K-8 Academics

While students attending RSA have a real interest in the arts, they also have specific and individual academic needs. Each year, RSA assesses students in academic disciplines and makes adjustments to class structure to meet student needs. For example, students who are not in the same grade level but exhibit similar learning styles or academic aptitude may be placed together in a homeroom. Another level of mathematics may be offered if enough students show a need for it. In other words, students at RSA are not constrained by the traditional “grade level.” Instead, more emphasis is placed on “learning levels'' and meeting the needs of students as individuals.

THEMATIC LEARNING

One unique draw to RSA is its Theme Days. Theme Days are celebrated by the entire school along with parents and community members. RSA has two Theme Days during each school year. RSA rotates through three Year-Long Themes that include:

Africa, Asia and European History
Ancient Civilizations
California and U.S. HIstory

As a public school, RSA must teach the standards mandated by the State Curriculum. However, as a charter school, RSA has the discretion to teach those materials in innovative ways to increase student learning. RSA’s academic instruction is theme-based and purposefully integrated across the curriculum. This means that the curriculum in language arts, social studies, science, art, music and math is integrated to support learning across all disciplines.

Consequently when students are studying ancient civilizations in social studies, their language arts reading books and vocabulary/spelling words relate to Rome, Greece and other ancient cultures. Likewise, their science will focus on physics, alchemy, astronomy and such. Their studies in art and music further support those themes.

THEME DAY PHOTOS