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Diversity Statement
The River School was founded on the belief that inclusion is essential and the best practice of early childhood education.
We are a thriving, diverse community of learners in which human differences are respected, explored, and celebrated as vital reflections of the larger society and world.
We embrace human diversity as a rich, living educational resource and believe
multiculturalism to be relevant and mutually beneficial.
How we think about a child’s capacity affects that child’s performance, and we believe in and are committed to high standards for all children.
Our diversity includes individuals with hearing loss and the broad range of human variability, including dimensions of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender and gender expression, and socioeconomic status.
Diversity is an ongoing process by which a school expresses its commitment to bring different peoples and perspectives into its community, curriculum and culture. We work to create a sense of connectedness so that our members feel safe to explore and challenge dynamic, multifaceted differences in open inquiry.
We understand that such a community is crucial for our students’ future successful
participation in the wider world. With this understanding, we engage in diversity,
equity and inclusion work to nurture our understanding of others and ourselves.
Mission
The River School’s inclusive program challenges each child to work collaboratively, to think critically, and to develop the confidence to take risks, embrace their curiosity, and find their voice.
Pillars
Innovative Teaching
From Mouth Time to Mindfulness, The River School creates new programs and develops evidence-based teaching strategies that draw from the best current research in education.
Co-Teaching & Personalized Education
Our co-teaching model pairs a master’s level educator with a speech-language pathologist in each classroom, a unique and effective combination for cementing strong language, literacy and social skills. Our low teacher-student ratios and small class sizes promote strong, personal relationships between teachers and students and allow educators to tailor teaching to each child.
Passionate & Highly Engaged Educators
Our teachers are energetic, creative, curious and committed. They model the qualities we hope children will develop: mindfulness, empathy, persistence, resilience, honesty and integrity.
Progressive Education
By expanding children’s opportunities for social, physical and creative development we enhance their personal and academic success. Our faculty includes specialists in the visual arts, music, science, physical education, drama and creative movement.
Thematic Curriculum
Themes provide a play-based, child-centered and cohesive context for learning, and inspire vocabulary development, experimentation, problem solving and the ability to make connections between different academic areas.
Inclusive & Diverse Classrooms
For all students, diverse and inclusive classrooms provide the environment in which to develop enriched perspectives and a greater understanding of their world. At The River School children with hearing loss learn alongside their hearing peers and provide an important source of diversity.
Active Learning
Children at The River School engage in active learning; they work collaboratively in groups, solve problems, make mistakes and learn from them, and develop the confidence to take risks, share ideas and speak up.
Social-Emotional Learning
Our Social-Emotional Learning Program begins with teaching our youngest children to identify their own emotions and culminates in a social justice focus. Children learn to recognize and express their own emotions and to develop positive and empathetic relationships with others.
A Commitment to Tuition Assistance
Because we value a dynamic and socioeconomically diverse school community, we make a significant commitment to tuition assistance to ensure that all students can benefit from a River School education.
A Community of Learners
Relationships between children and faculty are strengthened by collaboration among faculty, administrators and families. Professional development for faculty, graduate student training, parent-education programs and family engagement all add richness and depth to the educational program.