CRS History

Centennial Picture of the Week

The Bells are a Winter Festival tradition.

Winter Festival – Charles River School

Winter Festival is a long-standing tradition at Charles River School and it acknowledges the richness and diversity of the many cultures represented in our curriculum. It began many years ago as a celebration of the winter solstice and it had as its model Jack Langstaff’s Winter Revels which can be seen every year at the Sanders Theatre in Cambridge. Much of the program is connected to classroom curriculum.  The Bells are played by students in grade 8 with direction from faculty member Bob Johnson.

Our History

In 1911, parents founded Charles River School on the banks of the Charles River in Needham, Massachusetts. Here, they sought to establish a school that would offer a strong academic program, advance moral learning, provide leadership in educational innovation, instill in students a love of learning and ensure parents’ active involvement in the education of their children.

Since then, we have developed and expanded. In 1917, the school moved to Dover, Massachusetts. Behind the school’s original Victorian house lies a 16-acre campus with four academic buildings and a sports center. The facilities include large, bright classrooms, a library, technology center, state-of-the-art language laboratory, assembly hall, music rooms, photography darkroom, art studio, indoor gross motor space and climbing wall and tennis/basketball courts. An outdoor amphitheater, new playground and two athletic fields complete the campus.

May Pole 1970's

The 21st century campus is certainly different from the out-building our founders knew. But our commitment remains the same: We continue to pioneer in elementary education that attends to the whole child and works in partnership with families. We offer an academically challenging program that teaches crucial skills in an intellectually and culturally rich learning environment. Classes are small, learning is personalized, teachers are accessible, and parents are involved in the education of their children.

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