The Calais School is a leading private, non-profit special education school serving students in grades pre-school through 12+ for over 40 years.
The school empowers and encourages students with special needs including When A Safe, Loving Community School Environment Matters ADHD, reading and math weaknesses, anxiety and mood disorders and Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

The Calais staff provide a safe, nurturing, and academically challenging environment for students requiring new behavioral and academic strategies in a non-judgmental atmosphere. Success is achieved through:

Academic programs based on NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards
Programs that encourage students to employ appropriate social skills, problem solving and assertiveness
Cognitive/Behavioral Counseling team that provides emotional support and strategies for students
Learning Consultants who provide IEP supervision to ensure the use of individualized and differentiated instruction
Speech & Language specialists that address the basics of language and social skills development
Reading Specialists who assist students with specific difficulties
Career & Technical and Transition Education Program to provide career development opportunities

Students come to The Calais School by referral from local school districts, therapists, and counselors throughout nine northern New Jersey counties.

For additional information, please fill out our Information Request Form by clicking here or call 973-884-2030.

Current Events

Monday, May 27th
Memorial Day - Closed

Wednesday, June 26th
Graduation, 1:20pm Dismissal

Monday, July 1st
Extended School Year Program Begins

New Programs at The Calais School

Animal Assisted Therapy Programs

Animal Assisted Therapy has proven to be extremely successful within the special needs community and is the new initiative at The Calais School. Service and facility dogs can enrich the lives of students with disabilities and aid them in many areas including social skills, speech therapy, and the reduction of stress, anxiety and depression. The Calais School is committed to providing as many resources to as many students as possible. The Calais School is working in conjunction with Merlin’s Kids, Creature Comfort Pet Therapy and St. Hubert’s Giralda to develop and implement animal assisted therapeutic interventions for students. Click here for additional information regarding Animal Assisted Therapy.

Calais Pilots Animal Assisted Speech Therapy

The Calais school recently completed a pilot program for Animal Assisted Speech Therapy. Children in the third through eighth grades participated in five sessions each, with the focus being on improving our understanding of ourselves and dogs via exploring personal traits, responses to compliments, verbal and nonverbal communication, and expression of feelings, in both humans and dogs. Click here for additional information regarding Animal Assisted Speech Therapy.

Career & Technical Education (CTE)

For Full & Part-time High School & 12 Plus Students with Special Needs

A national and state initiative, CTE programs are organized around sixteen career clusters that encompass multiple career pathways within each cluster ranging from Human Services to Technology; Agriculture to the Arts; and Health to Manufacturing, among others. In contrast to earlier vocational education, CTE programs prepare students with both strong academic content and skills-based learning. Both in school and through community-based instruction, CTE programs create pathways to industry-recognized credentials, post-secondary training and degree programs.
Click here for our new CTE brochure.

New Full and Half-Day Pre-School Programs:

For 3 & 4 Year Olds With Special Needs

The pre-school program provides children with special needs an environement where they can work with certified pre-school teacher of students with disabilities, behavior counselors, and speech & language specialists to help them develop the skills they need to continue on to kindergarten.
Click here for our new Preschool brochure.

The Calais School Mission
The Calais School and its staff are committed to providing all students
with the academic and behavioral skills to reach their fullest potential and
become life-long learners and socially competent members of their communities.