Program   Riffa Views International School provides an American curriculum leading to an International Baccalaureate diploma or American diploma upon matriculation.  We have begun pursuing joint accreditation with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools located in the United States and the Council of International Schools located in Europe. The school opened on September 3, 2008, with enrollment in Pre-kindergarten to Grade 5.  Commencing in 2009 Grade 6 was added, then in 2010 Grade 7 was added and additional grades will be added each school year thereafter. The school day for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten children is 8:00 A.M. to 1:45 P.M. and the school day for Grades 1-7 children 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. A wide variety of co-curricular programs are offered in the after school program including foreign languages, music, dance and sports activities. The academic program at RVIS is student-centered and academically challenging. Our program allows children to become actively engaged in their learning and will provide them with a strong foundation for their future studies. Literacy is a particular focus for elementary children at RVIS. Students are exposed to the latest educational practices in balanced literacy based on current research and best practices in US schools. Developmental continuums are used to monitor their progress in reading and writing and to ensure that instruction is differentiated for each child. The science program is hands-on and exploratory with an emphasis on experimentation and a growing understanding of the scientific method. Mathematics actively engages students in problem-solving and works toward developing a conceptual understanding of the basic principles of mathematics. Our social studies program assists each student in understanding the historical and geographic influences that have shaped and continue to shape the human experience. In addition to providing a strong academic foundation for students, RVIS will ensure that students are prepared for their future endeavors physically and aesthetically. Our intention is to provide a holistic, well-rounded experience designed to maximize the potential of every child enrolled in our program. Cultural acceptance and service to others are consciously inculcated and hallmarks of the RVIS program. A wide variety of after-school activities are also provided. All students at all grade levels at RVIS are provided the opportunity to maximize their fluency in the Arabic language. Native Arabic speakers are provided with a program that allows them to continue to build on and expand their facilities in both oral and written Arabic. Arabic instruction for native Arab speakers is designed to ensure that students are able to function seamlessly in oral and written Arabic in and out of school and experience success in Arabic speaking academic environments. Non-native Arabic speakers take an Arabic program tailored to their needs and designed to increase their fluency in written and oral Arabic as they progress through the program. In accordance with the social and cultural traditions of Bahrain and a growing body of research in the United States, all classes in the secondary program (Grades 6-12) will be segregated by gender. As well as showing respect for the traditions of our host culture, this structure allows for enhanced leadership opportunities for both genders and for differentiation to take place in classrooms to better meet the needs of all students. Secondary students will be free to choose to participate in a wide variety of extra curricular activities many of which will be mixed gender.