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Mary E. Finn Elementary School

60 Richards Road
508-485-3176

The Mary Finn School Curriculum emphasizes the development of the whole child. To this end, classroom programs are designed to foster academic, physical, social, and emotional development. Instruction is provided in large groups, small groups, and individually.

The Mary Finn Staff strives to provide a program which challenges all children. Teachers aim to develop student's critical and creative thinking skills via curriculum which is based on inquiry, problem-solving, discovery, and application of skills and concepts. Instruction is through thematic and interdisciplinary units of study which help students to make connections within and across disciplines.

In the past the Mary E. Finn School housed grades kindergarten and one. The school was built in 1965 with a total of 12 regular classrooms. Over the years, there had been no major additions, renovations or modifications to the building.

During 1996-97, four classrooms were used for kindergarten, which provided eight sessions, four in the morning and four in the afternoon. Six additional classrooms were used to house the grade one children. The remaining two classrooms were occupied by the Assabet Valley Collaborative Preschool Program and an Extended Day Program. There was an additional first grade classroom required in school year 1997-98, displacing the Preschool Program.

As a result of the school population outgrowing the building's physical space, a warrant article providing for renovations and an addition to the Mary E. Finn School was passed at a Special Town Meeting in January 1996, and subsequently approved in February 1996 by the voters at the ballot. The Mary E. Finn School project had been approved by the State's School Building Assistance Bureau. The Southborough School Building Committee finalized the plans with the architect.

Construction started in the fall of 1998. The initial project was completed for the 2000-2001 school year. Additional instructional rooms were approved at a special town meeting on April 1, 2000. They were completed in February, 2002.

Finn will house two preschools, as well as, five full day kindergarten classes for 06-07. There will also be nine first grade classrooms. The New England Center for Children services children in our Partnership Program. This classroom uses applied behavior analysis strategies and techniques designed for students diagnosed on the Autism spectrum.