We’ll supplement this page with expert insight into the FIT between River Valley School and YOUR CHILD. Just answer a few short questions. It takes only 5 minutes.
Or, dive right into our insights on River Valley School:
To customize this school profile (and others), answer a few questions about your child’s needs.
Go to child profileRiver Valley is an independent school providing exceptional education and character development for children in Pre-JK (Age 3) to Grade 6. Our students are immersed in hands-on, inquiry and project-based learning experiences that challenge them to question, explore and create. Student achievement is supported by small class sizes, varied learning opportunities, collaboration and differentiation in our instruction. How we teach each student is determined by who they are, how they learn, and what engages them.
What learning looks like now: Reducing the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks in our school will require the dedication and support of our entire community. Such measures as hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, physical distancing, increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting, the diligent and daily completion of the health screening questionnaire by every student and staff member, and, of course, having staff and students stay home when sick or exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19, are all important to the health and wellbeing of our entire RVS community. With the goal of further reducing health risks for our community members, the school has taken the additional measures of staggered drop-off and pick-up, the implementation of an cohort timetable, mandatory mask use for all staff and students grade 1-6, the procurement of additional resource equipment to reduce the sharing of materials, and the hiring of additional custodial and cleaning staff. Alberta Health Services (AHS) has advised schools to follow protocols as closely as we can, and, at River Valley School, we have aimed to go above and beyond those expectations where possible.
Curriculum delivery for 2020/21:
Grades | Living Arrangement | Delivery Model | Frequency |
---|---|---|---|
Day | Preschool - Gr. 6 | In-person | Full-time |
Day | Preschool - Gr. 6 | Online | Full-time |
River Valley School offers bus transferring. Service options offered are regular rider, regular rider AM only, regular rider PM only.
The regions River Valley School offers busing from are:
Additional notes: We currently have three bus routes that service specific communities within the SW, Central and NW Quadrants of the city. Please note that families outside these areas are welcome to use stops on any of these routes if it is convenient for their purpose. A family discount is available for the second and subsequent children.
We offer indoor and outdoor Phys. Ed. Programming
River Valley School is equipped with a full size soccer field. This space is used for both our outdoor education and athletic programs!
Our Early Learners can enjoy a smaller quieter space suited just for them!
We offer two new play structures encouraging play, exploration and socialization!
Our brand new Augmented Reality Lab by zspace!
Students become champions of the Design Thinking process and explore 21st-century learning skills such as entrepreneurship, critical thinking and digital literacies like coding, web design and robotics.
Technology is just one of the tools we use to create innovation in our classrooms. Each student Grade 3 and up receives a 1:1 Ipad Ratio. We also have Smart Boards in each classroom and laptops that float from one classroom to the next.
A warm and welcome place to enter the school!
Grab a book and enjoy our library!
When discussing schools we often talk about curriculum, or resources, or instructional approaches, and while all of those things are important, so is the presence of a supportive, safe, familiar, and consistent learning environment. And, rightly, that’s where the program at River Valley School begins. The school describes itself as a community, and the description is apt. A safe environment, of course, is one in which a child feels a sense of belonging, and within which she is valued, able to play a role and have a voice. Instruction at River Valley is student-centred, informed by an overt intention to build upon students’ individual strengths and interests. There is a comfortable enrollment level, one that allows for a nice breath of programming while also maintaining that sense of place and belonging, something which is further augmented by the division of the program between two campuses. Families look to River Valley to create a strong beginning to their children’s education as well as their social lives, and indeed that’s exactly what they find.
Focus |
---|
Academic |
DIBELS Testing: This school periodically uses DIBELS testing to assess reading progress.
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Evolution as consensus theory | |
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories | |
Evolution is not taught |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Biology | |
Chemistry | |
Ecology | |
Geology | |
Meteorology | |
Physics | |
Physiology | |
Zoology |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Acting | |
Dance | |
Drama/Theatre | |
Graphic Design | |
Music | |
Visual Arts |
Expressive | |
Disciplined |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Computer science | |
Robotics | |
Web design |
Flexible pacing style | offered |
---|---|
Subject-streaming (tracking) | |
Multi-age classrooms as standard | |
Ability-grouping (in-class) as common | |
Frequent use of cyber-learning (at-their-own-pace) | |
Regular guided independent study opportunities | |
Differentiated assessment |
Students remain in a regular classroom for the whole day, and periodically receive break-out support (individually or in small groups) within the classroom from a qualified special education teacher.
Subject Type | offered |
---|---|
Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation | |
Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties |
Subject Type | offered |
---|---|
Accommodations | |
Modifications | |
Extra support |
Read our guide to special needs schools and special education
Program | offered |
---|---|
Full-time gifted program (parallel to rest of school) | |
Part-time gifted program (pull-out; parallel to rest of class) |
Curriculum delivery: Enrichment (The main focus is on enrichment. This means that while students may work at a marginally quicker pace than public school peers, the primary aim is to study subject in broader and deeper ways.)
Program | offered |
---|---|
Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement) | |
Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement) | |
Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others) | |
Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement) | |
Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement) |
In grade Gr. 6, River Valley School students perform an average of 45 mins of homework per night.
PS | JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
River Valley School | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 15 mins | 30 mins | 45 mins |
Site Average | 2 mins | 6 mins | 7 mins | 15 mins | 17 mins | 24 mins | 30 mins | 35 mins | 41 mins |
Lettered or numbered grades | Preschool to Gr. 6 |
Prose (narrative)-based feedback | Preschool to Gr. 6 |
Academic achievement reporting | Preschool to Gr. 6 |
Habits and behaviour reporting | Preschool to Gr. 6 |
Parent-teacher meetings | Preschool to Gr. 6 |
Competitive sports: 4
Recreational sports: 4
River Valley School offers 11 clubs and extracurricular programs.
PS | JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
Day | $15,040 | ||||||||
Day (Half day) | $8,470 |
Discounts
Discount Type | Enrolment Type | Amount |
---|---|---|
2nd child (sibling) | all students | 5% |
3rd child (sibling) | all students | 15% |
Grades | Gender | Living Arrangement | Enrolment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Group 1 | Preschool to Gr. 6 | Coed | Day | 250 |
Total enrolment | 250 |
Average class size | 12 to 18 |
% of international students (total enrolment) | 2% |
Number of different nationalities within student population | N/A |
PS | JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day Enrollment | 15 | 22 | 31 | 25 | 31 | 18 | 36 | 29 | 37 |
Class Size | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
Assessment | Required | Grades |
---|---|---|
Interview | PS - 6 | |
SSAT | ||
SSAT (out of province) | ||
Entrance Exam(s) | ||
Entrance Essay |
Day students: Rolling
Offer mid-year entry:
Yes
Application fee: $150
Registration fee: $2,500
Deposit:
N/A
Families are first encouraged to book-a-tour with our Director of Enrolment, walk through our facilities, discuss our program and fees, ask questions, but most importantly help us learn more about your child and their needs. Interested Parents/Guardians are then asked to fill out our online application form and submit all required application documentation. We do not test for entrance.
In addition to the online application form, the following is required prior to an admission decision:
*In some cases, students may be asked to join us for an informal observation or classroom trial to determine a good fit.
*Children entering our Early Learning programs must be toilet-trained
This is the percentage of applicants typically accepted into the school. So if 50 students are admitted out of 100 applicants, the school has an overall acceptance rate of 50%.
Student Entry Points
This shows approximately how many openings there are likely to be in each grade in a typical year, as well as the estimated acceptance rate for each grade level.
Student Type | PS | JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 32 (90%) | 16 - 20 (90%) | 2 - 10 (90%) | 0 - 4 (90%) | 0 - 4 (90%) | 0 - 4 (90%) | 0 - 4 (90%) | 0 - 4 (90%) | 0 - 4 (90%) |
River Valley School is an innovative and inclusive independent school that harnesses the innate curiosity in children to ensure that every student, regardless of age or ability, will flourish academically and socially. Everything we do is grounded in our mission to embrace the unique talents of our students, while curating opportunities for learning and discovery. Our teachers and staff support different learning styles to ensure that every student is capable of achieving their personal best. With close to 15 years of history, River Valley School has created an environment where children feel loved and safe enough to explore to the full breadth of their individual ability. At the same time, RVS students feel encouraged to take on the rigours required to develop the foundational skills, resilience, and confidence to thrive in the 21st Century.
As a community, we learn and grow together respecting the values, opinions and beliefs of all. Students, teachers, and administrators work together to create a school where learners feel confident and free to appreciate each other, make good ethical decisions, and take age- and stage appropriate risks, leading to enhanced understanding and broadened inquiry.
RVS students know they are safe to try new things, make mistakes, discover new approaches, and explore innovative ways of seeing, contributing to and changing the world.
I am honoured to be the Head of School at River Valley School, and invite you to visit our campus to learn about our outstanding programs and meet our talented students, teachers and staff. I look forward to meeting you when you visit, and sharing more about what makes our school truly exceptional.
Carolyn Breland
Head of School
The Trusted Source for Families since 1998
Interested in River Valley School?
Visit WebsiteJoin the Our Kids roundtable discussion about [School Name]. Alumni and current parents are answering questions and sharing their insights—about the school’s culture, strengths, and weaknesses.
Oct 7
ZOOM MEETING