship program.

The Walker Home and School, a nationally accredited, non-profit organization provides a range of services to 3- to 22-year-old emotionally, behaviorally, and learning disabled students and their families. Through Walker's campus-based programs, the Walker Trieschman Center (a division of the Child Welfare League of America), Beacon High School, Community and School Based Programs (CASP), and the Institute for Equity in Schools, Walker supports children, youth, families, and the professionals around the world who serve them.

Walker accomplishes its mission of "finding better ways to help the most troubled children, youth, their families, and those who serve them" by offering multidisciplinary treatment services that teach competence rather than helping children and parents become "not sick"; training and research; and advocacy and professional leadership.

The Home is a nationally renowned, private, non-profit child and family service agency providing services to thousands of children and families, through over 20 programs. The mission of The Home is to ensure the healthy emotional, mental, and social development of children, their families, and communities. With a history dating back to 1799, The Home for Little Wanderers is the oldest child welfare agency in the nation, and the largest in New England.