School is Better with The Four Pillars

Kind. Honest. Responsible. Respectful. These are The Four Pillars on which RCDS is built that instill belonging, purpose, and accountability among everyone in our community. Ingrained into all we do, you'll notice students practicing our core values even when the adults aren't looking. The Four Pillars create an environment where students strive to do their very best, and why so many credit RCDS for helping them become good students and even better human beings.

The Four Pillars in Practice

Kindness is everywhere

Many schools have a designated “Kindness Week.” At RCDS, kindness is everywhere. You can follow its path through our Buddy Program, where each grade is paired with another; our Family Style Dining, where students, teachers and administrators sit down together to eat each day; the Carmody School, which is a resource for all students and especially students with special learning needs; to our no-cut athletics program.

Honesty is essential

Responsibility promotes maturity

Our students learn early that being responsible just feels good. How? They get plenty of practice, through their jobs at lunch, their roles as Buddies, and their take charge attitude in leading the School’s participation in the annual Red Bank CROP Walk against hunger. Furthermore, we use a social decision-making model to help students resolve conflicts and come to a deeper understanding of behavior through reflection, encouraging them to take responsibility for their actions.

Respectfulness reigns

There's a social contract in effect at RCDS: we all respect one another. We're a warm community, but there are expectations for all of our behavior. It’s in the air at RCDS, in the way:

Everyone says hello in the hallways and initiates introductions to make new students and visitors feel welcome.
Faculty are readily available to students outside of class, and students feel quite comfortable approaching teachers for extra help, questions, or just to say hello or share an anecdote.
The environment of our classrooms is highly productive. The understanding of mutual respect means that teachers can work with small groups or one-on-one, while students work independently.
RCDS students don’t have to be told to help — they readily encourage their classmates, teammates and younger buddies.