As you know, Riverstone's Five Pillars encompass the central philosophies of our school. One of those pillars, International Understanding, is grounded in our belief that the combination of curriculum and classroom environment sets the foundation for our students to acquire life-long and transferable skills that will help them navigate the global world in which we live.

The International Baccalaureate Programmes and philosophy encourages our students to view literature, history, science, language, and the arts from different perspectives and to help them make informed decisions.
 
At Riverstone, every student is required to study a second language through their high school graduation. By doing so, they will also improve their first language skills and academic development, while gaining an appreciation and openness to other cultures. 

We believe that the classroom environment must also encourage international understanding, which is why we are proud to have 45 nationalities represented within our school community. We have families from Japan, Bulgaria, France, and Italy for example, and international students in our high school from Spain, Germany, and China. Being surrounded by people with different backgrounds and opinions -- and sitting side by side with them in classrooms with fewer than 18 students -- helps each student's perspective to continually grow and develop.
 
In short, as one of only 17 schools in the U.S. that offers the full continuum of the IB programmes (PYP, MYP, and DP) and 45 nationalities represented in our community, we help our students understand that at the core of International Understanding, we are all human beings who wish to be respected and welcomed.
 
Another tidbit: We are often asked about Riverstone's IB Diploma Programme pass rate for our graduating seniors. The Riverstone average exceeds the national and worldwide average. Our pass rate is 82%, the international average is 78% and the U.S. average is 66%. Additionally, we have the highest pass rate locally.

We're currently accepting applications for our residential program beginning this Fall 2016. Please read more about our school, living in Boise, and how to apply here.