Carolina Friends School

Carolina Friends School

Carolina Friends School has two campuses in Orange County (and one in Durham)

Chapel Hill Early School
531 Raleigh Road
Chapel Hill NC 27514

Campus Early School
4809 Friends School Road
Durham NC 27705 (in Orange County)

919-383-6602, x221

Age range: 3–6 years

Tuition (2015-16): 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., $10,930; 8:30 a.m.- 3:15 p.m., $15,950; 8:30a.m. – 5:15 p.m., $19,240.

Scholarships available: Yes; over 25 percent of families receive need-based tuition aid, but although 3- or 4-year-olds receive less than older students, since most is allocated to families with children in kindergarten and up.

Accreditation: Carolina Friends School is an associate member of the NC Association of Independent Schools, a member of the Southern Association of Independent Schools and National Association of Independent Schools,, and affiliated with the Friends Council on Education

Application deadline: Applications received by January 4 are considered for the first round of admission, and those received afterwards are considered as space allows. Early applications are encouraged, since the process involves a main campus tour and parent interview at the Early School parents designate as their first choice.

Application fee: $60, non-refundable

School starts: CFS usually begins in the last week of August, and ends in early June (this year, August 27 – June 6)

School runs: Half day, 8:15 or 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; Full day, 8:30 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.; Extended day, 8:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Class size: Chapel Hill Early School has two classes: 18 3- and 4-year-olds work with two teachers, and 11 5- and 6-year-olds work with one teacher; there is also a head teacher. At Campus Early School and Durham Early School, the 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds work together in a class of 18 to 23 children and two or three teachers as well as a head teacher.

Student:teacher ratio: 9:1 or 10:1, plus work-study students or teaching assistants

Boy/girl quota: We seek gender balance but we do not have quotas for classes

How toilet-trained do children need to be? Children need to be toilet-trained before entering CFS; we do not have a diaper-changing station at the Early Schools

Parental participation required: The only parent involvement required is attendance at parent-teacher conferences three times a year. We appreciate help at family workdays, in the classroom, or on field trips if parents are able to offer their time, but such involvement is not mandatory.

Special features: The CFS Early Schools’ emergent curriculum is child-centered and play-oriented, reflecting the Quaker belief in the unique worth of each individual, as well as the work of developmental psychologists and the legacy of traditional nursery schools. The day begins with “settling in,” a quiet circle time, which is followed by opportunities for quiet and active work, in small and large groups. Students make choices, have responsibilities, learn to resolve conflicts peacefully, and enjoy plenty of time outdoors. The CFS Early Schools draw inspiration from the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, and teachers attend Reggio Emilia conferences and workshops, among other professional development opportunities.

Web address: www.cfsnc.org

 

 

Updated December 2015