Welcome! Southshire Community School is a family-oriented independent school, approved by the Vermont State Board of Education for grades K-8. The school seeks to encourage a child’s natural curiosity and cultivate a lifelong love of learning.
Our school is located in the village of North Bennington, VT, in a historic farmhouse surrounded by three acres of grass and trees. Our students hail from the surrounding communities of southwestern Vermont as well as towns in neighboring New York and Massachusetts.
Southshire was founded in 1987 by a local group of concerned parents and teachers. They sought an educational program to address the whole child, to recognize and nurture the intellectual, emotional, physical, and social aspects of each child as an individual. Today, children at Southshire are supported in a culture of respect, progressing at their own pace and held to expectations of excellence. Our highly skilled teaching staff provides a vigorous academic curriculum while honoring each child as an independent learner, thinker and social being.
Our mixed-age setting allows children to connect with learning on a deeper level. They accept a range of academic achievement as natural within their peer group, and orient towards a genuine understanding of the curriculum and of themselves as a learners. Students come to recognize themselves as valued, respected, and highly-capable beings. As they move on in life, they take with them self-knowledge, self-confidence and a love of learning. This strong foundation empowers them to meet challenges head on and effect change in their lives and beyond.
We invite you to arrange a visit so that you can observe our unique community of learners in action. We look forward to learning about your child and talking with you about our school!
Southshire Community School is committed to diversity and ensuring our school is affordable to all interested families.
Southshire Community School does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, gender, religion, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admissions, or employment policies or practices.