RBCS Philosophy

The purpose of Riverbend Christian School is to provide a loving, Christian environment in which each child can develop fully in all domains of life: emotional, physical, social, cognitive, and spiritual. The child's first school experience is a foundation for future attitudes and success, so Riverbend Christian School strives to make each child feel positive and excited about school, self, and learning. We believe that each child is understood best in the context of the family, so Riverbend Christian School endeavors to provide support and encouragement for parents and other family members.

Our first priority is to see that your child is given the opportunity to develop mentally, physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.  Your child's first school experience is a foundation for his/her attitudes and involvement in the following school years.  Together, parents and teachers can make this beginning experience an exceptional one for the preschooler.

Goals

• To create a happy and secure environment    

• To increase self-esteem 

• To understand that God created and loves each individual    

• To gain knowledge of Bible stories    

• To develop curiosity about the world and encourage creativity and imagination    

• To understand and respect social and cultural diversity   

• To provide experiences to increase physical ability    

• To teach a child socialization skills   

• To provide experiences for creativity in art and music    

• To encourage mental growth by establishing a sequence of learning to prepare for grade school.

Our Work is Our Play

The programs at Riverbend Christian School are structured to be developmentally appropriate. Through much study we have come to believe that young children learn best through play. A group of children in the block center or dramatic play area are learning to solve problems, create new objects, take risks, and think in new ways.

As children play with each other, they learn to see another child's point of view and begin to be more empathetic and caring. Children who play alone may be practicing new ideas they have developed. They may be trying out a new way to do something before bringing the idea to the group.

Research indicates that intrinsic motivation, when we learn something primarily because we find the task enjoyable, is a more effective and satisfying way to learn. We make an effort to provide materials and activities that provide choice and are of interest to the children. By doing this we encourage higher-level thinking and problem solving, while providing an appropriate educational setting for your child. Play is very important to children. It is the vehicle for developing cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and language skills. At Riverbend Christian School, each child is provided opportunities for personal growth through group involvement, creative activities, problem solving, self-control and acceptance of responsibility.

10 Things Every Parent Should Know About Play

Riverbend Christian School classroom curriculum is developed by our teaching staff utilizing The Creative Curriculum and the Handwriting Without Tears program, which has been adopted by Eanes ISD. Our Pre-K and Kinder Bridge classes incorporate Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines created by the Texas Education Agency, which aligns with TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills).

Classroom play environments include space for dramatic and imaginative play, a block center for constructing and engineering, process art to encourage creativity and self-expression, science exploration, math and manipulatives, a quiet area with books, sensory activities and musical instruments.  Children build fine motor skills by manipulating playdough, lacing beads, sorting shapes, using tongs to pick up objects, stacking objects, etc.  RBCS curriculum is rich in literacy and phonetic awareness, discovery, fine and gross motor activities and social interactions.

Children in our Mother's Day Out program are introduced to the following skills:  verbal and language, gross and fine motor, and socialization.  These skills are developed through interaction with teachers and other children.  The teachers provide a warm, loving environment in which the child may play, explore, and develop a good self-esteem.  We understand that young children can often have anxiety with new caregivers and take some time to trust and feel comfortable. Our nurturing teachers help in the transition from home to school to help your child to feel safe and secure.

Individual and group learning opportunities are provided daily in our preschool classes through developmentally appropriate active learning experiences which foster higher thinking and build confidence and self-esteem.  The Handwriting Without Tears pre-writing and letter recognition curriculum is a multi-sensory curriculum.  Tools in the writing center help develop pre-writing and pre-reading skills, build language and vocabulary, encourage letter recognition, develop hand-eye coordination and help children associate print with reading. Children build grasp and release skills, scissor skills and ability to use thumb/forefinger in pincer grasp by using a variety of tools and materials. Our degreed teachers incorporate Developmentally Appropriate Practices when planning their units of study by understanding that each child is unique and is a valued member of the learning community.

Each school day the children, with the exception of the infant class, participate in Specials, including Creative Movement and Music classes.  Outdoor play is also scheduled daily, with three separate playgrounds available to our students.  Riverbend’s large campus provides lots of opportunities to explore nature. Chapel, consisting of a Bible story and singing is offered weekly for our 3-to-5-year classes. In addition to providing a fresh selection of books each week to each class from our school library, our school librarian does weekly story times for each class.

Our Kinder Bridge class has been designed specifically for children who are five by September 1st and have already completed a traditional Pre-K program.  Enrolling your child in our Kinder Bridge class is a gift you will never regret.  The program gives your child an extra year to gain independence, enhance socialization, and build confidence and leadership qualities before beginning their elementary education.  More time is spent on proper behavior, respect and learning to be a student.  This nurturing, Christian environment is an ideal transition from preschool to elementary school.

Additional activities include on-site special visitors and “field trips” including but not limited to visits from the fire truck, local dentist offices, area zoo shows, Austin Nature & Science Center, and author visits. We encourage our parents to participate in school events by attending Specials Visitation, Family Chapels, Dr. Seuss’ Birthday Celebration, Super Hero Day, Mother’s Day Teas, and Music Programs. Parents are welcome to come read to their child’s class, share a special talent or share about their family culture or traditions.

Play Centers

Art Center

The Art Center promotes a sense of artistic inquiry by focusing on the artistic process rather than product in the visual, verbal, written, dramatic, and musical arts.

What do children learn while creating?

BLOCK CENTER

The Block Center involves the child fully in physical, intellectual, creative, social emotional, and open-ended play.

What do children learn while playing?

DRAMATIC PLAY

The Dramatic Play/Home Living Center involves the child fully in physical, intellectual, creative, social emotional, and open-ended play.

What do children learn while playing?

LIBRARY CENTER

The Book Center promotes confidence and comfort with books while developing the motivation and skills needed for reading.

What do children learn while playing?

MANIPULATIVES

Manipulatives encourage choice making, independence, toy manipulation, and sharing.

What do children learn while playing?

MUSIC CENTER

The Music Center lets children be creative to express themselves.  Children develop an appreciation for the arts and their ability to be musical. The following skills are gained:  listening, learning how to differentiate sounds, timing, rhythm and patterns.

SCIENCE CENTER

The Science Center involves the child in activities to explore properties of materials, positions, and motions of objects through investigation.

What do children learn while playing?

WRITING CENTER

The Writing Center involves the child in pre-writing activities that promote a sense of importance and confidence with written expression.

What do children learn while playing?

The Writing Center helps to develop an understanding that:

• Thoughts and ideas can be represented using symbols

• “Writing" can be used for many purposes, e.g. labeling, notes, lists, cards, stories

• Emotions can be represented through pictures/text

• Certain shaped marks mean different things