The Montessori method of teaching addresses the whole child and was developed more than 100 years ago by Dr. Maria Montessori. Montessori education is characterized by an emphasis on self-directed activity on the part of the child and observation on the part of the teacher (often called a director, directress, or guide). It stresses the importance of adapting the child's learning environment to his or her developmental level, and of the role of physical activity in absorbing abstract concepts and practical skills. It is also characterized by the use of self-correcting materials for introduction and learning of various concepts.

Yes, prospective parents and educators alike are invited to observe in our classrooms. Observations take place during morning hours, during the students’ extended work period. Observations are for adults only and may be scheduled by calling the school office at 978-465-0065. 

River Valley has a full-day kindergarten program called Kinderhaus made up of 2 classrooms of 16 five-year-olds with a lead teacher and an assistant teacher. We have four lower elementary classrooms (E1) and four upper elementary (E2) classrooms, each with approximately 25 students. In each elementary classroom, there is a lead teacher and an assistant teacher. E1 classes are comprised of grades one through three combined, and E2 classes consist of grades four through six combined. Our Middle School program serves students in grades seven and eight, with teachers for individual subject areas.

Per our charter, River Valley may enroll up to 288 students in grades K through eight.

Any child who is of age and a Massachusetts resident may apply to River Valley. Enrollment takes place through a lottery each March for potential entrance the following school year. Each fall, we have openings for approximately 32 new five-year-old children in our Kinderhaus class and potentially a few openings in the other age groups up through our Middle School program. In the lottery, applications are selected and then placed in a ranked order for entrance into the school. When there are more applicants than openings in a given age group, the additional names are maintained on wait lists.

The categories of wait lists are: 

• Sibling Wait List: applicants who are siblings of current students 
• General Wait List: applicants from our chartered region (Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury, and West Newbury)
• Non-Resident Wait List: residents of Massachusetts out of chartered region

No.

No. River Valley is a public school and students attend tuition-free.

Yes. Students who enter a lottery and are not offered admission will need to re-enter subsequent lotteries each year to be consdiered for enrollment.

Whenever a student receives an offer for enrollment and declines, he or she is then removed from the waitlist and must reapply to be considered at a later date.  It is the family’s responsibility to keep the school informed of any changes in contact information.  

For each child that a Commonwealth charter school enrolls, it receives a tuition amount from the state equal to a per-pupil amount calculated by the Department's School Finance Unit. The state then deducts the same amount from the sending district's (school district pertaining to the municipality in which the student resides) state aid account. Like other public schools, Commonwealth charter schools are eligible to receive federal and state grant funds. Commonwealth charter schools may apply for private grants and receive contributions as well.

Yes. Charter schools cannot discriminate in admissions on the basis of special need or English language proficiency (or any other protected status), and in fact, RVCS welcomes diversity in its school population.

Once admitted, students who are special needs or English language learners must be appropriately identified, assessed, and served in accordance with federal and state requirements. For special education, this requires a full- or part-time special education administrator and additional staff to meet the needs of student's Individual Education Programs.

All public schools, including charter schools, must administer the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests. These tests are based on the curriculum frameworks adopted by the Board of Education. As a public Montessori school, our challenge is to remain faithful to the Montessori philosophy while meeting the requirements placed on all Massachusetts public schools. River Valley Charter School maintains a highly-qualified, Montessori-trained faculty and adheres to the Montessori tradition in its teaching and learning activities, while its students consistently score well on national and state-level standardized tests.

School begins at 8:25 a.m. and ends at 3:10 p.m. Kinderhaus students follow the same schedule.

Transportation is provided for Newburyport residents only via the local school district bussing service. Registration for bus service takes place through the Newburyport Superintendent’s office, and a fee is charged for a yearly bus pass. Students who are not residents of Newburyport are typically dropped off and picked up by parents. Many families form carpools to make this process easier. There is also public bus transportation within the cities of Salisbury, Amesbury, and Newburyport through the Merrimack Valley Transit Authority. 

Students participate in art, music, engineering and physical education classes each week. All 5th grade students participate in a violin program. Students have the opportunity to participate in River Valley Voices, Marimbas, Fiddle Group, and Folktones. Middle school students have electives in each of the "specials" categories. Middle School students participate in a language program (Spanish, German, ASL, or Coding). In addition, River Valley offers after school enrichment classes throughout the year.

Yes, some. RIver Valley has a fall cross country team and a spring track and field team. The school also offers various activities as part of an after-school enrichment program. Some of these are more physically oriented. 

Yes, River Valley makes a school lunch available to every child in the school every day that the school is in session through contract with an outside lunch provider. Lunches are prepared and delivered daily. (River Valley does not have an onsite cafeteria.) Alternatively, students may bring lunches from home. As a public school, River Valley Charter School provides a free or reduced price lunch to any qualifying child. 

We track the accomplishments of our graduate students, and they are quite impressive. Our students go on to attend both public and private high schools, and they are very often leaders among their peers. Some of River Valley’s students have gone on to successful colleges and universities around the country. Some of our alumni are now part of the workforce and include engineers, artists, veterinarians, doctors, PR agents, etc. 

Yes. Each River Valley family is encouraged to volunteer at the school every year. From driving on field trips to reading with children in the classroom and serving on committees, there are many ways in which parents can participate.