fbpx
Rochester Local

RASA: A School of Curiosity, Culture, and Compassion

This post is sponsored by Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy (RASA).

Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy - RASA

I sat down to write this article formally introducing Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy (RASA) to the Rochester community on the same day I received this text from a friend: “We’re thinking of switching to RASA. Can we talk?” “Of course!” I responded immediately. “Call me tonight.” The whole way home that afternoon, my brain swirled with ways to convey to her our wholehearted appreciation for the existence of this school. My friend and her husband had already seriously considered RASA but had been lured away by one of the Rochester choice schools, where their daughter had been granted a coveted spot. But a change in their family’s circumstances led them to reconsider RASA. And I was excited to sit down before we spoke and contemplate why exactly we were so happy with the school we had chosen for our daughters.

RASA is an International Baccalaureate school offering preschool – middle school instruction.

My husband and I first learned of RASA in 2015, when we were considering where to send our firstborn to kindergarten. While I had attended a small private elementary school, I didn’t necessarily want the same for my own children. My husband was a public school kid and was adamant that our kids should be, too. And after three years of preschool tuition, we were excited for the financial break of public elementary school. But we were not one of the lucky winners of the choice school lottery and our neighborhood school had been described by nearly everyone I asked as, “Big. Good, but BIG.” I wasn’t ready to send my dainty and tenderhearted five-year-old into an ocean of strangers. I realize now, of course, that she’s as competent as she is tenderhearted, and she would have been just fine. But not knowing that at the time allowed RASA to enter our lives. A colleague of my husband’s had been raving about this small, private preschool-through-middle school where his daughter attended kindergarten. His colleague was so enthusiastic, my husband began to waver. So, we talked and decided: It can’t hurt to check it out.

International Baccalaureate World School

We met with principal Nick Doyle, who thoroughly introduced us to the school and answered all our questions. The small class size was a big selling point (each class is capped at fifteen), as was the daily Spanish and French classes for every grade level. But what intrigued me most, and ultimately convinced us to enroll our daughter, was RASA’s status as a certified International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, and all that it entailed.

As an IB World School, teachers and staff at RASA strive to help their students become inquirers, risk-takers, thinkers, communicators; to be knowledgeable, principled, caring, open-minded, balanced, and reflective. Their goal is to foster the development of their students, not just as academics, but also as caring, thoughtful, productive members of society. Every other week, teachers rotate to present a school-wide lesson and activity on one of the ten attributes of the IB learner. But the teaching of these principles permeates the classrooms as well, where students engage in fun and thought-provoking activities. One day, when my older daughter was in first grade, her teacher handed out two pieces of candy to each boy in the class, and one piece to each girl. Then she pulled up a chair and asked both groups how they felt about the disparity. The girls weren’t happy, obviously, and the boys felt guilty. Then they talked about what could be done to eliminate these kinds of inequalities in the classroom and beyond. One day the following year, when my daughter was in second grade, her class received a lesson on both anatomy and empathy. Her teacher invited her sister, who is in a wheelchair, to visit her class and talk to them about muscles, how they work, and why sometimes they might not work. To bring to life the idea of walking in someone else’s shoes, with a slight twist, the students were allowed to sit in their guest’s wheelchair, as well as experiment with different kinds of canes and crutches. These types of lessons are invaluable, especially to elementary and middle school students, whose minds and morals are malleable and susceptible to a well-taught empathy-driven lesson.

Student Body Diversity

RASA’s student population is culturally diverse—another reason it appealed so strongly to us. This diversity not only exists but is celebrated. Kindergarten teacher, Renee Fast, says, speaking of the previous school year and her first at RASA, that lessons on celebrations around the world were a favorite for her class. Her students were able to recognize that children from around the world, as well as their friends in their own classroom, may celebrate different holidays and religious events, but do so with the same excitement they feel. Fifth-grade teacher, Brianna Zabel, echoes this sentiment, saying the world religions unit is always a favorite for her class. Instead of focusing their time on book learning or classroom activities, the class invites speakers of diverse religious backgrounds to visit RASA. Zabel notes that often speakers comment on the politeness of the students and thoughtfulness of their questions. She adds, “RASA really emphasizes diversity and respect for all cultures.” The celebration of culture is not strictly reserved for schools hours. Every February, RASA hosts a multicultural family heritage event that’s open to the public. Attendees can browse tables set up by students and their families, which present information, items, and food significant to their cultures. At a previous event, twenty different countries were represented.

Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy - RASA

Hard-Working Teaching Staff

I’m always struck, each time I talk with teachers or staff—even those who haven’t taught my daughters in the classroom—how well they know them. They don’t just know their names and what grades they’re in; they know what they want to be when they grow up, their favorite books, and which grandparents we visited over winter break. It’s a function of the size of the school, of course, but also of these educators taking a genuine interest in every student. Third-grade teacher—and a finalist for the 2018 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award—Amanda Harmon says that a strong sense of community is her most valued aspect of RASA. She goes on to say, “We really are a great team working together to raise strong, resilient, hardworking children. I love that, within the year, I can learn every student’s name and get to know many of the parents of not only my own students but also other students in the school.” She adds, “Small class sizes are also a huge advantage because I am truly able to focus on each individual student’s needs in order to give them the best education I possibly can.”

Extra-Curricular Activities

And on the academic side of things, learning is fun at RASA. Ask any of the kids. When my older daughter was in first grade, her class presented simple machines they’d built. During one presentation, a student who had built a ramp struggled to explain why it was easier to move an object down the ramp than up it. Their teacher had everyone stand. “OK, guys, jump!” she said. And as soon as their feet had left the ground, she ordered, “Now stay up there!” They were all giggling by the time their feet hit the ground. The teacher explained, “The reason you couldn’t stay up in the air is the same reason it’s easier to move an object down a ramp.” “Gravity!” they all called at once.

The fun and learning extend beyond the school day. RASA offers the following clubs and enrichment activities:

  • Guitar 101
  • GATE Club
  • Theatre Club
  • Audio and Video Creation
  • Ukulele 101
  • Lego Club
  • STEAM Club
  • Chess Club
  • Les Francofolies
  • Newspaper Club
  • Coding Club

In addition, RASA’s daily IQ Club provides structured activities for students who require after-school care until 6 PM.

I’ve mentioned my older daughter a number of times, despite the fact that we have two daughters who attend RASA. The younger, who’s in kindergarten, started at RASA this year. Our second born can be painfully shy, and I was more than a little nervous for her on her first day of school. But on the first Saturday of the school year—and on a number of Saturdays since then, in fact—she came downstairs and asked if it was a school day and when I said no, she huffed irritably, and said, “Oh, c’mon!” I’m so glad she’s happy there, and I’m so excited for her to continue to experience the learning and growth we’ve seen abound in her big sister.

Oh, and as for my friend? Her family’s decision-making was quicker than the writing of this article. Her two school-age daughters are wearing the RASA crest, and I’m so excited for them, too.

RASA is currently located inside The Congregational Church on Skyline Drive; for the 2022-2023 school year and beyond RASA will be located at 2521 Pennington Drive Northwest. For more information, you may call (507) 206-4646, email principal@rasamn.org, or visit www.rasamn.org. RASA can be found on Facebook and Twitter.


Marie Kreuter has lived in Rochester since 2011 when she moved here with her husband and firstborn from the Green Mountains of Vermont. Prior to that, she had lived in both rural and urban Missouri as well as the DC area. From the time she received her undergraduate degree until her first daughter was born, she worked as an editor in various capacities and received her MFA in fiction writing from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her stories have appeared in The North American Review, Feminist Studies, and The Southeast Review, among others. Now, as a mom to Lucy (2010) and Willa (2013), she spends her time scouring her house for empty corners into which she can pile her prolific daughters’ artwork, as they each produce roughly enough each week to overflow a moderately sized sinkhole. She also reads voraciously, writes too infrequently, blends healthy smoothies with an artful, delicate touch (if she does say so herself), completes freelance editing projects occasionally, and plays Words with Friends like she’s got nothing better to do with her time.

 

Related posts

Guide to Moving to Rochester MN

Rochester Local

15 Vegetarian Dining Options in Rochester MN

Rochester Local

Ready to Get Away? 5 Beach Destinations One Stop Away from RST!

Kim Friedline