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RPA is a non-profit, independent, co-ed private day school. We offer an advanced curriculum in multi-age classes during ten-week terms in both year round and traditional calendars.
Students learn traditional academic topics, American Sign Language, art, drama, music, P.E., and have 90-minutes of recess.
Our classes range from family size to a maximum of 15 students. When seats are available, transfer students are accepted mid-term or start-of-term. Beginning Kindergarten students may start at any new term.
Our school day is 8-hours and our terms begin July (Summer School & Year round), August (Traditional Calendar), October, January & April.
Before/After-school Programs and Day Camps during the 3-week breaks are available.
Tuition discounts available may drop this amount by up to 50%. Before and After school care and 3-week break day camps are extra.
% on Financial Aid
99%
Average Financial Aid Grant
$5,000
School Notes
PRIVATE SCHOOLS CHARGE TUITION. We are a
private school and we charge tuition. We are NOT a faith-based
private school but we do require respect for various U. S.
religions. We are NOT a charter school or other public school so we
do not have to meet the heavy testing load attached to governmental
funding. We ARE a non-profit organization and do charge tuition and
fees. These just cover our operational expenses. Because we are a
non-profit program of the Social Good Fund, we can accept
donations. Donations are especially important for supporting our
financial aid. A majority of our students receive financial aid in
the form of discounts from the full tuition price. Currently,
average monthly tuition including disounts is about $500/month.
Check out
our web site for full details.
ADVANCED CURRICULUM. We strive to have children engaged and
challenged versus bored. Entering students are assessed and a
customized foundation studies plan (their individualized learning
engagement and activity plan or I-LEAP) is developed to help them
fill any gaps to enable them to succeed in our advanced
curriculum. Our English and Language Arts program has
consistently, for the past half a century and across many schools,
helped students to routinely score two grade levels about their
enrolled level on standardized tests. Our math program is
mastery-based and is often chosen as a gifted and talented math
program since it allows students to move ahead at their own pace.
Our teachers hold students accountable for learning according to
their I-LEAP goals for the term.
HONOR CODE-BASED DISCIPLINE APPROACH. Students
learn the school honor
code and how to use the honor code to guide their behaviors.
Our Honor Code requires integrity and respect for diversity.
Faculty remind students of the relevant lines of the honor code and
coach them on appropriate behaviors. Our goal is to have honor code
behaviors become their default. We also include instruction in
common manners. Failure to make progress in either academics
or in having behaviors aligned with the school honor code are
reasons for being counseled to other programs. Because we use
a mastery approach (not a spiral approach) plus having an advanced
curriculum, most students transferring in have gaps. We allow
students to continue to grow in high skill areas while they are
filling gaps and learning new content.
INTEGRATED THEME UNITS & PROMOTION BY COMPETENCE.
Our
school's mission includes eanbling children to learn to be the
best that they can be. One step in meeting this goal is through our
integrated theme
units portion of our curriculum. Students daily apply their
learning in integrated theme units focused either on an
inquiry/problem, a project, or a performance deliverable. This is
where students demonstrate what they have learned. These
theme units rotate over a three-year time period giving all
students multiple exposure to topics. Depth of content covered
depends upon the age of the student. We require demonstrated skills
for advancement to the next grade. This means passing tests
but also doing well on the theme unit deliverables. Promotions
occur at the start of the next term after a child earns it as
indicated by their foundation skills only. Children with strong
academic skills will move rapidly through our grades.
WHY ENROLL IN RPA? The following student types will most
benefit from our curriculum and teaching styles:
> Young gifted and talented students (before public school
testing)
> Gifted and talented students who need additional help in
behavior and/or communication skills
> Students who need social interaction or communication
skills developed
> Bright students who excel in fewer than all areas
> Students who have received any of the following comments
from their teachers at the end of their first 9 weeks (or in the
past)
>> Child could have received a higher grade if applied
him/herself
>> Child earned A's on tests but failed to turn in
homework
>> Child is very social/active but needs to focus on
academics
> Your child does not pay attention in class but does well
one on one
> Students who have reported any of the following to their
parents
>> I'm bored.
>> I already know how to do this (when referring to
homework).
>> I love recess the best. (We call these students,
budding entrepreneurs!)
> Students who have transformed from a happy child to a
sullen child in a short period of time after being at school.
> Students who display any signs of being bullied
ATHLETICS AT RPA. We are the RPA Lions with school
colors of royal blue and yellow. As we have sufficient students
interested, we will join community and the independent school
association athletic and academic competitions. We welcome to our
school students who are engaged in high performance athletic teams
(high competitive levels in baseball, volleyball, golf, gymnastics,
dance, swimming, etc.). Our year-round approach often allows for
students to still get their required school contact in while
engaging in these competitive endeavors.
SECURITY AT RPA. When visiting our campus, you will
need to come in via the front lobby and sign in with our
receptionist since these are the only unlocked doors during the
school day. We have supervised playground times, before and after
school times and supervised day camps during the 3 week breaks.
Programs occurring at times beyond the school day are paid for
separately from the school's tuition. For safety and school
identity reasons, we have a school uniform (black, gray, Royal
blue, yellow, white solids and a plaid). One week of uniforms
typically costs under $200.
ACCREDITATION, CREDENTIALS, AND QUALITY ASSURANCES. We
are in our first year. All accrediting bodies require one year of
operations before the school can be accredited. However, many
detail accreditation requirements. For example, our language arts
program is one way to demonstrate skill sets in the Spalding Method
of reading and language arts instruction. Their accreditation
requires that all teachers take a couple of classes in the
methodology and that methodology is used for a year at the school.
We are in the process of meeting the Spalding Method accreditation
standard which will make us one of the few schools in the southeast
region with this accreditation.The South Carolina Independent
School Association is another accrediting body. It too requires
certification of instructors and that the school be in operations
for a year with a five year plan for the future. We have the five
year plan, the resources and facility requirements and are in our
year of operation before we can be accredited by the South Carolina
Independent School Association.
All of our teachers are credentialed
and experienced. This means that they have individually met all of
the standards set by the credentialing authority (usually a state
department of education) to teach in the K-12 setting. Many
of our teachers have multiple degrees and/or advanced degrees
beyond the bachelors. Our teachers Aides are not credentialed but
do have other useful certifications like first aid, CPR, etc.
Additional quality assurances can be
found in our structure and in our choice of curriculum. We
routinely engage in review of our theme units and their impact. We
adjust expectations given our set of students. As mentioned
earlier, our our foundation curriculum has high standards and
produces strong results. Finally, there is our testing program.
Annually, we administer the Stanford Achievement Test to validate
our educational processes.
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