I hope this finds you well as you wrap up your summer break! We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back to school later this month and we still have some openings for day students in various grades. We will also be celebrating the 16 students who are joining us from Mexico, Albania, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, China, and Indonesia in our Residential Program.

Here at Riverstone International School, we are committed to ensuring that our students have both the personal and academic skills to interact with others and contribute on a global stage. I wanted to share a few ways that we measure this commitment, including our Diploma Programme exam pass rates, our standardized test scores, and college acceptances.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme pass rate for Riverstone's Class of 2016 was 88% - exceeding both the United States and the global rate for the third straight year. Additionally, our average student score was 31; whereas the US average score is 27 and the global average score is 30. You can read more information about the Diploma Programme exam pass rate here and I've also included a graph below highlighting these rates.

We believe this strongly represents the quality of instruction we provide for our students. Our pass rate is not achieved by rote practice, but by our school and teachers providing an atmosphere where both skills, knowledge, and innovation are equal parts of the daily education. We balance the emphasis on project-based learning with skill acquisition. We develop students who have strong 21st Century skills, who can research and read critically, who complete a rigorous math and science curriculum, who find mentors and ask for help, and who engage daily in a global community.

We strive to bring the IB mission to life, "...to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect." Our standardized test scores used for college admissions are equally impressive.