River Road/El Camino del Rio Elementary School is an energetic and welcoming place. Our goal is to create a safe and nurturing environment so students can learn and grow both socially and academically.

Special Programs

We are fortunate to be able to provide several innovative and worthwhile learning opportunities to our students that go above and beyond what is offered in their daily classroom setting. We offer full-day kindergarten for all of our youngest students. This effectively gives the students twice as much kindergarten as they might get at another school. This program allows students to enter first grade with a strong foundation in reading and math skills and concepts. Our BEST after-school program gives students who need a little more learning time and opportunity to receive an extra hour of reading instruction followed by enrichment activities such as gardening, cooking, crafts, field trips, and games.CurriculumAll curriculum taught is geared toward helping students meet State of Oregon Standards and Benchmarks. Our mathematics program, Investigations/Envisions, challenges students through hands-on activities, games, and in-depth concept development.
Houghton Mifflin Reading is used school-wide. This is a complete reading curriculum that combines phonics and skills lessons with general strategies for reading, understanding, analyzing, and questioning text. Reading material includes a wide variety of literature, both fiction and non-fiction. In addition to differentiating reading instruction in the whole-group classroom setting, students are also given the opportunity to learn in ability-based groups for 45 minutes each day. This “workshop” time gives students time to review and practice skills or to be challenged to go above and beyond their grade level expectations, but there is more to learning at River Road/El Camino del Río than reading and math. We use hands-on inquiry based science kits in all classrooms. Physical education and music specialists work with all students on a regular basis. We strive to integrate the arts in our curriculum. Most artwork produced by students is directly related to what they are studying in reading, science, or social studies. Every year classrooms put on plays or performances that provide opportunities for students to stretch their minds and talents in new ways.

Parent and Family Involvement

We are lucky to have a strong group of parents who volunteer many hours to enrich the learning experiences at River Road. The Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) meets monthly. The PTO works to raise money, plan events, and provide support to the students in any way they can.

Technology

Each classroom has a bank of computers that are used daily by students. We also have a computer lab that is able to accommodate an entire class of students at one time. Students use programs that directly reinforce skills they have learned in reading and math. Students are taught to research using resources on the internet. Word-processing programs allow students to practice keyboarding skills and publish their work.

Staff

The staff at River Road/El Camino del Rio is enthusiastic and hard working. Many speak both English and Spanish. In addition to our highly qualified teachers, we have a stellar group of instructional aides. The staff endeavors to create a warm, nurturing, environment with high academic expectations for all students.