Riverview School: A leader in educating extraordinary students.
Riverview School is an independent, coeducational boarding/day school, located on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Riverview is a leader in educating students with complex language and learning challenges. We’re committed to helping each of our students gain academic, social, and independent living skills to achieve their goals.
Middle School/High School
Riverview School’s Middle & High School Program serves students (ages 11–19, grades 6–12). Students experience the sense of accomplishment that comes from meaningful academic, social, and life experiences. They celebrate their talents and abilities while developing strategies for managing challenges. Whether they are in the classroom, residences, playing fields, or community, students learn the importance of hard work, collaboration, and perseverance.
Academics
A Culture of Encouragement
Riverview is committed to developing students’ academic abilities, and to helping them acquire and apply knowledge.
Lessons are presented via a thematic, integrated curriculum. Literature, writing, hands-on history activities, the arts and field trips are all connected to a central theme. Coursework is supported through the latest technologies and innovations in teaching. Specialized speech and language services, reading instruction and social skills training are infused throughout the curriculum.
Students are grouped in small teams, based upon grade level, in which the student-to-teacher ratio never exceeds 8 to 1. This ensures that each child’s unique needs are fully understood and met.
High School Students receive English Language Arts (ELA) and reading instruction each day. They also participate in daily math, history/social studies, science (or Senior Seminar) and elective classes.
Middle School Students take part in content-driven, hands-on projects related to a theme while strengthening their problem-solving, investigation, research and writing skills.
Social Skills
A Culture of Friendship
Riverview helps adolescents build positive relationships, understand emotions and develop self-advocacy skills.
Students have many opportunities to practice their social skills with staff and other students. At Riverview, social skills guidance is the responsibility of every member of the faculty and staff, all of whom are well trained in assisting students in understanding appropriate social interactions.
Independent Living
A Culture of Independence
Instruction in independent living is creatively embedded into the Riverview academic and residential curriculum so that students can learn and practice skills related to cooking, shopping, personal hygiene, health, nutrition and fitness, stress management, and the planning of recreational activities.
Many parents are amazed how much their children can, and in fact, will do for themselves when challenged. At Riverview, skills such as room and dorm care, daily living, time management, organization and budgeting are taught in structured, supported settings, helping students to stretch and grow and feel wonderful about their new skills and themselves.
GROW Program
Riverview School’s Post High School Transition Program for young adults, ages 17–21, is called GROW—Getting Ready for the Outside World.
The curriculum includes direct instruction in practical academic subjects but also provides students who have completed high school with the social, vocational, and independent living skills they need to function as independently as possible. Additionally, Riverview's transition planning services are second to none and help students prepare for life after graduation.
Structured much like a college campus, GROW students live in dorms, take classes and participate in an extensive internship program. They learn how to self-advocate, make mature choices and take responsibility for all aspects of their lives, including selecting and planning their own social activities.
Additionally, students gain firsthand experience in a variety of work settings, helping them to develop good work habits and increased awareness of personal strengths and interests. There are 4 flagship programs that make Riverview’s GROW Transition Program the gold standard in post-secondary education for students with complex special needs: Café Riverview, Second-View Thrift Store, Project SEARCH, and our ability to provide support while students take mainstream college classes at Cape Cod Community College.
Academics
GROW Academically
The GROW curriculum includes direct instruction in academics with courses that include: Communication and Literacy, Personal Finances, Consumer Math Concepts and Travel Training.
GROW students focus on topics such as effective listening and communication, technology, relationships, self-advocacy, personal safety and self-awareness. Classes cover time, task and money management. Problem solving and budgeting exercises mirror real-world monetary challenges. Coursework is supported through the latest technologies and innovations in teaching.
Mainstream College Courses at Cape Cod Community College
Introductory level courses are an option for Riverview GROW students who meet the College’s eligibility requirements. Students are required to take the Accuplacer test at the college and submit copies of recent Psychoeducational Evaluations. The documents are reviewed by the CCCC Learning Disabilities Advisor and eligibility is determined.
Mainstream courses provide an empowering experience for our students. They take great pride in being part of the mainstream college experience. While the expectations of each course are different, all are time intensive and require considerable levels of persistence and perseverance. Riverview students are provided with extra tutorial support on campus and have a great track record of success within the program. Both students and their families report that participating in the mainstream program is a remarkable experience on many different levels.
Social Skills
GROW Socially
Each student is assigned an advisor who serves as a liaison between home and school and provides support with self-advocacy, self-awareness, problem solving and social skills.
Students learn that while their disability impacts them, it does not prevent them from having a full and meaningful life.
Independent Living
GROW Independently
Instruction in independent living is highly individualized. Students learn and practice skills related to cooking, comparative shopping, personal hygiene, health, nutrition and fitness, stress management, home maintenance, transportation and the planning of independent recreational activities. While the routines and structure ensure that these important skills are learned, students at GROW play a very active role in designing and planning their lives.
GROW offers an inclusive environment where students utilize the community to maximize their independent living capabilities. Most graduates can expect to live in a place of their choice with friends or family, and in a community where they can work and socialize.
Summer Program at Riverview
The Riverview Summer Program is a five-week, co-educational experience, full of adventures, activities, academics, independent living and social skills, and fun!
Riverview Summer offers two distinctly different programs for different age groups: Middle & High School (ages 11–19) and the Post High School (ages 17–21) transition program, all staffed by experienced faculty from Riverview’s school year program.
For Middle & High School students, the Summer Program is designed to build social skills and independent living skills while maintaining academic progress achieved during the school year.
For Post High School (GROW) students, the Summer Program is designed to teach vocational, social, and independent living skills while reinforcing academics.
All while having fun, enjoying activities and adventures on beautiful Cape Cod!
Riverview’s summer experience serves as an ideal opportunity for students, whether coming in for the new school year or not, to become acquainted with campus life, teachers, residential faculty and peers.
551 Route 6A, East Sandwich,
Massachusetts 02537
T: (508) 888-0489
F: (508) 833-7001
Email: admissions@riverviewschool.org