Touchstone Community School

Specialties

Preschool through 8^th grade independent school. Providing creative, meaningful, and challenging academics. Strong social and emotional curriculum. Environmental education. Physical education, Spanish, music, art and dance.

History

Established in 1982.

In the fall of 1980, a group of concerned mothers in the Blackstone Valley, troubled about the effects of severe funding cuts on education, met with a small group led by progressive educators Pat and Ray Budde and pursued the idea of founding an independent school in the Valley area built around two core principles developmentally appropriate curriculum designed to meet the needs of the whole child and parent participation in a three-​way partnership of school, parents, and students. The number of interested parents at planning meetings grew and Touchstone Community School opened its doors in September of 1982 with 22 students in two mixed-​aged groups, four to six-​year-​olds and seven to nine-​year-​olds.