Science & Technology
Ridgewood’s science, technology, and math program is the only STEM program in Clark County to have been recognized as recipient of the Governor’s Thomas Edison Award for Excellence in STEM Education, since 2012. Ridgewood’s STEM program utilizes a hands-on, experiential approach, combining 21st-century skills with an inquiry-based curriculum. More than simply teaching facts and figures, Ridgewood students are learning to ask the right questions, and more importantly, to find their own solutions!
Ridgewood Upper Level students take courses in science, math, and technology, in both traditional and outdoor classrooms. Technology courses teach tools for problem solving in meaningful real-world contexts. All Ridgewood students in grades 5-8 tackle their own questions in a science fair program that is approved by a federally-compliant Institutional Review Board, helping our students understand that the ethics of research are as important as the results.
Ridgewood’s math curriculum is fully differentiated, allowing students to work at a pace appropriate for each child. At the Lower Level, math is taught using Go Math, a comprehensive Grade K-6 mathematics program developed to support the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and the NCTM Curriculum Focal Points. The program emphasizes Essential Questions and Big Ideas with depth of understanding as the goal. By utilizing a spiral curriculum, with manipulatives and multiple approaches, we ensure a strong foundation of true numerical understanding, and not just rote memorization.
At the Upper Level, math courses are fully differentiated and multi-grade. Students progress through courses that include Algebra I and Algebra II for high school credit, at their own pace.
Ridgewood School is delighted to have partnered with Springfield City Schools to offer a unique online component for our Algebra I, and Algebra II courses, allowing students to earn high school credit for their work in these course areas. Students benefit from direct instruction in small classes at Ridgewood, while earning high school credit.