Rio Norte Junior High School

Not a very good school. I attended Rio Norte for both 7th and 8th grade. 7th grade was a wonderful year, but when I got to 8th grade, everything fell apart. The office staff were unbelievably unhelpful. I was told by a particular Algebra teacher that "good students never raise their hand". I was also told by an English teacher that my poetry had "too much emotion" to it and I was given an F. I went from a straight A student in 7th grade to a C student in 8th grade. I Look, if you are looking for a "normal", run of the mill school, and if you want your children to recieve nothing more than a "normal" education, I suppose Rio Norte would be the school for your children. Also, if you have any children with learning disabilities, you will go through absolute hell at this school.

Shocked by the lack of assistance by the staff. My son was a straight A student and upon his first year at Rio, went to all C's and one D. The response from the staff, "we are here to educate and grade, nothing more". We have pulled our son out to attend Catholic School. Ida who is the person that terminates the students attendance said we were breaking the law by putting our child in another school without removing him from Rio. The asst principle, Mrs. Dos said that was not true. The school is unorganized and shows the lack of effort to assist our students AND seems to only concentrate on budget cuts. Dont put your children in such a low morale school that will only allow your student to NOT read, write or show proper math skills. I am very disappointed with such a good neighborhood allowing this to take place.
--Submitted by a parent

I don't understand all the great scores of this school unless other public schools in California are really bad. Class offerings and tests are good, but that's only half the story. My kid, who is a straight A, endures teachers who don't seem able to control the classroom, administrators who would rather eat snack foods in the office rather than help control those students, extremely poor quality food for lunch, and not nearly enough time for students to eat their lunches. There is lots of room for improvement.
--Submitted by a parent

My two older children attended Rio Norte. As far as education goes, it was okay, but the block schedule caused some confusion. My biggest problem with Rio Norte is that in 2008, during the Presidential campaign, many students wore clothing supporting one particular candidate, and a few of the teachers spoke openly about their progressive political leanings. Kids of this age don't need to hear teachers talk about how bad or good a politician is.
--Submitted by a parent

i am in 7th grade at rio as of now. before i graduated from 6th grade, of course, i was nervous. on my first day, i was welcomed and had an amazing experience with the staff! i absolutely love it! the office people are just great too! rio really knows how to help a student when they are having trouble. i hope you get a chance to see what i mean for yourslef(:

It's a great school that thinks outside of the box!
--Submitted by a student

i went there its was a great junior high expierince. i switch there in 8th grade from la mesa jr. high. the teachers at rio norte reeally know how to help students excell. i loved it!
--Submitted by a student

Rio Norte is an school that excels at all levels. As parents, we are thrilled that our seventh grade daughter attends this wonderful school, and are excited about the prospects of our two younger children going there in the future. Rio Norte has a progressive block schedule, wherein students attend three classes per day for a longer period of time. The periods are scattered throughout the week, so over a given rotation, each class meets during blocks A, B, and C. Thus, every child attends Mediaeval History (7th grade) in the early morning, in the late morning, and in the afternoon. Ingenious! In addition, students are placed into teams, so the same pool of students shares the same cadre of teachers. This encourages personalization and essentially builds small schools within a larger campus, a great attribute for all schools. Finally, and most importantly, the teachers are dedicated, industrious, and caring!
--Submitted by a parent

After going to a private school for all of my elementary years, I was apprehensive about coming to Rio Norte and entering the public school system. But after the first few days there I knew I would enjoy both of my years there immensely. I am so ecstatic about being able to go here for the past two years and as a student, I feel ready for the pressure of high school. I am surely going to miss Rio Norte. It has been a great place for me.
--Submitted by a student

Since the elementary schools that feed into this school are all academically superb, the students come in highly motivated, scholastically-driven, and with a well-developed skill set. Thus, it is incumbent upon such a school to deliver what parents are accustomed to: an excellent, standards-based, rigorous education analogous to what the accelerated college preparatory schools offer. Rio Norte delivers! We consider ourselves blessed, indeed, to have our daughter attend this exceptional school. The campus itself is beautiful and well-maintained. The teachers are demanding yet reasonable. The staff is caring and nurturing, yet teachers hold students accountable for their own learning. The counseling staff is receptive and responsive. Thank you, Rio Norte!
--Submitted by a parent