Imagine...
Imagine...
A place where kindness rises, children thrive, and empathy abounds.
Austin Rising School is a place where students have deep and meaningful experiences. We inspire learning through a hands-on, arts-integrated approach. It is always purposeful, thoughtful, and engaging fostering collaboration. Students are encouraged to become critical thinkers and to be involved in their community.
Kindness and empathy are the school culture
ALL CLASSES ARE HELD OUTDOORS!
COVID-19 updates and protocols for 2020-21 school year. Click on link: ARS COVID-19 school protocols
Why Austin Rising School?
We are a unique school
Austin Rising School is a creative cooperative school for homeschoolers that offers an academic two day (Tues & Weds) or three day (Tues, Weds,& Thurs) a week program that is progressive, project based, and interdisciplinary for Elementary and Middle School aged students (6 - 13 years old). We don't waste time on busy work. Students are working and thinking hard. This focused academic time leaves space for families to have time for themselves and other extra-curricular activities. Maybe add in an art class, a music class, or a favorite sport. Families are free to create their own learning experiences at home on the days that their children are not at school.
Visit our Thursday Program page.
Block Learning
At ARS our goal is to create a deep understanding of the world while maintaining natural curiosity in the students. Each lesson is taught in blocks to promote deeper learning and thinking, while developing and increasing critical thinking and research skills.
Visit our Middle School Page
Kids of Kindness
Kids of Kindness is the backbone and culture of Austin Rising School. We remind the students to be kind to the world, each other, and one self. The emotional intelligence of each child is of great importance to us. Students learn how to create a growth mindset, to set limitless goals, to innovate, and to follow their dreams no matter how big or small. A wonderful and endearing culture of community based on love and respect is built because of this.
James K. A. Smith said "education is a holistic endeavor that involves the whole
person, including our bodies, in a process of formation that aims our desires,
primes our imagination, and orients us to the world -
all before we ever start thinking about it."
STEM
(Thursdays)
STEM classes encompass an array of curricula including basic computing, computer programming, game making lab, robotics, biomedical, environmental, civil and aerospace engineering. Classes are engaging and hands-on giving the student a fun experience into the STEM world.
Science
General science class which is an interdisciplinary experience giving the student a grand tour of the sciences, to include: biology, chemistry, physics, geography, botany, astronomy, anthropology, etc.
Parent Involvement is Key
Through Parent Passion classes, parents are invited to teach one month out of the year. These classes are optional to teach and are designed to spark an interest in the students who may not have otherwise been exposed to a certain subject.
What Students Are Saying...
What we learn with pleasure we never forget - A. Mercier
What Parents Are Saying...
"Our family has been fortunate to have been with ARS for the past 4 years. New then to homeschooling, we were unsure what we were getting into, and we were so lucky to find ARS! It has been an interesting, fun, centered, caring, and cohesive community in which to belong. We started with one child in the program and now have three, and they love coming to school. The Kids of Kindness program literally should be in every school, in my opinion. It gives the kids a venue to process civility, community, friendship, caring, and compassion, in the context of their own lives and leading by example in the real world, in ways that get them thinking with heart, which I have so often witnessed. Students pick up valuable life tools and practices, such as yoga, breathing exercises and meditation, compassionate contemplation, with varied games involved, all geared to their levels; then they get to play with all ages on the playground, which provides raw challenge and enrichment, as well as starting off the day together, which is beautiful. There is enough warmth and support at ARS such that all the children can be included and accounted for, both in and out of the classrooms. This creates a great dynamic, where some very diverse personalities engage in close-knit, constructive units, and I think that’s a great ideal to go for in this world!
As many programs are made great by the people who run them, this is true here at ARS, which is so special. Each teacher obviously puts her heart, time, and mindful energy into the curriculum developed, and it is rich enough to be the model for all you use at home and yet flexible enough to supplement with other curriculum if desired. We have done both, and both have worked! Given that the curriculum focuses on one theme at a time, the education surrounding a subject is deep and often has very beautiful, thoughtful art (including visual, written, performed) coming through. For the most part, ARS has taken the pressure off being the sole teacher of my children; rather, I get to be the facilitator of a lovely curriculum sent forth by dedicated teachers, all of whom my children have experienced and loved. My oldest came into ARS struggling with math, and she has really grown to appreciate math and relax in the learning process, thanks to her teacher's strategic, effective manner of engaging the kids in numbers and games. Between this set-up and the open opportunity to explore anything through parent passion classes (like gardening, amounting to a great skill set and nutritious snacks for the kids!), my children have been receiving a very well-rounded, quality education through the ARS model." - Jasmine A.