The Rhoades School

Since 1980, our school has been known in San Diego County for its excellence in Kindergarten through eighth grade education. We combine a challenging and robust curriculum with innovative instruction designed to meet the unique needs and passions of gifted students. As a school designed for and dedicated to serving bright, high achieving students, we focus on teaching children how to think, not what to think.

Students are challenged with a rigorous curriculum, a supportive peer group, and suitable guidance in an encouraging and thoughtful manner. We seek to establish in each student the singular love of learning. Academic Achievement: We cultivate in our students the Habits of Mind that foster intellectual curiosity, analytical and creative thinking, and the pursuit of learning as a lifelong endeavor.

Habits of Mind (Bena Kallick and Art Costa) are the characteristics of what intelligent people do when they are confronted with problems, that do not have readily apparent solutions. At The Rhoades School, we integrate the teaching of 16 Habits of Mind in academic and social settings.

Renzulli's Three-Ring Model consists of three characteristic identified by Joseph Renzulli as markers of giftedness: above-average intelligence, creativity, and task commitment.Through our admission process we identify students with these characteristics. Once enrolled in our school, students use their creativity, commitment and intelligence to master our challenging curriculum in collaboration with like-minded peers.

At The Rhoades School we use an inquiry based, constructivist approach to teaching and learning. Students construct their own understanding and knowledge of new material through experiencing and reflecting on their learning process. Teachers pose authentic questions and challenges prompting students to think deeply, rather than simply presenting information.

Our Lower School is known for excellent academics, personalized attention for each student, and strong partnerships between parents, teachers, students and staff. We focus on social-emotional learning by providing an environment where students feel safe and are motivated and ready to learn. Our Lower School learning outcomes were designed to meet the unique needs and passions of gifted students.