Prepared for the Future
At Rivendell, Older Kids in our private elementary school in Fort Collins are not only learning and growing academically and socially each day, but they are establishing the habits and skills that will serve them throughout the rest of their academic careers. Whether in math, reading, writing, social studies, or science, Older Kids use creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking to approach their projects and find solutions to their problems.
For example, we know that writing cements all other thinking. When a student writes about his/her learning or thinking she/he is not just engaging in a substantive process, but they are crossing over into a generative process. Older Kids write across the curriculum, which enriches vocabulary and provides real world practice in grammar, punctuation and spelling.
Teachers foster independence by encouraging elementary students to take risks with their work. Daily one-on-one instruction and frequent student-teacher conferencing ensures that each child is being challenged at the appropriate level. Older Kids are given a greater degree of choice in their assignments and learn to take more ownership in their learning.
This is also an age where students begin to form strong relationships with peers, and their social and emotional skills are tested. Rivendell teachers help them navigate and learn from these situations as they prepare to become confident and independent middle schoolers.
We have always believed that Rivendell was the best educational choice for our children, and this was confirmed when our oldest child transferred to middle school this year. Not only was she academically prepared, even over-prepared, for the curriculum, but her teachers have lauded her independence with learning, her overall social-emotional wellness, and her creative and critical thinking skills. ~Jill, Rivendell Parent