Elementary / Middle School Program

A Unique School

Rainard School is Houston's only non-profit private school for academically gifted children. We offer a school-year program designed to meet the academic, social, emotional and intellectual needs of exceptionally bright students ages 4 1/2 - 18. The students meet in small classes of 12-15 students. The classes are mixed-age, so students can be with other kids who are their peers both intellectually and socially.

Rainard is a very small school. In the fall of 2009, the school's total enrollment, lower school and high school combined, is approximately 70 students. The high school's enrollment is 12 students.

Integrated Thematic Curriculum

Rainard School uses its own unique school-wide, year-long, major learning themes. Under these "umbrellas" fall the content and concepts required by the Texas Essential Elements. Reading and Language Arts skills are learned and applied while studying the topics. Basic subject skills, including Math and Foreign Language, are developed through continuous progress rather than grade-level expectations. By pursuing science, history, and social studies subjects in depth, students are motivated to develop basic skills while satisfying their need for complex thinking.

The three themes rotate every three years. They are:

Uniquely Human: What makes humans unique among life forms? This year goes into depth in Life Sciences and Ancient History, up through the Middle Ages.
Freedom: How does this driving force affect us? This year goes into depth in Modern History from the Renaissance forward. Physical Sciences, especially mechanics and physics, are explored in depth and applied to Inventioneering and other creative productions.
Spaceship Earth: How does our planet work? This year goes into depth in Earth Science, while the Social Studies focus is on Geography and Current Events.

For the 2009-2010 school year, the theme is Spaceship Earth.

Each of the classes conducts in-depth explorations of topics and questions related to the theme. In this way, when the child advances to the next class and studies under the same theme again, the topics and foci are different, yet build upon what is taught in the earlier classes.

Because the entire school is approaching the same theme, it is easy to share materials and performances across all levels so that students' individual strengths and weaknesses can be addressed and school-wide enthusiasm is generated.

Many field trips are conducted in order to learn more about the topics. Rainard School is fortunate to be located in Houston where a wealth of resources are available in all topics. As students get older, the trips can go further, visiting all corners of Texas and even other parts of the U.S. and Mexico.

By pursuing science, history, and social studies subjects in depth, students are motivated to develop basic skills while satisfying their need for complex thinking.

Tailored to the student

To nurture the individual, the Rainard School teacher assesses each student's growth. To do this, the teacher must have an understanding of child and academic skill development. The teacher must also have an understanding of how a gifted individual's development is extraordinary and how that presents unusual challenges and opportunities.

Rainard teachers go out of their way to accommodate individual differences. This may involve conferencing with parents and psychologists, researching teaching materials, writing individual lesson plans, developing learning contracts, and/or creating special learning centers. The teacher will do what it takes to make each student successful.

Meaningful Work

Gifted learners need intellectually engaging activities that are:

Complex, in that they require the linking of multiple discipline and intellectual areas
Invoking the need to use higher-level thinking skills, which require analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and application of basic information
In-depth, as they allow students to explore a subject in detail and to develop highly technical skills
Opportunities for creative production, in which the learners are producers as well as consumers of information
Respectful of a gifted person's capacity to work at a faster pace and to skip tedious repetition and review

We focus on lessons that are motivating and that develop high levels of skills, avoiding busywork. Our teachers work to show the children that learning is fun and hard work pays off. To achieve this, we:

provide a secure environment for students not only to take intellectual risks but also for students to learn to deal with their intense emotions in socially acceptable ways.

balance active and quiet activities in order to address the high energy levels of the students and maximize student productivity

Nurturing the Joy of Learning

Once you've seen a child experience the joy of learning, you never forget it. The signs are unmistakable: intense immersion, deep concentration, an almost insatiable hunger for more information. Gifted children often develop these profoundly deep interests on their own. At Rainard, we cherish these interests and work hard to nurture and develop them. All too often, a quest for the well-rounded child means that these deep interests are not cultivated. At Rainard, we believe that, if tended and fed, the joy of learning can propel a child to unimaginable accomplishments.

Our small classes enable the teachers to help the students learn to work as a team and appreciate and support one another as valuable individuals. To inspire the joy of learning, the Rainard School teacher must feel that joy.

The Rainard School teacher must be a model of the lifelong learner and be able to communicate enthusiasm for learning. Rainard teachers recognize their own learning needs and take the initiative to develop their professional skills and pursue their personal interests.

Responsive to the Unique Needs of Gifted Children

Gifted children sometimes have atypical, asynchronous development that requires a responsive environment which understands:

The child's interests, physical development, emotional development, and social skills are not necessarily at the same levels as their intellectual skills, so expectations and instruction must be adjusted accordingly. For example, a student may not have the fine motor skills and patience to write the type of stories that he can conceive and want to write. That student may refuse to write smaller, more manageable pieces, thus widening the gap between writing skills and reading skills.
A student may show brilliance in one area but may have skills and interests typical for his age in other areas, so expectations must be adjusted for peaks and valleys.

Before and Aftercare:

Offered from 7:30 am until 6:00 pm

Accreditation

Rainard School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI).