Townhall Meeting Summary

We had a great turnout for Thursday night's meeting and had to start late because we ran out of parking!  

If you missed the meeting, the main announcements and explanation are below.  Make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom as there was much to share! 


A copy of the presentation slides are available HERE.


Thanks to all the volunteers who made this meeting possible.  

It was a joy to be together, the whole group's enthusiasm was infectious!

Summary

Vision

Grounded in Christ. 

Ready for the World. 


These two phrases capture the fundamental vision for the school.  Below is our full vision statement and purpose. 


We exist, in partnership with families, to provide a nurturing and challenging educational experience in a

Christ-centered community, where students are renewed 

in the image of their Creator and are equipped to live out their God-given purpose for His glory and others' good.

We are now at the point of needing firm commitments from parents so that we can determine how many teachers and classrooms are required. Please do so by April 12th so we can plan accordingly. Registrations after April 12 may require wait lists.


At this time, you are simply telling us your intent. If you currently have children at RVC, assume you will pay similar tuition as last year.  On the registration form there is a place to indicate whether you require financial aid. We are committed to making Christian Education as affordable as possible.


If you do not currently have children at RVC, you can find the RVC tuition schedule on their website--we will not exceed that tuition amount. The final fee and tuition schedule will be coming before April 12.



SPORTS & MUSIC

We believe that character formation takes place on the field and in the band room, not just in the classroom.


We're committed to continuing the top-notch music and arts legacy of RVC. Band, choir, visual and performing arts will all be a part of the new school.


We've been communicating with the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). We expect to have provisional status in May, and be granted full membership once we've demonstrated a successful launch in September. This will allow us to participate in league sports.



The specific sports offered will depend on the number and interests of students. 

t-k option! 

One thing that we forgot to mention in last night's meeting is the exciting possibility of having a Transitional Kindergarten


We are unable to offer a preschool, next year, but a Transitional Kindergarten may be a possibility. It all depends on the enrollment numbers.


If there is enough interest and we can make the budget work, we will add TK to the offering. If you have a TK child, please complete the registration. And then get your TK buddies to do the same!

Administration

We are pleased to announce that Mrs. Wendy Cunningham

has accepted our request to serve as interim head-of-school. 

Mrs. Cunningham is currently the elementary vice-principal at Rincon Valley Christian School as well as the music director for elementary band and choir. She is well-loved and talented as a teacher and administrator. We are thrilled to work with her as we start up the new school! 

 

Your Top 7 Questions/Concerns

Back in February, we took a survey of parents and people interested in the new school endeavor.  On that survey, we asked - what concerns or questions do you have about a reborn RVC or new school?  Then, we reached out to most parents on the phone and asked again, what is your biggest concern at this point?  


You gave some great answers and we listened.  Below are the top 7 concerns/questions with answers.  For more answers to questions, see our FAQ page.  

  • The school just closed, how can we have confidence in the stability of the new school?

    The new school will be more stable for three reasons.  First, the board is able to focus solely on the well-being of the school.  Second, by being an independent school we are able to have more broad based support from many local churches.  Third, our administrator and advisers have proven the ability to operate within their means and we will continue to do so moving forward.  See "How stable is this new school?" under our FAQs.

  • Will tuition go up?

    No, we're reducing it!  Click HERE for a 2019-2020 Tuition Schedule.  As fellow parents, we know how difficult it is to afford Christian education.  We will be offering tuition assistance and we are simplifying and reducing fees to help with cost as well.  We don't have an Application fee this year and instead of having a per student enrollment fee, we're doing a flat $300 per family enrollment fee.  We believe that these tuition changes will make us a more competitive option and allow more families to enroll.  

  • What about accreditation?

    At this point, we will not be accredited for the 2019-2020 school year.  We will retain a membership with the ACSI which will allow us to participate in a lot of the valued traditions.  We desire to become accredited as soon as possible with both ACSI and WASC.  It is standard policy to suspend accreditation for a new school.  We will be working towards accreditation just as soon as we possibly can.  

  • Size of school? Combo classes?

    You are the answer to this question!  The size of the school depends on the willingness of families to register.  If we need to have combination classes, there are strategies that we are discussing which would allow for students to benefit from such an environment and receive the independent attention that they need.  This question is why we have made registration free of charge - to encourage families to participate so that we plan accordingly by April 12th.  Register today!

  • Continuity of teaching staff and leadership?

    We are thankful that an overwhelming majority of teachers are desiring to return to our new school.  Wendy Cunningham, a long time teacher and administrator at RVC, has agreed to serve as our Interim Head of School.  We are working closely with the other administrators of RVC and have been very encouraged at the commitment on behalf of staff to continue Christian education in Santa Rosa.  The biggest factor in retaining these great teachers is registration and enrollment numbers, so register today! 

  • LOCATION? CAMPUS?

    We have entered into an "Agreement of Principle" with Santa Rosa Bible Church.  This is the first step in the process of becoming tenants at the existing campus (cost, timeframe, etc.).  The exact "footprint" of our portion is still to be worked out and we are confident enough in the partnership that we can make this announcement public.  Shoring up the campus will help us begin to work in other areas and allow for our first major kingdom partnership with a local church. 

  • Extracurriculars? Sports?

    We believe that character formation takes place on the field and in the band room, not just in the classroom.  We're committed to continuing the top-notch music and arts legacy of RVC. Band, choir, visual and performing arts will all be a part of the new school.  We've been communicating with the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). We expect to have provisional status in May, and be granted full membership once we've demonstrated a successful launch in September. This will allow us to participate in league sports. The specific sports offered will depend on the number and interests of students. 

  • BONUS QUESTION: WHAT DISTINGUISHES THIS SCHOOL FROM OTHER SCHOOLS?  

    Those who will be returning, know that the community relationships that exist in the current community are second to none.  The extracurricular programs at RVC (music, choir, art, sports, etc.) have also set us apart from other schools in the area.  Our current teachers have earned the trust and respect of the families that we serve.  We are a school with a long legacy and track record for providing a transformational educational experience.