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Only At Rhoades

We understand that parents have many choices for their child’s education. From other prestigious local private schools to top-notch area public schools, the competition is fierce. What makes families choose The Rhoades School and stay until their child graduates? The fact that so many great things can be found #OnlyAtRhoades. Let us tell you more.

Daily Dialogue & Habits of Mind

Our student-led assemblies are more than just a time to get together and revel in student success. It is also a time to reflect inward and reinforce our mission to “inspire curious minds to think deeply and live courageously.” These gatherings are Rhoades’ way of celebrating the fact that our students are in charge of their own learning path. It is about giving our students a voice in their learning. Our culture has a heavy emphasis on living courageously and we use the 16 Habits of Mind to support this way of thinking. A common assembly theme is to choose one of the “Habits” and connect it to our studies and social growth. In the past, students have performed wonderful skits and shared lessons with the whole school to help them internalize these themes. For example, our 5th graders presented how they had to persist through difficult projects or tasks for the science fair using trial and error. They learned that the final outcome was not always a finished product, but it is about learning from their mistakes.

Our Special Projects
Girl Rising
The Girl Rising chapter at Rhoades is all about empowering our students, not just females, into becoming mindful and courageous leaders. The chapter is entirely student-led with faculty support. They plan activities, choose organizations to benefit, and lead different service projects across multiple campuses. Our students share updates on what they are working on during our morning assembly. Girl Rising is creating a better future for girls globally and Rhoades is proud to be a part of it.
Dramatic Arts
At Rhoades, all classes have the opportunity to perform a in play. Our 5th graders even write and perform their own plays. In the younger grades, our amazing teachers write the plays and the students learn the lines and act them out. Dramatic arts at Rhoades is not just about putting on an entertaining show for parents to watch, but also about expression and teamwork. Classes must learn to work together towards a common goal and persist through some of the frustrations that come with a theater performance. In addition, our 4th graders act as a practice audience for the younger students and give them feedback, fostering collaboration and support between our student body.
Service Learning in Action!
We use social justice standards to inform our service learning projects and also our dialogic curriculum and daily dialogue as part of our commitment to diversity, inclusivity, equity and belonging. Some projects that exemplify our commitment to giving back to the community is our Empty Bowls event and partnership with Casa de Amistad. Through collaboration and dedication, the students craft bowls, make soup, and serve it at our Empty Bowls fundraiser. The event helps raise money to benefit Feeding San Diego and teaches students the importance of hard work and the effects of food insecurity on our society. Our middle school students have also volunteered with Casa de Amistad, a non-profit organization that provides tutoring and mentoring for underserved youth in North County. Bags of food and gift cards are donated by Rhoades families to support Casa families affected by job losses.
Buddy Program
As part of our Buddy Program, our younger Rhoades students get matched with older students, and meet biweekly to participate in fun social and academic activities including crafts, reading, and even an egg drop contest. Through the JEDI (Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusivity) club, middle school students come to the lower school to teach our TK students about friendship. This is a great bonding experience for students who may not typically be friends and also provides a mental health break from daily stressors. We want our buddies to learn from each other, but also have fun!
Student Leadership

Rhoades is Student-Led in every way, from Service Learning to to Academic Achievement. Our students are encouraged to be confident in themselves and learn from their mistakes. Student-led conferences are conducted and held with students in grades 4 to through 8 creating a portfolio and setting goals at the beginning of the year with their teachers. Come conference time, they sit with their parents and share their portfolios. This is an opportunity to show evidence of their learning journey and how they came to reach the goal. Students feel empowered in the classroom because learning is not only about good grades, but about deep thinking, happiness, and confidence. Our program allows students to realize that success can come from within and encourages them to recognize that pleasure can come from completing tasks, rather than rewards or prizes.

Students are driven to give back
Buddies club teaches Developing Character
Check out one of our classrooms!
One-on-one time with teachers