Riviera Ridge School Celebrates Hands-On Learning for 2nd Annual Middle School Genius Night

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Santa Barbara, CA. (November 18, 2022) – The Riviera Ridge School welcomed families to campus on Wednesday, November 9th for their second annual Middle School Genius Night for students and families, in grades 4th-7th. With workshops, presentations, and social time for both parents and children, Genius Night showcased the type of hands-on, personalized, and deeper learning that students delve into each day. 

The evening kicked off with a poolside meet and greet for parents at the historic campus Tea House, featuring appetizers, and a performance of “Under the Sea” from the cast of the Middle School musical, The Little Mermaid. Current and prospective students broke the ice with a pizza party, karaoke, and team-building games. Afterwards, parents cycled through presentations and interactive experiences led by teachers from an array of disciplines, getting a taste of the multi-faceted curriculum their student engages in daily. 

“A Riviera Ridge School education is unique in the fact that we truly get to know every child as an individual and provide opportunities for all students to find the joy in learning and build resilience at every age and every learning level,” Head of School, Chris Broderick said. “Our incredible teachers inspire students to nurture an intrinsic love of learning and find their purpose beyond self. Genius Night allows our families to experience a taste of this everyday magic themselves.”

Parents enjoyed discussing the significance of historical events with each other while creating personal timelines while learning about the many ways in which students strengthen their voice, writing, and reading skills in the Humanities. In the state-of-the-art Center for Creative Design and Engineering, Math and Science teachers explained the STEAMM (Science, Technology, Arts, Mathematics, and Movement), elective programming and how they make their courses come to life. 

Members of the Student Support Team including the Director of Student Wellness, School Counselor, and Middle School Division Coordinator discussed the Riviera Ridge signature programs supporting Social Emotional Learning courses and the Middle School Success Seminar equipping students with the cognitive and emotional skills to thrive in middle school and beyond. 

“We are committed to the development of the whole child at The Riviera Ridge School and that means we provide the highest level of expertise and care to educate both the heart and our mind of each student. Research shows that the adolescent student who feel supported, believed in, and are able to process their emotions in a healthy way, have the confidence to grow and succeed academically at a higher rate, preparing them for high school and beyond,” Broderick said. 

While parents were dipping their toes into a day in the life of a middle schooler, students enjoyed a variety of interactive experiments and games as well. STEAMM faculty taught students how to make ice cream with liquid nitrogen, Performing Arts faculty shared with students exciting offerings from their Electives program such as School of Rock, and the Middle School Musical and Visual Arts teacher Alexandra Shennum helped students create a Scratch Art 3D landscape of mountains.

“We hope that students and families walked away from the night understanding our school’s vibrant culture of creativity, the nurturing warmth of our teachers, and the idea that when every child has the opportunity to find a passion, they all have the chance to cultivate their inner genius.” The Riviera Ridge School will also be hosting their annual  free STEAMM-focused Maker Fair on January 21st from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm.  The event is open to the public and all ages are welcome.

At Riviera Ridge School, we provide student-centered, individualized learning in a joyful and nurturing community, inspiring academic excellence and valuing difference. The educational vision for each Riviera Ridge graduate is to empower individual potential, inspire purpose beyond self, and cultivate social responsibility as they prepare for high school and beyond. 

For more information, email info@rivieraridge.org or call 805-569-1811 ext. 131.