The Rubicon Academy

The Rubicon Academy has been amazing with my children. They are all thriving in a loving environment with teachers who really care about their success and development. The curriculum includes so many extras - choir, flute, art, Spanish, robotics, etc. and my kid's favorite - extensive recess time to explore the 5 acre campus in the woods. They also have extensive field trips and participate in larger events, i.e. science fair, FLL competitions, PSIA competitions. The school turns out children that are very cultured, knowledgeable, conversant, and impressive people.

My child has completed his preK year at The Rubicon Academy. I am so impressed with how much he has learned this past year. We started the year not knowing how to write very well, only knowing a few site words and not really have any math skills. Now he has excellent penmanship, can read the I can read books, learned basic math, time and money facts. I never expected him to be able to paint a picture and have it earn a prize at the Livestock Show and Rodeo or to become a proficient lego builder/problem solver. I can't express enough gratitude to the teachers at The Academy for helping my son become the best that he can be.

The school advocates acceleration, creative and critical thinking and problem solving through its use of the National Standards, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), the Core Knowledge curriculum and the Texas Tech online curriculum. Creative and critical thinking are emphasized at the Rubicon Academy through their Robotics and Educational Lego programs. These initiatives not only promote teamwork, they enable students to hone their critical and higher order thinking skills. Use of the Core Knowledge Sequence affords students the opportunity to learn the important knowledge they will need to make significant progress in school and be effective in society. The Core Knowledge Sequence is aligned to the TEKS and is an excellent companion piece to the National Standards. Rubicon's school culture and climate are aligned with the campus'' vision of acceleration, creative and critical thinking and problem solving.

The exemplary leadership and vision of the school's director has created an educational program of excellence for its award winning gifted students. The school's director has translated her vision to establish a school which gives families an alternative to the education offered in public schools into reality.

The support staff members are experts in their respective fields of study and expose students to a wealth of real world experiences. Each member of the school's support staff adds significant value to the school's vision and commitment to providing a challenging and enjoyable learning experience to its students by merging real-world experiences into the school's dynamic curriculum. In addition to working at the Rubicon Academy, the art teacher works with the Woodlands Art League and the Woodland Waterway Art Festival. In like manner, Rubicon's Robotics teacher is a part-time Robotics teacher at the University of Houston. The Spanish teacher also teaches at Lone Star College, and the math teacher/tutor is a retired public school teacher and curriculum writer.

Our boys started in Ms. McConnell's preschool class this year and love their introduction to school. They are thriving with the structured learning activities and look forward to each new educational experience. We especially love the new interactive learning boards and plan to donate additional funds for such innovative learning modalities.

The school leaders and staff personalize and individualize the learning experience for each student which allows students to progress as far as they are able without age or grade level boundaries. The school has revisited their mission to reflect their use of a personalized curriculum to promote students to progress as far as they are able without age or grade level boundaries. E.D. Hirsch's Core Knowledge Sequence is the basis of the school's innovative individualized curriculum. The school culture reflects the dedication of work in the best interest of students'' academic well-being with individualized instruction.

With the creation of the Rubicon Academy, the director is able to serve gifted and talented students whose ages range from 2 to 15 years old. The defining characteristics of the school are academic excellence, leadership and character development, and emphasis on the fine arts. The Rubicon Academy's director provides exemplary instructional leadership to the school culture which honors learning. The Academy promotes quality instruction by fostering an academic learning climate and actively supporting teaching and learning.

One of the many reasons we chose Rubicon academy was its challenging, motivating curriculum that has certainly satisfied our daughter's curiosity. The high teacher-student ratio assures one-on-one attention tailored to her particular needs and degrees of advance in each of the areas. Our daughter is extremely happy and stimulated with her teachers and peers and asks to be at school everyday. What a blessing this is! Because of it's size, teachers, students and parents are very well connected. The teacher staff is very friendly and a joy to be around. This has been very exciting for all of us and we feel that this has been the best decision for our daughter's education. We look forward to many years with Rubicon!!

We are thrilled to have discovered The Rubicon Academy. My child is finally being engaged and challenged academically. My child enjoys the numerous field trips that give him great exposure to the arts. I am impressed by my son's progress in the school's fine arts program. He pulls out his flute and starts playing tunes at every opportunity. He also loves to show off his Spanish to me. As a Spanish teacher myself, I am impressed with his knowledge and accent after only 2 years. My child also has a wonderful report with his teacher, who is a jewel. I am delighted by the progress my son has made during his time at The Academy.

This is my son's third year at The Rubicon Academy. He is now in the all day classroom and is doing a terrific job. At only 4 years old, he has already begun to master many of his site words, his handwriting is incredible for his age, and he is starting to master basic math skills. He is achieving what many 6 year old in the regular classroom have just started to learn. He is also doing well learning his Spanish (he enjoys counting and singing songs in Spanish) and playing his recorder. One of his paintings was entered into the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo as well. He also enjoys his Lego robotics class tremendously and that has helped with his fine motor skills and problem solving skills. I am very pleased with the progress he is making in school and with how wonderful his teachers are.

The strong sense of family and team spirit permeates throughout the school and adds a unique richness to the school's multiage culture and strengthens each student's sense of self-reliance. Rubicon Academy exemplifies a strong sense of family and team spirit, as evidenced by students helping and encouraging each other, as well as teachers helping students to be their personal best. The school has created a learning environment for students that nurtures a sense of caring, and belonging is evident in every facet of the work of the school. Successful schools have positive and productive working relationships that are established among students, support staff and administrators.

We were concerned about the education our son was getting at the public school for the past 2 years. Yes, we saw some work being done, but I feel he was not being pushed or motivated enough to get the best out of him. A few years back our son was in a large private school with a great reputation, yet, I could see him under allot of stress and being "left back" by the teachers, since they are not able to put enough attention to him with such a large class room. Getting him enrolled to the Rubicon Academy was a major decision for us because it's a small school and different than most schools we know, but after a couple of interviews with Dr. Roberts I could sense her passion for teaching, the many years of experience she has and most importantly her understanding of working with kids with special learning needs. Our son needed this special attention and patience that Dr. Roberts has provided him. It's been just 2 months since he started at the Rubicon Academy and I''m so happy of the big changes and amazing progress I see in him. He is happy to go to school every day. Now I know that this difficult decision we faced will pay off for many years to come. I believe I will remember my boy "before Rubicon" and "after Rubicon"... I know my son has a big future!

The caring and involved attitude of the teachers at The Rubicon Academy combined with the small class size allows every child to cultivate their skills and interests.

The community feeling of the Rubicon Academy is enhanced by the multiage classrooms and home style setting of the building and grounds. It encourages the children and faculty to treat each other as family and they do. You can tell that they all truly value each other.

The Rubicon Academy offers an exemplary atmosphere for learning and creative thinking. With their individualized curriculum and outstanding fine arts program, my child has excelled far beyond his age mates in his academic, critical skills and problem solving abilities.

We were drawn to The Rubicon Academy because of the small class sizes and individualized teaching. Although our son has only been enrolled for a couple of months, we are amazed at the progress he has made, especially in reading and learning to play the recorder. We have been very impressed with the well rounded curriculum including the fine arts program and extracurricular activities. Our son has been excited about his experience and we are looking forward to the rest of this year and many more years to come at The Rubicon Academy.

My son is in the pre K class at The Rubicon Academy and I am so thrilled with his progress. The high teacher to student ratio allows plenty of individual time with all his teachers. I find that with their balance of academics, fine arts, field trips, etc, he is a well rounded individual who is learning the skills he needs to achieve great things.

I could not be more thrilled with our experience at The Rubicon Academy. My child is thriving. Shi is lovingly cared for, appropriately challenged and is evolving as a well rounded, healthy, considerate child. I am so happy we happened upon the Rubicon. We are very grateful for all they have done for our daughter.

My son has been going to the Rubicon Academy for the past three years. Rubicon has much to offer to its students. They participate in many activities including Robotics, Spanish, computer science, competition in various subjects including math and writing. It's a great place for advanced kids and besides academics, they learn: - Time management: It's a pleasant surprise to see how much kids can accomplish if we keep the expectations high while keeping the learning fun. - Team Work We will be forever grateful to the director, Dr. Roberts and all the other teachers for what they have done for our son.

The Rubicon academy is a wonderful school. I've been going to it for eight years. I am in the 8th grade. It is wonderful in every aspect. I've been to several schools and this one was the best school I could ever dream about. There is no bullying and the teachers take their time and work with students individually. Everyone at the school is kind and does not leave anyone out. It is a wonderful education that prepares you for the future. There are several activities such as field trips, art classes, arts and crafts for all grades, PE, and much more.

I have been going to this school for six years now. It has helped me move forward greatly in my academic life. Although I am only in eighth grade, I am already finishing Pre-Calculus and Spanish 3. During my time at this school I have learned how to play the flute. This school offers the experience of earning medals and trophies at a competition called PSIA, which is a state-wide academic competition encompassing all fields of academia. In 2010, with only five people, we managed to take 1st place in the state school competition. Individually we each got several medals including some 1st places, 2nd places, and 3rd places. This year, 2011, we managed to pull 2nd place in the state competition with only two people.

Our son Devon has attended The Rubicon Academy for 6 years. He was extremely bored and unchallenged in 2nd grade at another school. He tested very well in math but his verbal skills were not as high. When he started attending Rubicon he was able to move ahead at his own pace in math. Today at 14 he has finished pre-cal and is looking forward to AP Calculus. In one year his test scores on the verbal part of the Iowa test increased significantly. Devon has won 1st place in Math at state in PSIA for 2 years in a row. He has medaled in many other subjects as well. He has learned to play the flute beautifully and enjoyed playing at Jones Hall many times with The Rubicon Academy. His SAT score last year was in the top percentile of the Duke TIPS program earning him an invitation to a special awards program at Duke University. He was also picked to attend a national leadership program. While Devon is a very bright person I don't feel he would have achieved any of these awards and levels of recognition without the special atmosphere at Rubicon. This school prides its self on helping gifted youngsters move as far ahead as they are capable of. I also loved the art and arts and crafts programs. We have some lovely stained glass items in our home thanks to Ms. McConnell. Rubicon creates a warm family of students and an extremely safe, nurturing experience for my son with a top notch academic program. When you are surrounded by other gifted students you don't "dumb down" to fit in, you race to see whom is the best. My only wish is that we had found Rubicon earlier so his sister could have had this advantage.

The Rubicon Academy is an accelerated school, in which children are not held back by large classes. Every child works at his or her own pace, and can get as far ahead as they desire. Speaking for myself, I am in 7th grade doing various high school courses. I started at The Rubicon Academy when I was entering 5th grade, in 2008. Immediately my family and I saw a difference in my vocabulary, math skills, and time management. We also noticed how I seemed more involved in political events, such as the 2008 elections. Our teacher, Dr. Franci Roberts, had us watch the debates and write notes on them. She then listened to each of our opinions, and we compared and contrasted views on which president had better ideas on the hundreds of issues our country was facing, including the economic recession, the rising gas prices, and health care for American residents. I tested into Pre-Algebra in 5th grade, and now, in 7th grade, I am finishing Algebra 2. I hope to get into the Academy of Science and Technology, a magnet school to College Park High School, going into Calculus and Spanish 4.

Due to his birthday, my youngest son would have started kindergarten late in public school, so we started him in kindergarten at Rubicon instead. Three-fourths of the way into the school year, he was academically surpassing his older brother in 1st grade at public school. So we pulled our older son from public school and put him in Rubicon also. The difference has been remarkable.

At Rubicon he has learned many things including time management, a positive attitude to work, perseverance and respect. It is a top-notch school and I sincerely recommend it for all gifted kids.

At the Rubicon they challenge you by giving you hard work to see what you can do. The Rubicon Academy was named after a river and was a challenge to get there. Like right now 4th graders are doing sixth grade math and are going to get pre algebra. They also give you some fun at the end of the year. They take the older children who get money as incentives and go shopping with the teacher where ever you want. They do summer camps during the summer that many of the kids attend. They give you a summer packet so you will not forget anything you would have learned during the whole school year. We also go to the public library to learn how you find books and check out books every time with our library card that we got at the beginning of the year. We go to the library every other week during the school year.