This is the Executive Summary written by SACS/AdvancED:
Executive Summary
Ridge Creek School
Mr. Donald Mull, Director
830 Hidden Lake Road
Dahlonega, GA 30533
TABLE OF CONTENTS
REPORT INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE 1
DEMOGRAPHICS 2
EXECUTIVE INSTITUTIONAL SUMMARY 3
Section 1: Introduction 3
Section 2: Student Performance 5
Section 3: Challenges and Opportunities 12
Section 4: Conclusion 13
Ridge Creek School
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
REPORT INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE
Your ASSIST-Generated Executive Institutional Summary
The Adaptive System of School Improvement Support Tools (ASSIST) is a new, state-of-the art alternative that allows schools to
streamline and enhance their efforts to boost student achievement. Using ASSIST, a school can gain a better understanding of its past
successes and opportunities and confidently build a solid, research-based plan for the future.
Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and student learning takes place influences the processes and
procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way
school leadership considers how to organize, maintain order, and stay faithful to the school's vision. A description of the level of
stakeholder engagement, trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that the school implements to
support student learning also contributes to the overall narrative.
The purpose of the Executive Institutional Summary (EIS) is to give schools an opportunity to tell their story, to describe their context
both strengths and challenges so that the public and members of the school community have a more complete picture of how the
school perceives itself and what it is deliberating as it engages in the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement.
This report is structured into 4 sections that give context about what the school faces on a day-to-day basis in providing teaching and
learning in its community:
Section 1: Introduction
Describes the community in which the school is located. Identifies the unique features and special challenges of this school
community. Provides brief demographic information with regards to both students and staff and the community at large.
Section 2: Student Performance
Gives a brief description of the school's vision about students and their performance.
Provides a brief summary of student performance in this school. Identifies the school's goals and how the school will know
they have achieved them. Describes the variety of the school's student performance assessments. Identifies how the staff
engages in meaningful analysis of student work in order to modify instruction.
Describes the school's student support programs and services. Identifies the ways in which the school ensures
community/parent involvement in the life of the school.
Section 3: Challenges and Opportunities
Identifies the major challenges the school has faced in the last 3 years and how it has addressed those challenges.
Section 4: Conclusion
Identifies what the school is most proud of and why.
Relates other information the school would like to share with the public and the school community.
Ridge Creek School
Page 1
©2010 AdvancED
http://www.advanc-ed.orgDEMOGRAPHICS
Institution
District
Country US
State/Province GA
City Dahlonega
Governance Private, non-charter
Setting Rural
Type High School
Grade(s) 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12
Religious Denomination Not Applicable
Gender Coed
Enrollment 110
Contact
Head of Institution Mr. Donald Mull, Director
Phone
Email
http://www.advanc-ed.orgEXECUTIVE INSTITUTIONAL SUMMARY
Section 1: Introduction
Describe the community in which your school is located. What are the unique features and special challenges of your school
community?
Briefly provide demographic information with regards to both students and staff and the community at large.
Narrative:
Ridge Creek School is located in Dahlonega, Georgia; a small, rural, mountain community with a population of less than four thousand
people. Dahlonega is the site of the first major US gold rush in 1828 and offers an array of cultural and outdoor activities. Ridge Creek
School (RCS) students interact with many local organizations, participate in religious services and youth groups, and attend AA
meetings in town. Students practice "giving back" to the local community by performing numerous service-related activities for such
non-profit organizations as the National Forest Service, the Humane Society, Challenged Child and Friend, the Community Helping
Place, NOA's Ark (a battered women's shelter), and Rainbow Children's Home. RCS students participated in over 5,000 hours of
community service in 2010. The school also supports local businesses through purchases, donations, and volunteer work.
Ridge Creek School provides a unique service that fills the existing gaps between services provided by residential treatment centers
and traditional boarding schools. RCS is a co-educational, private, therapeutic boarding school for oppositional and efiant adoloscents
aged twelve to seventeen. Teh school provides a safe environment and firm structure within which students may learn to deal with their
lives in positive, healthy ways.
There are several distinguishing features that set the therapeutic program at RCS apart from other "special needs" schools. Ridge
Creek School offers a clinically based insightful thinking program that incorporates the best of other types, omits some methods that
others use, and adds a number of unique features. RCS does not use restraints or locked rooms, relying instead on verbal redirection,
logical and related consequences and on students' ability to maintain appropriate self-control. The therapeutic curriculum consists of an
extremely detailed, sequential counseling and educational program, which allows for a high degree of accountability. On and off
campus service projects are built into the curriculum. In addition to the therapeutic and substance abuse curriculum, an adventure
enrichment component is also part of the overall program. RCS seeks to address the needs of the whole child; mental, emotional,
physical, social, and spiritual.
Although students' attitudes, beahviors and general emotional adjustment issues may influence their desire or motivation to learn when
they are first admitted, they are enrolled in academic and study skill classes and are quickly appraised of the standards of their new
community. As atudents adjust to their new environment and the structure of classroom attendance, they invest more in their academic
work. Students are expected to have behavioral problems during the initial phase following enrollment. However, inappropriate
behaviors are not condoned, and there are both positive and negative consequences for students' behavior in the clasroom, in the
dorms, and around the campus. School rules and guidelines for student behavior, as well as positive and negative consequences are
clearly outlined in the Orientation Handbook, and are known by all students and staff. Negative consequences exist on a continuum
according to the severity of the rule infraction. These include therapeutic writing assignments as well as service to the RCS community.
Breaking the campus' three cardinal rules (no sex, drugs or violence) can result in a student being referred to a wilderness program for
refocusing. If significant or extreme problematic behaviors (e.g. violence) or serious thought disorders persist, the student might be
transitioned to a more secure environment.
Ridge Creek School students come from all over the country and from abroad; therefore, the RCS community extends well beyond the
local campus. In 2010, RCS served students and families from twenty-two states, and two countries. Eight three (83%) of students are
male. Students' ages range from 12-17 years (grades 7-12) at enrollment; the average age of students at RCS upon enrollment is 16.5
years. Students are typically from Protestant, Catholic or Jewish backgrounds; however, other faiths are also represented. Many
students come from divorced (45%), single parent 925%), or adoptive (25%) families. While many referrals are through educational
consultants, other sources of referral include the internet and parents of current and former students. Sexty-five percent of students
have had prior counseling; (25% have been hospitalized at least once and 30% have attended a wilderness program prior to
Ridge Creek School
Page 3
©2010 AdvancED
http://www.advanc-ed.orgenrollment. Though students tend to represent financially affluent families, 35% receive financial assistance.
RCS students tend to fit into the broad category of Oppositional defiant Disorder; however, many students also have other idagnoses,
such as Anxiety Disorder, ADHD'ADD, Major Depression, or other Mood Disorders. approximately 20% of RCS students have been
diagnosed with a learning disability and require special education services. Typical student issues and behaviors include:
- Defiance or parental and/or other adult authority
- Poor or declining school performance
- Depression and/or sucidal ideations
- Inappropriate expression of anger
- Promiscuity
- Runaway attempts/episodes
- Alcohol and/or drug abuse
- Self-destructive behaviors (e.g. eating disorder, self harm)
In RCS' professional staff-to-student ratio of 1:1, all counseling and academic faculty is consistently employed on a full-time basis.
Advance degrees are held by 67% of the academic staff, 100% of the counseling staff, and 93% of the administrative management
staff. As with RCS students, staff too comes from all over the United States,a s well as internationally to provide a culturally diverse
campus.
Ridge Creek School
Page 4
©2010 AdvancED
http://www.advanc-ed.orgSection 2: Student Performance
Give a brief description of your school’s vision about students and their performance. Provide a brief summary of student
performance in your school. What are your goals and how will you know you have achieved them?
Describe the variety of your school’s student performance assessments. How does your staff engage in meaningful analysis
of student work in order to modify instruction?
Describe the school’s student support programs and services. In what ways does your school ensure community/parent
involvement in the life of the school?
Narrative:
Ridge Creek School takes the position that negative behaviors are symptomatic of underlying psychological issues. While certain
behaviors may be problematic in and of themselves, they reflect secondary responses rather than causal factors. Essentially,
individuals engaging in self-defeating patterns of behavior are attempting to cope with a variety of internal or external challenges that
create heightened feelings of insecurity and defensiveness. Needs, whether known or unrecognized, internal or external, direct and
motivate outward responses.
Most adolescents are unaware of the deep psychological dynamics at work in their lives. Because core emotional struggles and needs
are rarely understood fully by teenagers, they often feel caught-up in a cycle of negative reinforcement for which they are not
responsible. This can result in tendencies toward hopelessness, emotional frustration, and oppositional attitudes.
It is only after adolescents are made aware of the motivations directing their behavior that they are able to exert more positive control
over their responses. At the center of the Ridge Creek approach is the shift from perceptual irresponsibility and incompetence to
behavioral responsibility and psychological competence.
In addition to facilitating individual growth through formal therapeutic means, Ridge Creek School integrates college preparatory
academics, and leadership training components into the program curriculum. Adolescents who are receptive to developing the skills
and insights necessary to be an effective leader tend to respond to the normal and expected challenges of life in more healthy ways.
Thus, young leaders cope more effectively and are more likely to succeed at home and at school.
Ridge Creek School’s mission is to provide a learning experience for students who have not succeeded academically or socially in
other settings. We address the development of the whole child. We facilitate intellectual development through academic and support;
emotional and social growth through supportive group therapy; spiritual insight through a variety of inspirational opportunities; and
physical development through recreation and adventure-based experiences.
Ridge Creek School seeks to be the premier therapeutic boarding school in the country. The operational and therapeutic standards of
practice, demonstrated effectiveness, and overall quality of programming will meet and exceed the professional expectations set by all
regulatory agencies and by client families. As such, Ridge Creek School seeks to be the program of choice among parents, boarding
schools, therapeutic programs, clinical counselors and educational consultants. Our graduates will speak highly of our counselors,
teachers, instructors, curriculum, and administration.
Ridge Creek School offers a vast array of support programs and services, which is very necessary with our population.
A Therapeutic Curriculum is utilized throughout the program. The clinical model is based upon Erickson’s developmental stages and
leads students to develop insight and learn new coping strategies. Curriculum based groups “Realizations” occur twice weekly for 90
minutes.
An Individualized Therapeutic Plan, including clinical treatment goals, is maintained and revised by the clinical team throughout the
enrollment of the student.
Counselors receive weekly supervision from the Clinical Director. In addition, clinical staffings are held at least one time during each
element to develop specific treatment goals and interventions for each student.
A Master’s level Counselor is assigned to each student upon enrollment.
Ridge Creek School
Page 5
©2010 AdvancED
http://www.advanc-ed.orgParents are informed of and involved in their child’s therapeutic work throughout the program via weekly updates from their child’s
counselor, parenting seminars, as well as individual family sessions with Counseling Department staff at regularly scheduled Family
Workshops.
On a weekly basis, students participate in special 90 minute group therapy sessions “Theme Realizations” based on themes, such as
adoption, divorce, poor social skills, etc. Individualized therapeutic services are available for students with particular issues, such as
addiction, eating disorders or self-destructive behaviors. Appropriateness of individual work is decided at a Staffing.
Ridge Creek School addresses issues concerning substance use by providing education, treatment, and prevention techniques. The
Addiction Counselors address the use of alcohol and drugs of abuse, including nicotine. Soon after enrollment at RCS, all students are
evaluated for addiction issues using the reported history of the student’s behavior, and through standardized testing with the SASSI
–A2 (Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-Adolescent 2nd Edition) and EDI-3 (Eating Disorder Inventory 3rd Edition).
• ATOD (Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs) Psycho-educational classes concerning the risks of drug use, basic information about
addiction and recovery, and the effect of addictions on families. All students participate in this program.
• EASA (Encounters with Addiction and Substance Abuse) weekly sessions are designed to prepare students with substance use
problems for the recovery programs. Students with substance dependence issues continue in EASA until they are prepared to begin
work on their recovery.
• Addiction Realizations — Periodic group sessions to help students with distorted thinking and emotional blocks to recovery from
substance dependency, disordered eating and self injury.
• Solutions Group —Students attend AA and NA meetings both on and off campus which include guest speakers. The Solutions Group
is for students who have graduated EASA and are actively pursuing a recovery program.
• SIG (Self-Injury Group) is a weekly counselor led group designed to help students with this issue.
• Random and routine drug testing
• EDG (Eating Disorder Group) is a staff led group designed to help students with this issue.
• Conjoint Group is a support group for students with atypical addictions such as computer addictions, pornography addictions,
compulsive lying, and other issues that are not covered through the above-listed groups. These students gain an understanding of how
the underlying cause of their addiction is similar even though the behaviors are not.
Student Workshops are intense learning experiences that last a full day. These are designed to completely engage students at a
deeper emotional level than is reached during the day-to-day teaching and therapeutic work of the program. There are two workshops
in each element. Often students will come to new levels of insight or emotional work during these workshops. Each element offers one
therapeutic student workshop and one service student workshop.
The Orientation Family Workshop is scheduled approximately two months after a new student arrives at RCS. The goal of this
workshop is to orient the parent to life at their child’s new school. It allows them to see first-hand how their child is acclimating to RCS.
Parents will be provided informational training sessions, opportunities to meet with teachers, counselors, and other staff and parents.
Parents will participate in individual meetings with their child’s counselor to discuss progress. Parents, Students, and Staff participate in
initiative games, and a campus tour. Eligible students will participate in an off campus visit with their child during the first evening of
the workshop.
Approximately every three months families will be invited to come to RCS for Family Workshops, followed by a student visit. Parents
find these workshops valuable in many ways, and of course look forward to visiting with their child.
Family Workshops address a variety of areas that are vital to the child’s progress. Issues such as parenting skills, communication,
substance abuse, and developing family contracts are addressed—along with specific suggestions for your upcoming visit. Also,
Ridge Creek School
Page 6
©2010 AdvancED
http://www.advanc-ed.orgparents will participate in experiential activities that will significantly enhance their understanding of themselves, their families, and their
child’s work at RCS.
The academic program is designed to provide each student with the instruction, guidance, structure, support and assistance necessary
to ensure that students succeed academically. To succeed, each student must assume individual responsibility for his or her academic
program.
The faculty and staff diligently work to challenge each student to accept that responsibility. The college-preparatory curriculum provides
thorough instruction in the basics of language arts, mathematics and science, social science and foreign language. Classes are kept
small to ensure that every student receives individual attention. The student to teacher ratio is approximately 10:1. Elective classes
are designed to stimulate students’ interests in a variety of supplemental core courses. The 12-month academic year is broken down
into the two traditional semesters and an eight-week summer session.
Upon enrollment, official transcripts are requested and a student’s academic records are carefully reviewed. After a student has
completed their move-in and we have received the official transcripts from all previous schools, the Registrar completes a “credit
review” and an individual Academic Plan for each student. This Academic Plan outlines:
• The credits a student arrives with at RCS
• The classes the student will take while at RCS
• The credits the student will earn at RCS
If the student is not graduating from High School at the same time he/she graduates from the Therapeutic Program, the credits he/she
will need to graduate from high school are listed. These are based on Georgia standards.
New students are assigned to classes according to their individual needs and abilities. Academic work begins immediately. To assist
students with maximizing their previous academic efforts, we assist them in completing courses for which they have received only
partial credit by providing additional instruction and assignments.
Students sometimes come to RCS with outdated or little cognitive, academic, or emotional testing. Should a student’s previous testing
be over one year old, testing is required upon enrollment. Our aim is to put together the most effective plan possible to address all
facets of a student’s functioning. With testing information, teachers and counselors will be able to respond to each student’s individual
learning styles and emotional/behavioral issues in the most effective manner possible.
We are firmly committed to doing everything we can to ensure the academic success of our students. Helping students stay on track
starts with appropriate placement in academic courses. Through examination of the student’s academic history, scores on ability and
academic achievement tests, students are placed in course levels (Remedial through Honors), so that they are challenged, but not
placed in classes that are more advanced than their ability. Teachers monitor progress on a weekly basis and adjustments to a
particular student’s course level may be made; based on observation.
SAT Prep is offered as an academic elective during each summer semester to all 11th and 12th grade students and as an activity
during Fall and Spring Semesters to all students. Students participate in the study of the verbal, mathematics and written essay
sections of the “Scholastic Aptitude Test” (SAT). In this class, they are taught strategies that will help them maximize their scores and
perform on the test with confidence and determination. Practice tests are given in order for the students to become accustomed to both
the nature of the test questions and the actual testing process. A tutorial component is offered in which students have access to
several computer programs designed for SAT preparation. Strategy packets and other resources are also available to students.
Students must be enrolled for three months before taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test. This policy allows students to complete basic
therapeutic work at RCS before taking the SAT, helping to ensure that students are emotionally grounded before they attempt this test.
Exceptions may be made, however, based on the age and level of motivation of individual students. The ACT (American College
Testing) is also available for students who would like to participate. In addition students must be in their junior or senior level course
work and completed or nearly competed with Algebra II.
Ridge Creek School
Page 7
©2010 AdvancED
http://www.advanc-ed.orgParental involvement is absolutely critical to a student’s academic success. We help parents to stay involved by providing you with vital
information about your child’s progress. Parents receive an academic credit review and an Academic Plan shortly after enrollment. In
addition, parents participate in discussions with the Academic Department during all Parent Workshops.
Current grades and comments on classroom behavior are typically available during the update call from the child’s counselor in addition
to the parent portal located on BestNotes.com. Once the academic plan has been created, parents will be contacted by our IT
department with a pin number and instructions on how to access the parent portal. Mid-term report cards are sent midway through
each semester*, and final report cards are sent at the end of each semester. These reports include comments from each of the child’s
teachers. Final exam dates for each semester are available from the Director of Academics.
If students choose not to work up to their potential, they are placed on the “Incomplete List”. This is a list of students:
• Who are missing two or more assignments in any class.
• Who have incomplete work in any class from a previous semester.
• Whose average in a class has dropped below 70%.
Students on the “Incomplete List” lose campus privileges while they are on the list. Incomplete students may lose their eligibility for offcampus
trips, athletic events, and use of the Student Activity Center. Students on the Incomplete List are mandated to attend
Academic Support and a supervised study hall Sunday through Thursday evenings from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
All students are able to attend Academic Support from 2:30—3:30 on weekdays. Academic Support is led by members of the faculty.
Students who are the “Incomplete List” at the end of a Semester are given until the midway point of the following term to make up any
missing work. Students who do not meet that deadline will be ineligible for the next seasonal break. For example, students who have
incomplete work at the end of the Fall Semester and fail to finish their work by the Spring Semester midterms must remain on campus
during the May School Break week.
Students with Incomplete grades that are not made up for the Spring Semester would remain on campus for the semester break. In
addition, students that fail to make up incomplete work by the end of the Spring Semester must continue in those courses during the
Summer Session. This helps assure that students have received the necessary instruction and completed sufficient work to earn
corresponding credit.
Students Incomplete for the Spring Semester would remain on campus for the August Break in order to complete their work.
While on campus during school breaks, students will be required to complete all incomplete work for the past and current semester
before being allowed to participate in fun activities or off-campus trips.
Parents will be informed by letter of a student’s loss of visit due to an incomplete grade.
Students are given many opportunities to study on campus. Teachers hold Academic Support five days per week for 45 minutes.
Students sign up daily with their teachers to participate in this after school academic support. Teacher’s can also sign up students for
Mandatory Study Hall if a student is Incomplete.
Students are given time for quiet study in the dorms. Students are required to be doing academic work at this time. Students should be
in their rooms, seated at their desks, studying or reading. One and a half hour each evening is strictly devoted to studying. During this
time students study quietly and independently in their dorm rooms. Students may also use their free dorm time to keep up with their
work.
Students who are on the incomplete list and/or on Reflections will be placed in Mandatory Study Hall. The work they must complete is
listed on the incomplete list. Mandatory Study Hall is a closely supervised study period in which students are required to work on
school work from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. Students are expected to work solely on their academic work
during this study period.
Ridge Creek School
Page 8
©2010 AdvancED
http://www.advanc-ed.orgWe take the future placement of our students very seriously. Post-RCS placement has a significant impact on students’ ability to apply
what they have learned at RCS and to continue in their success. Therefore, we recommend the use of Educational Consultants in this
placement process. Students are always referred back to their Consultants for the post graduate recommendation process.
Before each student completes Fire Element, members of the Academic and Counseling Departments (including the student’s
counselor) hold a staffing to discuss which types of school settings and follow-up counseling will best ensure each individual student’s
success. From this meeting, RCS generates a written set of recommendations which are mailed to each student’s parents and the
educational consultant.
Ridge Creek School strives to teach pro-social communication and cooperative skills. Much of this work is done through the Recreation
and Adventure Enrichment curriculum.
Ridge Creek School is located on 200 acres and equipped with a full gymnasium, including wrestling and weight room, Student Activity
Center, complete with music room, media room, pool table, air hockey, ping pong, foosball, and video games. Ridge Creek has an
outdoor tennis court, basketball court, full soccer field, and a stocked lake for canoeing and fishing. There are many structured
recreational activities that occur on campus daily.
Adventure Enrichment programming aims to use group games, initiatives, challenges and outdoor adventure experiences to promote
personal growth and development. Exposing students to challenging and novel experiences creates opportunities for them to explore
their social behaviors and understand how their personal choices affect others as well as their selves.
Some key themes that Adventure Enrichment Programming focuses on are:
Self-Concept and Improving Self-Esteem
Positive social interaction
Trust
Accountability
Responsibility
Leadership
Healthy Decision Making
Problem Solving
Conflict Resolution
Adventure Enrichment programming includes both on-campus group activities as well as sequencing groups to off-campus adventurebased
experiences. Activities may include:
Cooperative Group Games
Group Problem-solving Initiatives
Low-Ropes Challenges
Overnight Camping Excursions
Flat & Moving Water Canoeing
Hiking & Backpacking
Rock Climbing
Caving
Though it may be highly recommended by a student’s counselor or therapist that they participate in Adventure Enrichment
Programming, each activity is a “Challenge by Choice” meaning that if a student is not comfortable with a particular activity or is
unwilling to commit to safe behavior during the activity they can choose not to participate in that particular challenge or activity.
All students at Ridge Creek School, regardless of skill level, have the opportunity to select from a wide variety of competitive sports
programs offered throughout the year. Students are encouraged to participate, but it is strictly a voluntary participation. Almost threequarters
of our students participate in the athletic program. The ability to field a team depends on the number of students who
volunteer to join the team.
RCS students compete in the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) in the 4AA region in addition to the ACCE (Athletic
Ridge Creek School
Page 9
©2010 AdvancED
http://www.advanc-ed.orgConference of Christian Educators).
Sports Programs
Fall Winter Spring
Boys/Girls Cross Country Boys/Girls Basketball Boys/Girls Track
Girls Volleyball Boys Wrestling Boys/Girls Tennis
Boys Soccer Pep Squad Boys Baseball
Boys/Girls Weight Training Boys/Girls Weight Training Girls Softball
Boys/Girls Golf
Weight Training
Girls Soccer
Parents are encouraged to attend any event in which their child is participating. We look forward to increased interaction with our
parents and know that the added time between you and your children can only strengthen the work each of you are doing during their
time at RCS.
Off Campus trips usually occur on weekends and often take students to nearby state parks for fun and recreation. As students
progress through the Elements, off campus trips become more frequent and may include visiting museums, dinner off campus, or
enjoying live music at the local coffee house. Other weekend activities include movies, roller or ice skating, Six-Flags, go-carting at the
Andretti Speed Lab, miniature golf, and Atlanta Braves and Thrasher games.
Educational trips occur throughout the program including such events as tours of the History Center, the Holocaust Museum, the
historic Fox Theater in Atlanta, tours of the historic gold mines and other cultural facets of Dahlonega. Students have toured the State
Capital in Atlanta and observed the legislature in session and visited the Jimmy Carter Center, and Cumberland Island. Visits to Stone
Mountain, the Chattanooga Aquarium and Atlanta’s CNN Center are very popular with students. Occasionally it is possible to take
advantage of a one-time special interest trip opportunity. Students have attended such events as an evening slide show about a
Himalayan climbing expedition or a presentation by a speaker at a local college.
Students have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of clubs and activities offered on campus.
The Theater and Fine Arts Clubs provide a creative means through art, theater and music for students to express themselves, to
participate in activities of personal interest, and to add to the quality of life on the RCS campus. Art club members participate in events
and projects that are in addition to their academic work. Drama Club members have the opportunity to play a part in a number of
productions each year and include a variety of on and off campus music-related events and talent shows on campus.
Ridge Creek School promotes student leadership in accordance with its mission and vision. Student’s can earn varying levels of
leadership positions through actions that promote the Ridge Creek School mission and vision.
The Student Council at RCS is recognized as a contributing council. Members represent the finest of RCS students and are expected
to conduct themselves to the highest of standards. Members assist in the planning and execution of service projects, special activities,
campus tours, and helping other students. They also serve as a conduit for student proposals for change or additions to campus life.
Students must submit an application, write an essay, and be approved by their Counselor, Director of Recreation, Director of
Academics, Director of Counseling, and the Student Council staff sponsor. They must be in good academic standing, progressing
within the therapeutic framework of the program, and involved in physical activity. Student Council plans and hosts various school
activities.
To become a Dorm Prefect, a student must be on campus for four months or above; must have demonstrated leadership skills and a
strong sense of responsibility; and must be a positive role model to other students. Dorm Prefects are expected to demonstrate a level
of maturity necessary to help maintain order and cleanliness in the dorms. In return, they may have a private or special room; a
headset for listening to approved music; and may qualify for one extra day at the end of the scheduled holiday school breaks. They
may also earn an additional weekend visit. Dorm Prefects have the opportunity to be taken off-campus for dinner and a movie or other
Ridge Creek School
Page 10
©2010 AdvancED
http://www.advanc-ed.orgoff-campus fun activity.
Phoenix society is available to students who have chosen to continually demonstrate appropriate behavior, a positive attitude and
maintain a good academic standing. These students act as role models by assuming additional leadership responsibilities through
service projects on and off campus and help new students get acclimated to campus life. Students may become members of the
Phoenix Society is a service-based honor society. These students must maintain at least a “B” average and have the approval of their
Counselor and the Heads of each Department. Phoenix Society members have the opportunity to participate in off-campus service
projects and additional fun activities.
STARS is the highest-level student organization on campus. The main focus is to raise the bar as to what a student can achieve if they
push themselves to succeed. Eligible students are nominated by Counselors for continual outstanding performance on campus.
STAR students teach and assist other students to apply the tools they have learned at RCS. These students are eligible for extended
off-campus trips and other incentives. Selection reflects a student’s outstanding achievements in all phases of their developmental
progress at RCS. These student leaders will be held in higher standing than other students on campus through respect, reputation and
trust. The focus of benefits of achieving STAR status will be to have the freedoms and privileges that are the same as other traditional
boarding schools. Students can plan and take various off campus trips such as weekend outings, dinner and movies and shopping
trips.
Ridge Creek School
Page 11
©2010 AdvancED
http://www.advanc-ed.orgSection 3: Challenges and Opportunities
What are the major challenges your school has faced in the last 3 years and how have you addressed those challenges?
Narrative:
The past three years at Ridge Creek School have been defined by challenges. RCS was founded in 1994 as Hidden lake Academy
(HLA) by Dr. Leonard Buccellato. HLA had an extremely strong professional reputation throughout the country. Unfortunately in 2006,
Hidden Lake was the victim of a petition for a class action suit brought by a small handful of parents. Even though the petition was
dismissed, the school was unable to get the unsubstantiated statements off the internet. The negative blog sites continue their
slanderous attacks. On the advice of the school attorneys, the school underwent restructuring and rebranding in 2009 and changed the
name of the academy to Ridge Creek School. since that time, we have been faced with the same economic difficulties as the rest of the
nation. As a result, we have seen increasingly desperate parents looking for shorter lengths of stay. Throughout 2009, our average
student age was seventeen years old and the average length of stay was nine months. This provided an immense challenge to get the
students behaviorally settled, academically motivated, and prepared for college in a very short period of time. throughout this
restructuring period, we as a school, have evaluated our programming and services to continue to adapt to the needs of our ever
changing population. In late 2009, we implemented an adventure enrichment curriculum, which utilizes outdoor wilderness and
recreation activities designed to increase self-esteem, cooperation, and communication, while also assisting in the therapeutic
grounding of students. Additionally, we increased the therapeutic contact hours to include weekly individual therapy sessions. these
combined with the existing structure of the program, have assisted in achieving the behavioral change necessary for the success of our
students, and foundation for the academic achievements they will make with Ridge Creek School.
In an attempt to offset the financial impact of the economic downturn, RCS made a decision to offer a reduced tuition of $4800 per
month as well as needs-based financial aid and/or extended payments. this requeired great attention to budgets and responsibility
amongst the faculty and staff at RCS. However, in turn, this has allowed more families the accessibility to our services.
Ridge Creek School
Page 12
©2010 AdvancED
http://www.advanc-ed.orgSection 4: Conclusion
What is your school most proud of and why?
Is there any other information you would like to share with the public and the school community?
Narrative:
When faced with the question "What is your school most proud of and why?" many thoughts come to mind, but none as powerful as our
graduates.
Our graduates live with values and ethics espoused by the RCS Aggreements; Respect, Responsibility, Moral Courage, Integrity, and
Work Ethic. Our graduates have enhanced cognitive skills, understanding their individual learning styles, strengths and weaknesses.
Our graduates have increased critical thinking, problem solving, and sense making. Our graduates have improved life skills, including
team work, collaboration, communication, healthy lifestyles, good citizenship, self-discipline, self-direction, and social responsibility.
Upon graduation, every RCS student has internalized their teachings and brought the RCS mission statement to fruition. It is for this
reason that the faculty and staff of Ridge Creek School do the difficult work that they do.
