Elizabeth Ives School for Special Children Inc.
Strengths-based, whole child education that fosters the development of academic skills, social skills, and life skills...
We focus on each student's individual needs and competencies.
IMPORTANT 2025-26 DATES/EVENTS
21 AUG
First Day for Students
1 SEPT
No School - Labor Day
Elizabeth Ives School is a small, State of Connecticut Department of Education approved, non-profit, special education therapeutic day school that is located in North Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1963, we service students from the ages of five to 21, who come to us with a wide variety of needs, including social emotional disturbances, learning issues, language issues, intellectual disabilities, mild spectrum disorders and more. We work closely with families and providers in order to develop the right mix of therapeutic and academic strategies necessary for success.
Student referrals come to us from all over South Central Connecticut and beyond. The majority of referrals come from local public school systems. We also get referrals from outside providers and parents.
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For additional information, or if you wish to schedule a visit, please call Linda Zunda at 203-234-8770.
Welcome to Ives School!
CONTACT US
70 State Street
North Haven, CT 06473
Phone: (203) 234-8770
FAX: (203) 234-7238
13 OCT
No School - Columbus Day
19 NOV
Annual Gratitude Day
27 NOV-
28 NOV
No School - Thanksgiving Break
24 DEC - 2 JAN
No School - Winter Holiday
19 JAN
No School - Martin Luther King Day
16 FEB -
20 FEB
No School - Winter Break
18 MAR
No School for students
Staff Only - Professional Development Day
3 APR
No School - Good Friday
13 APR -
17 APR
No School - Spring Break
25 MAY
No School - Memorial Day
4 JUN
Last Day of School - Inclement weather days will be made up after this date.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Inclement Weather Announcements
Inclement weather announcements are posted on WTNH-Channel 8, NBCConnecticut-Channel 4, and WFSB-Channel 3. An announcement will be made and we would likely go virtual on inclement weather days, unless there are issues with power and internet. "Virtual" will appear on the news station's announcements. These are also available online at:
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Parents and guardians can also sign up for closing, delay, and early dismissal alerts on the websites. Once signed up, you will be notified by text of any closings, delays, and/or move to virtual from in person instruction.
ABOUT ELIZABETH IVES SCHOOL
Welcome!
On behalf of the staff and students at Ives School, we would like to welcome you to our web page. I have had the honor of working at Ives School for more than 25 years, and am happy to announce that Christopher Moruzzi joined us last October as the Assistant Director. He comes to us with several years of classroom experience, and is clearly driven by hard work. He has built some wonderful relationships with our students, and I have full faith in his ability to lead when I retire in a few years. We also continue to have a staff of incredibly dedicated teachers, paraprofessionals, and related service providers, some of whom have more than thirty years experience in the field. We work together with our parents and sending school districts to developed programs where students learn to lead with their strengths.
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Our philosophy is strengths-based and we have worked with Dr. Ross Greene who developed Collaborative and Proactive Solutions. He believes that "Kids do well if they can." as do we. If students are not doing well, there is a mismatch between their needs and the demands of the environment. This a problem solving program that involves active participation of our students. The focus is working WITH our students, not doing things for them or to them. This naturally allows for the development of an internal locus of control. While behaviorally based programs work wonderfully for some students, we found that it was not the appropriate intervention for our population. We also borrow from the Circle of Courage Model developed by Dr. Larry Brendtro and others. This program looks at four areas: Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity. Other similar programs may call these attributes Acceptance, Achievement, Autonomy, and Altruism. To assist in helping students develop competencies in these areas, we foster a sense of community in our setting where all are welcome; we do baseline assessments and provide instruction at each child's level; we provide opportunities for appropriate sense of personal power to impact their lives in a positive manner, and finally... help children realize that they are part of a society where they can feel empowered about giving back to the greater good.

Sincerely,

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Linda A. Zunda, M.S., 6th Year, L.M.F.T. Chris Moruzzi, MAT, 6th Year
Executive Director
Our Philosophy
As mentioned above, we have found that our strengths-based philosophy work best with our population. This philosophy views misbehavior as due an unmet need or an unlearned skill. Strengths based interventions foster the development of an internal locus of control. We believe that we must not only prepare our students for success in the classroom, but success in life as well. This involves helping them understand the expectations that society has for all of its people.
Our History
Elizabeth Ives began a preschool for special needs students in 1963 under the direction of Mrs. Betty Ives. At that time, there were few services available. The school was originally housed in the basement of Church of the Redeemer in New Haven. The school worked closely with several professionals from Yale Child Study Center. The school was housed for several years at the Unitarian Society in Hamden before purchasing and moving to 70 State Street in North Haven. Our population has evolved from pre-school to elementary aged children, and we now service children from the ages five years through 21. We facilitate the transition of our students back to public school, to adult services programs, to jobs, and/or to college.