RKA celebrates 60 years
educating the youth
of the Riverdale and Kingsbridge communities
17 Great Things about RKA
- Our fabulous student government who worked really hard to lead today's demonstration, help at every activity, and give up lots of their own time to provide fun and rewarding things for our students to engage in with their friends, along with their awesome coordinators: Ms Roberts and Ms. Gordon
- Amazing teachers and staff who volunteered to go outside and supervise or maintain orderly transitions in the building today.
- Our parent community who supported today's movement from the sidewalk.
- The classroom teachers who have tried to communicate to students the history of peaceful protests and other non-violent displays of discontent.
- Our teachers Mr. Flanagan and Ms. Vaccarro and the RCC staff for helping showcase our talented students this last weekend.
- The Arts Department who are gearing up for innovative Spring Festivals on May 23 and 24th.
- Our custodians for keeping the sidewalks clear in the snow and the building warm to welcome the students and staff
- Our kitchen staff for cooking and serving nutritious meals everyday (sometimes 3x a day- Breakfast, lunch and snack!!)
- Our Librarian who brings us awesome enrichment programs such as History Day and the Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking contest- two contests where RKA had city-wide winners recently!
- Our coaches who do right by their players everyday and try to give them a well-rounded athletic experience (social, emotional, physical)
- Our support staff who help in the cafe, Ms. Prince in the Parent Welcome Center, the attendance office, the nurse's office, the metro card office, and the main office.
- Our School Safety Agents who keep us safe.
- Our students as they "March into Reading" under Ms. Johnson's leadership
- Our PA for organizing many events to raise money for the school including the upcoming PA Auction on 3/24 .
- The administrative, guidance, and deans teams who work non-stop to make sure that the concerns of all stakeholders (staff, parents, and students) are addressed.
- Our students who do the "right" thing...today 3 separate children returned lost phones of their peers!
- Our teachers who really go the extra mile: leading clubs, working with kids after school and at lunch, participating in committees, attending Professional Development after school, bringing in cool new programs for students and teachers, organizing Parent Engagement Events such as Pi Day, the Volleyball Match, the 7th Grade Health Walk, the RKA Poetry Slam, the HS SS Trivia Extravaganza, the Hispanic Heritage Celebration, the 8th Grade International Breakfast, the HS Science Park Clean-Up, and Are You Smarter than a 6th Grader?
About our school!
The David A. Stein Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy (MS/HS 141) is a public secondary school that serves students in grades six through twelve from the Riverdale and Kingsbridge areas of the Bronx.
We are committed to providing a rigorous curriculum in a community-based environment, offering a comprehensive liberal arts and science program that exceeds New York State standards and takes advantage of the rapidly expanding technological opportunities of the information age.
We seek to create an atmosphere that will challenge all students to become creative, independent, critical thinkers and foster a life-long love of learning. We encourage students to accept the risks and rigors of academic life in order to achieve mastery in a variety of disciplines including intellectual, artistic, physical, moral and emotional development.
As a six through twelve college preparatory school, the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy provides students with the skills needed to achieve their potential through a variety of learning styles and demonstrate a mastery on standardized and performance assessments.
The middle school component will prepare students for the demands of a rigorous high school education. The high school component will offer students a viable alternative to selective high schools throughout the city. The school will offer maximum opportunities for enrollment in accelerated courses.
The Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy reflects and celebrates the diversity of the community it serves. It will provide Honors programs for students to accelerate, and support programs for English Language Learners and students in Special Education.
Toward this end, we seek partnerships with local institutions including our colleagues in academia. At the center of this collaborative effort is our teaching staff and administrators, the educational professionals who lead our children, parents and community in the quest to nurture and strengthen local public education.
We are committed to providing a rigorous curriculum in a community-based environment, offering a comprehensive liberal arts and science program that exceeds New York State standards and takes advantage of the rapidly expanding technological opportunities of the information age.
We seek to create an atmosphere that will challenge all students to become creative, independent, critical thinkers and foster a life-long love of learning. We encourage students to accept the risks and rigors of academic life in order to achieve mastery in a variety of disciplines including intellectual, artistic, physical, moral and emotional development.
As a six through twelve college preparatory school, the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy provides students with the skills needed to achieve their potential through a variety of learning styles and demonstrate a mastery on standardized and performance assessments.
The middle school component will prepare students for the demands of a rigorous high school education. The high school component will offer students a viable alternative to selective high schools throughout the city. The school will offer maximum opportunities for enrollment in accelerated courses.
The Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy reflects and celebrates the diversity of the community it serves. It will provide Honors programs for students to accelerate, and support programs for English Language Learners and students in Special Education.
Toward this end, we seek partnerships with local institutions including our colleagues in academia. At the center of this collaborative effort is our teaching staff and administrators, the educational professionals who lead our children, parents and community in the quest to nurture and strengthen local public education.
Our Facility
The RKA facility includes two wings: the 55-year old main facility, and a new addition added in 2002. Overall there are 80 classrooms. The new addition has a cafeteria, a library with state-of-art technology, new science labs and prep rooms, and modern classrooms.
We are positioned adjacent to softball fields, handball courts, and basketball courts that are used during lunch, and before and after school.
Middle school and high school students have lunch and physical education separately, as well as separate entrances into the school building.
We are positioned adjacent to softball fields, handball courts, and basketball courts that are used during lunch, and before and after school.
Middle school and high school students have lunch and physical education separately, as well as separate entrances into the school building.
Our Students
Our students come from a rich mixture of cultures, and speak over 60 home languages. Among our students are scholars, leaders, athletes, musicians, artists, performers, journalists and environmentalists.
We have a wide variety of activities and athletics to interest every child. We offer eight PSAL varsity teams and claimed the PSAL City Championship in 2010 for our Boys' Baseball team. Intramural activities are also available to middle and high school students. Clubs such as Model United Nations, Science Decathalon, Video Game Club and Anime Club are offered to middle and high school students after school. Due to the attractiveness of our activities and safe supportive environment, our school-wide attendance rate of 95% well exceeds the citywide average.
We have a wide variety of activities and athletics to interest every child. We offer eight PSAL varsity teams and claimed the PSAL City Championship in 2010 for our Boys' Baseball team. Intramural activities are also available to middle and high school students. Clubs such as Model United Nations, Science Decathalon, Video Game Club and Anime Club are offered to middle and high school students after school. Due to the attractiveness of our activities and safe supportive environment, our school-wide attendance rate of 95% well exceeds the citywide average.
Honors Program
We offer honors classes for students in grades 6-10. Advanced Placement courses are offered to students in grades 10-12. Incoming 6th grade students are offered the opportunity to apply to the honors classes.
Students are selected for honros classes based on past performance in courses, performance on New York State exams, and our own placement test.
Throughout the year, class placement is reviewed by our guidance and administrative officials and some students may be added to honors classes if they are performing well, while some students may be placed in a more appropriate standard course if their performance in the honors class warrants it. Students in 8th grade honors math and science courses have the opportunity to take Regents exams and earn high school credits before leaving middle school.
Students are selected for honros classes based on past performance in courses, performance on New York State exams, and our own placement test.
Throughout the year, class placement is reviewed by our guidance and administrative officials and some students may be added to honors classes if they are performing well, while some students may be placed in a more appropriate standard course if their performance in the honors class warrants it. Students in 8th grade honors math and science courses have the opportunity to take Regents exams and earn high school credits before leaving middle school.
Our Parents
Our Parents' Association is a very active group, whose executive board is comprised of individuals with a wide range of professions and talents. The Executive Board oversees committees which include fundraising, newsletter, School Leadership Team, Health and Safety, mini-grants and Principal Partnership.
Our Facility and Staff
As part of a larger 6th through 12th grade school, RKA's middle school component has its own staff of assistant principals, deans and guidance counselors to address its specific needs. Our teachers, deans, and guidance counselors operate as a team, often meeting to identify ways to best meet the needs of every child.
Our high school team includes teachers and assistant principals who are experts in their fields. Our teaching staff is highly qualified. They represent a wide body of past professional experience including lawyers, artists, and actors. Our guidance officials have a proven track record of helping students gain admission into colleges of their choosing.
Our high school team includes teachers and assistant principals who are experts in their fields. Our teaching staff is highly qualified. They represent a wide body of past professional experience including lawyers, artists, and actors. Our guidance officials have a proven track record of helping students gain admission into colleges of their choosing.