Academic Excellence
Academics
More in...
Academic ExcellenceAcademics
At The Riviera Ridge School, we want our students to examine the world around them, to find the beauty in differences, and to value multiple perspectives. Through the lens of our signature program, Kaleidoscope, our students are given the unique opportunity to experience and study the traditions and values of world religions and diverse cultures through a global and unifying perspective. Just as a Kaleidoscope reflects light in different ways, our students shine in a variety of ways as well. The Kaleidoscope Program presents students to share what lights them up while illuminating the perspective of others as well. In the same way a kaleidoscope’s rotation presents an ever-changing view, we encourage our students to be tolerant, open, and flexible in theirs. Our students broaden their minds through the study of historical, cultural, ethical, and moral perspectives in a reflective view of world religions.
Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.
- Aristotle
Take a singular part out of a kaleidoscope, and it won’t look like much. It relies on the interconnectedness of each little light. As the sum of its parts, growing and changing with every turn, a stunning tapestry is created. Our students learn that they are part of this tapestry, with each year of study, the knowledge becomes more vivid: they’re connected to something bigger. Religious Traditions Explored include: Buddhism, Catholicism & Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Native American Traditions, Indigenous cultures, Shinto, Sikhism, and Taoism.
The idea that one possesses a purpose beyond self is part of our school’s vision. Our core values are introduced to our students the moment they step on campus. In Junior Kindergarten through First Grade, students delve into literature-based units of study that illustrate our shared values of Joy, Kindness, Diversity, and Ethical Responsibility.
In Junior Kindergarten, students and their families share their heritage and traditions through storytelling and by bringing in food and favorite recipes to share with the class. In Kindergarten students learn ways to solve conflicts by being peacemakers as exemplified by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In First Grade, children learn about being a friend to self and others through powerful stories such as The Rabbit Listened.
An exploration of world religions begins in 2nd grade and continues through 5th grade. The Kaleidoscope Program introduces students to religious traditions through stories of real people, especially children. Students encounter religious traditions authentically, as integral to everyday life, as well as personal and communal identity.
In Second Grade students study geometric patterns of mosaic tiles in mosques and make their own mandalas. In Third Grade, students can be found listening to music from various world religions, studying the importance of the arts through cultural traditions. In 4th and 5th grade, students learn about traditions through guest visits from locals, such as a Chumash elder.
As students enter the Middle School years, our vision of cultivating social responsibility and empowering individual potential grows even stronger. In 6th grade Service Learning, students learn about what it means to be a social entrepreneur and create their own Service in Action Project. In 7th Grade Ethics, students reflect on how they make decisions and examine their own beliefs and moral frameworks, as well as the ethics of others. The Kaleidoscope Program culminates with a comparative and comprehensive study of Comparative Religions in the 8th grade. Our 8th grade leaders graduate from The Riviera Ridge School empowered with a profound awareness for empathy, love of diversity, and immeasurable purpose beyond self.