PHILOSOPHY
A CHRIST-CENTERED EDUCATION
FOR LIFE
Rivendell School offers a Christ-centered, integral education for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
Our motto, “Helping children explore God’s world and discover their place in it,” reflects our commitment to forming both mind and heart— shaping students who think critically, engage deeply, and live with purpose.
A RIVENDELL EDUCATION
EQUIPS
Trains students to read deeply, think critically, write clearly, and calculate accurately.
AWAKENS
Cultivates imagination, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning.
Develops
Develops resilience, leadership, and strong relationships.
IMMERSES
Immerses students in the beauty of the world to prepare them to seek its restoration.
HOW WE DO IT
We Cultivate
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Rivendell is a place of protection and freedom— a wildlife refuge for learning. Here, students are given both structure and space to explore, take risks, and grow in confidence and wisdom.
We Guide
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Children are both fallen and full of potential—what we call “innocent rascals.” Rather than overprotection, we provide guidance and challenge, encouraging students to develop resilience and responsibility as they engage in meaningful learning.
We Ignite
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Education is not about filling a bucket, but lighting a fire— a fire of imagination that awakens a love for what is good, noble, and beautiful. Aristotle taught that learning begins in wonder, and at Rivendell, storytelling is central to our approach.
We Engage
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At Rivendell, learning is not confined to books and lectures— it is an active encounter with the world. We use the rich resources of Washington, D.C., museums, historical sites, and cultural institutions to create immersive learning experiences that deepen understanding and ignite curiosity.
Through classroom simulations, historical reenactments, and hands-on projects, students step into history, wrestle with complex ideas, and experience learning firsthand.
EDUCATING BY FORM
At Rivendell School, our classes are organized using a Form system. Small, multi-age classes give teachers greater flexibility to nurture children at different ability levels and allow students to progress at varying speeds in particular skills. Kindergarten and First Grade are each a self-contained, single grade class, although they study the same units and may engage in cooperative activities. Students in Grades 2-3, 4-5, and 7-8 are placed in Forms that incorporate two traditional grade levels.
FORM 1
K and Grade 1
separate classrooms
FORM 2
Grades 2 & 3
mixed-grade classes
FORM 3
Grades 4 & 5
mixed-grade classes
GRADE 6
Grade 6
single classroom
FORM 4
Grades 7 & 8
mixed-grade classes
Our Curriculum
THE RIVENDELL ROAD
Rivendell’s curriculum is structured around The Rivendell Road, a journey designed to develop wisdom, virtue, and deep understanding. Our approach balances foundational skills with thematic learning, ensuring students see knowledge as a unified whole rather than isolated subjects.
OUR LEARNING IS SHAPED BY
FIVE GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
Inquiry
Asking foundational questions
Investigation
Seeking understanding through analysis and discovery
Ideas
Engaging with great thinkers and worldviews
Imagination
Using story and narrative to spark curiosity
Integrity
Reaching wise conclusions with discernment
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Literacy at Rivendell is about more than decoding words—it is about engaging deeply with ideas.
Students read carefully, write clearly, and think critically
Writing is a tool for reasoning, not just an academic exercise
Students engage with both God’s Word and His world with depth and understanding
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We use Math in Focus: A Singapore Math® Approach, designed to build problem-solving skills through a concrete–pictorial–abstract learning progression.
Hands-on learning deepens understanding
Real-world applications strengthen problem-solving skills
Visual learning tools enhance comprehension
Not only do we want students to get the correct answer, we want them to understand the steps taken to reach the answer.
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Guided by our ethos of discovery, exploration, and the pursuit of excellence, Latin at Rivendell serves as an intellectual laboratory— not merely a foreign language -- sharpening grammar, logic, and vocabulary while connecting students to the roots of Western thought.
Unlock Language: Master Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes to decode English vocabulary and write with precision.
Cultivate Critical Thinking: Its systematic grammar fosters attention to detail and analytical habits across all disciplines.
Enrich Core Studies: Alongside exploring Roman culture, politics, history, and myths, students immerse themselves in the context behind Western civilization and even the foundations of our own government. This study deepens their grasp of Scripture, citizenship, and the story of “how we got here".
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The arts are essential at Rivendell, shaping students’ hearts, minds, and imaginations. Rooted in a biblical worldview, the arts reflect the Imago Dei, drawing students beyond themselves toward truth, beauty, and creativity.
Through music, drama, and visual arts, students develop:
Discipline and perseverance in refining their craft
An appreciation for beauty as a reflection of God’s creation
Collaboration and communication skills through performance and presentation
Confidence and a sense of wonder as they explore their talent
The arts are woven into the curriculum, not treated as electives. Students study historical periods through artistic and musical movements, use drama to engage with literature, history, and biblical narratives, and learn music in the context of the units they study.
At Rivendell, students are not just learning about beauty—they are creating it, contributing to God’s ongoing redemptive work in the world.
INTEGRAL UNITS OF STUDY AT RIVENDELL
FORM 1
K & 1st
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❖ Patterns: A World of Clues
❖ Earth and Space: Our Just-Right Home!
❖ Christmas Around the World
❖ Geography: Finding Our Way in God's World
❖ Weather: Sunshine and Storms
❖ Shakespeare: A Magnificent Mind
❖ Animals and Biomes: God's Colossal Creativity
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❖ Patterns: A World of Clues
❖ Native Americans: Why is Where Important?
❖ Christmas Wonder and Worship
❖ Economics 101: Wants and Needs
❖ Community: Who is my Neighbor?
❖ Fabulous Fables, Proverbs, and Parables
FORM 2
2nd & 3rd
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❖ Walk a Mile in Someone Else's Shoes
❖ New World
❖ One Nation Under God
❖ Shakespeare
❖ Character Matters
❖ Plant Kingdom
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❖ The Hidden Wonders of the Beach
❖ Wonders of the Animal Kingdom
❖ The Wonders of the USA
❖ Fairy Tales: Tales of Wisdom and Wonder
❖ Wonders of the Human Body
FORM 3
4th & 5th
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❖ Age of Discovery: Where Does Your Treasure Lie?
❖ Latin America: Treasure of Sacrifice
❖ Middle East: Treasure of Tradition
❖ Shakespeare's Europe: Treasure of the Spoken Word
❖ Asian Sub-Continent: The Treasure of India
❖ Great Commission: Sharing our Treasure with the World
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❖ Geography Toolbox: Where are you Headed?
❖ Journey through Africa: Land of Stories
❖ Journey through China: Land of Walls, Doors, Bridges
❖ Journey through Russia: Land of Contrasts
❖ A Journey West: Westward Expansion, Dangerous Journey
6th Grade
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❖ Responsibility: Who Am I?
❖ Faith: Old Testament Era Kings & Kingdoms
❖ Compassion: A Christmas Carol
❖ Self-Discipline: Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
❖ Loyalty: Forms of Government & U.S. Constitution
❖ Courage: Immigrants, Citizens, & Ambassadors
Science
❖ Systems of the Human Body
❖ Introduction to Cells
❖ Osmosis & Diffusion
❖ Metabolism
❖ Traits and Genetics
FORM 4
7th & 8th Humanities
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The Hero's Journey, Year 1
❖ Ancient Greece: The Call to Adventure, The Children’s Homer
❖ Ancient Rome: Heroes & the Challenge of Power, Book of
Luke
❖ Middle Ages: The Search for Security (in the Ultimate Hero),
Tales of King Arthur
❖ Shakespeare's Heroes & Heroines: Treasuring God's Gift of
Words, dramatic presentation of Shakespeare play
❖ Renaissance: The Heroic Desire to Discover, Art History
❖ The Hero's Journey for Today: The Hobbit
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A Man's Hopes & Dreams God's Purposes, Year 2
❖ America's Dream: The American Revolution, Johnny Tremain
❖ The Testing of America's Dream: The American Civil War
❖ Dreams of a Better Life: The Industrial Revolution & dramatic
presentation of Oliver Twist
❖ Dreams and Disillusionment: World War I & Poetry
❖ False Dreams: The Russian Revolution, Animal Farm
❖ The Dream Survives: America's Great Depression
❖ Defending Freedom's Dream: World War II, The Hiding Place
❖ Dreams in Conflict: The Cold War
❖ Our Personal Dreams: Coming of Age, To Kill a Mockingbird
FORM 4
7th & 8th
Science
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❖ The Nature of Light
❖ Energy and Mass
❖ Simple Machines
❖ An Introduction to Chemistry
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❖ Electricity and Magnetism
❖ Weather and Climate
❖ Physics and Motion