One of three neighborhood schools for children from kindergarten through third grade, Sowams serves the eastern part of Barrington between County Road and the Massachusetts line. It is rated as a high-performing school based on Rhode Island and New England assessment programs and other indicators, according to Principal James Callahan. "I think the school sells itself," he says. Among its staff are enrichment and literacy, reading and speech and language specialists. The school boasts a full-time librarian in a library with a collection of more than 16,000 books, periodicals and other materials. A ball field and a colorful playground provide recreational and physical education opportunities.