After my son’s time at the Briggs School, I have a very different little boy.
Joanne, proud mother
The Eleanor Briggs School is a leader in the field of special education and mental health for children whose behavioral and emotional difficulties significantly impede their progress in public school. In an environment that promotes learning and growth, students are able to achieve their full potential. This is why, for over 30 years, families and educators throughout Rhode Island have turned to The Eleanor Briggs School.
Academics
The Briggs School is committed to quality education for all students and provides extended academic instruction through a 225-day school year. With a two to one, student to staff ratio, and a maximum school capacity of 40 children, Briggs students are ensured the personal attention needed to capitalize on their strengths and abilities and to improve their underdeveloped skills.
Instruction is provided by experienced teachers certified in special education, and by teachers’ assistants with bachelor level degrees and substitute teacher certifications. Each classroom has a maximum of eight students and is grouped by levelelementary, middle or secondary. Curriculum includes individualized instruction in math, English/language arts, reading, writing, science, social studies, health, physical education, art, and pre-vocational and computer studies.
Briggs teachers are dedicated professionals who endeavor on a daily basis to enthuse their students with the desire to learn. Teachers work closely with Briggs’ clinical staff to assist all students to attain their full academic potential, even those with the most challenging behavioral and emotional needs.
Clinical Services
Students of all ages come to The Briggs School when the behavioral and emotional difficulties they are experiencing impede the learning process and their progress in public school. The Briggs School’s highly qualified clinical staff addresses each student’s therapeutic needs through an array of intensive clinical services. The Briggs School is known for its strong clinical component and thus considered one of Rhode Island premier special education schools.
Masters-level clinicians and behavior specialists provide daily group therapy to students, as well as weekly individual therapy, and art and play therapy. A child psychiatrist is on staff to provide evaluation services and medication management if necessary. Additionally, consulting psychologists, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists provide services to students as individually required.
The Briggs School works in partnership with families to ensure the best outcomes for students. Understanding that the family dynamic is an important part of the therapeutic process, Briggs provides family therapy as well as informational workshops for parents. Additionally, students and their families may avail themselves of the full range of services offered by The Kent Center, including 24-hour emergency services.
Recreation
Participation in recreational activities is essential for the healthy development of a student’s interests and social skills, and is an important component of any student’s school life.
Recreation is especially emphasized during Briggs’ 9-week extended school year program (ESY), which continues to offer academic classes and clinical services in a summer camp
atmosphere. Students are eligible to participate in two field trips a week, which include educational excursions to museums and aquariums, and to entertaining destinations such as theme parks and the beach.
Numerous recreational activities are offered throughout the year as well. Teachers plan elective courses, which are designed to expose students to new topics and to develop new interests. Electives have included photography, karate and gardening classes, just to name a few. Students also participate in and help to plan special events, including holiday parties and an annual May breakfast. Additionally, participation in public school offerings such as sports and dances is highly encouraged and coordinated for the students by Briggs staff.
Finally, the school’s unique location provides the perfect backdrop for the many outdoor recreational activities in which Briggs students may participate. The Briggs School is situated on the beautiful grounds of The Masonic-Shriners’ Family Center, which abuts scenic Greenwich Bay. The grounds have football and soccer fields, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, volleyball and basketball courts, a large in-ground swimming pool, a picnic area, and a private beachall providing endless opportunities for sport and recreation, and ultimately a positive and restorative experience for students.
Additional Information
The Eleanor Briggs School is licensed by the Rhode Island Department of Education as a Special Education Program for children, grades K-12. The Briggs School is also a member of RIAPSES, the Rhode Island Association for Private Special Education Schools.
- Presenting Conditions of Students: Behavioral/Emotional Disabilties
- Gender: Male & Female
- Ages: 5 to 18
- Capacity: 40
- Area Served: Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts, Northeastern Connecticut
- Length of School Day/Year: 6 hours (8:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m.); 12 months/225 days
- Referral Sources: Local Education Agencies
- Support Services: 24-Hour Emergency Services, full-time psycho-educational self-contained classes, daily group therapy, weekly individual therapy, public school on-site consultation services, medication monitoring, psychiatric services, computer assisted academic remediation, family therapy, vocational transitioning, parent support group/training series, 45-day diagnostic placements, transitional after-care planning
Contact Information
Michael G. Foley, Director
mfoley@thekentcenter.org
Anthony P. Caetano, Special Education Director
apcaetano@cox.net
Phone: 401-732-1540
Fax: 401-732-4658
Email: eleanorbriggsschool@cox.net
RI Relay for the hearing impaired: 800-745-5555
Click here for information on The Eleanor Briggs School’s Technology Plan.
Briggs School Brochure (PDF)