Carmel River School's primary mission is to give students an exceptional academic foundation that will prepare them for the demands of the 21st century workforce. Embedded in the Carmel River School education program, is a focus on cultivating  student passion for learning and curiosity that will empower them to meet its mission.

The greatest asset Carmel River School (CRS) possesses is its exceptional teaching staff.  CRS has worked very hard to recruit, train and retain a teaching staff that defines excellence.  The district and site leadership understand that this is the most important task it is charged with and works very hard to achieve this goal.  A high degree of satisfaction is documented in the last parent survey, which affirms the talented and dedicated teaching staff at CRS.  

While CRS is especially proud of its student performance and quality of teaching staff, we also take great pride in the rich, rewarding and comprehensive education we offer students on a daily basis.  In addition to fully implementing Common Core Standards in ELA, mathematics and science, our students benefit from extracurricular classes that include Spanish, PE, technology, classroom and instrumental music, library, science and outdoor education in our children's garden.

River School goals for 19-20, as documented in our Single Plan for Student Achievement, focus on providing a challenging, relevant and innovative curriculum for our students; developing their personal well being by cultivating a healthy and happy learning environment; and providing staff with professional development necessary to achieve the goals. These goals are laudable, but students cannot optimally learn if they don’t feel safe and secure in their school environment.  To that end, CRS sets a high bar for student expectations in terms of citizenship, while also providing  a nurturing environment supported through the school's focus on socio-emotional wellness.  Consequently, nearly 100% of our students report that they feel safe and enjoy attending CRS.  

Beyond the core curriculum, CRS continually aspires to connect student learning to the world outside the classroom and evidenced by its commitment to protecting the watershed and ocean.  Honored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as an Ocean Guardian School for a fourth year, River students dedicate themselves to marine protection while performing a number of conservation duties.  These duties include marine based peer education, campus beautification, public service announcements and exhibition of artwork.  In the past few years, CRS has worked with the Carmel-by-the Sea City Council to educate the citizenry about the harmful effects of plastics and this resulted in the city banning single use plastic straws and utensils in local businesses. Given that the ocean is right outside our backyard, we have greater opportunity to study and appreciate this vast and invaluable resource through, for example, our annual “ocean celebration” that students enjoy immensely.

Finally, CRS is at the forefront of technology integration into the curriculum.  CRS embodies the belief that technology is a powerful tool that allows students greater access to programs, research and information that can greatly enhance their learning and prepare them for the demands of the 21^st century workforce.  One visit to any CRS classroom will reveal this commitment as students interact with technology designed to address academic deficiencies, challenge accelerated learners and improve writing skills.  CRS is dedicated to optimizing the benefits of technological instruction as evidenced in its one to one laptop commitment to third through fifth grade students.