Natchaug School
| Natchaug Elementary School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
|
123 Jackson Street Willimantic, (Windham County), Connecticut 06226 United States |
|
| Coordinates | 41°42′49″N 72°12′24″W / 41.713685°N 72.20667°WCoordinates: 41°42′49″N 72°12′24″W / 41.713685°N 72.20667°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public school |
| Established | March, 1865 |
| School district | Windham School District |
| Grades | K-5 |
| Enrollment | 344 (2013) |
| Color(s) | Blue and Green |
| Website | Natchaug School Homepage |
Natchaug Elementary School is an elementary school located in Willimantic, Connecticut, United States. It has accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The name Natchaug comes from the Native American Nipmuc word meaning "land between the rivers." The school colors are bright green and blue.
The school serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade, after which they move on to Windham Middle School. As of the 2013-14 school year, the majority of students were Hispanic (72%), while 18% of students were Non-Hispanic white and smaller numbers Asian, black, multiracial or of other backgrounds. By contrast, the majority of the staff are white (88%), with only a small number of Hispanic educators. Many of the school's students come from poor families; nearly 90% qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2013-14, compared to 37% of Connecticut public school students overall.
Overall, one in three students is classified as an English Language Learner, versus 6% of students statewide. Natchaug has had bilingual education programs in place since the 1980s, in accordance with state legislation. Natchaug also currently has a Family Resource Center and before- and after-school programs for its students.
Natchaug School first opened in 1865, and included a high school until 1897. The school was initially a large wooden building, completed in 1864 and replacing the Old Stone Schoolhouse of earlier decades. In the late 1870s, pupils included several visiting students from China, who had been sent by the Qing dynasty as the educational mission of its Self-Strengthening Movement. The old school building was torn down in 1914 to make way for the current brick structure.
In earlier decades, principals included:
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