RCSA Fall Bulletin
What’s been going on at River City Science Academy?

The school year is in full swing as we move towards the end of November and enter holiday mode. Faculty, staff, and students have been working hard to make this the best school year yet! We have had a very smooth and successful school year so far and we could not do it without our parent support. Here's an update of what’s been going on with the RCSA family at all of our campuses.

We wish everyone a safe and wonderful holiday season!
Folio Weekly's Best of Jax Winners!!!
RCSA Innovation won the award for Best Charter Elementary School. RCSA Middle-High won Best Charter Middle School and Best Charter High School. We couldn't have done this without everyone's support and we are so thankful! Go Rockets!
Coming Up!
#GivingTuesday
Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving back. On the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, you’ll have the chance to join people around the world and support a cause close to your heart. We ask that you consider donating to River City Science Academy to help us provide even better STEM education to our students.

7th Annual STEM & Health Expo
Save the date for the 7th Annual Florida STEM & Health Expo on Saturday, February 9th, 2019! Join us as we delve into all that Florida has to offer in the world of STEM and Health and see what fun STEM activities our students come up with. Learn more about the event and apply to be a vendor or sponsor here.
What's Been Happening?
Off to a Great Start!
Faculty and staff met for an exciting pre-planning conference on August 1st. This was a great opportunity for teachers to share any tips and resources that they have with each other, as well as hear from some amazing guest speakers to kick-off our year.

Check out this video of our first day of pre-planning.
Back to School Fun
RCSA Innovation held their Annual Back to School Picnic.
RCSA Elementary celebrated with a Back to School Bash!
Our Middle-High Campus also held a fun, family picnic, complete with pups!
Celebrating our Holidays
All of our Elementary schools joined in on the fun of celebrating Grandparents Day in September! Students were able to invite their Grandparents to join them for a special breakfast.
Recently, students at RCSA Innovation, Mandarin, and Elementary were also able to honor our veterans during our Veteran Day Breakfasts.
Service Spotlight
We love to see our students helping the community! Middle-High students had the chance to attend PeaceJam Slam in Tallahassee at FSU. They spent the day learning about service learning and making the world a better place for everyone. Students at RCSA Innovation raised pet supplies to donate to the Jacksonville Humane Society. The Middle-High Interact Club spent one Saturday in October volunteering with the Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville's Annual Buddy Walk. Students at RCSA Elementary collected a ton of donations to go towards Hurricane Michael relief. Oh, and the Middle-High School held a Pink Pep Rally and raised over $3,000 for the American Cancer Society!
Oh, The Places You'll Go!
Students have already traveled many places on some awesome field trips this year! High-school students have had the chance to tour UNF, JU, UF, and some even went all the way to FSU for a one day PeaceJam Slam Conference to hear all about service learning. 7th graders at our Middle-High campus visited Okefenoke Swamp Park in Georgia and some of our female students at Middle-High got to go to the Generation WOW conference at UNF. Students at RCSA Mandarin visited an alligator farm and students from RCSA Innovation got to go to an Icemen Hockey Game! RCSA Elementary students joined in the fun with trips to the Florida Theater, Castaway Island, and more!
Honor Rows
Students at RCSA Elementary and RCSA Mandarin got to watch the Jacksonvile Jaguars beat the Patriots at home on September 16th. All students in Honor Rows were recognized with a huge announcement and shown on the giant scoreboard. Great job Honor Row students!!
Dads of RCSA
Dads Take Your Child to School Day
RCSA Elementary, Mandarin, and Innovation all participated in the Florida Department of Education's "Dads Take Your Child to School Day". This initiative’s intent was to highlight the significant difference parents and caregivers can make by taking a more active role in their children’s educational experience. When families play a more active role in a child’s education, children perform better academically, have fewer discipline problems and become more responsible adults. 
All Pro Dads
All Pro Dads meetings have been in full swing at RCSA Middle-High and Elementary. All Pro Dads is a group of dads who are dedicated to strengthening their relationship with their kids. The purpose of these meetings are to encourage dads to love and lead their family well. Visit their website to learn more and find out how to connect!
Wide World of Sports
Our volleyball team had a great season! They even held a student vs. teacher charitable game to raise money for the five year old daughter of one of our teachers who was diagnosed with leukemia over the summer.
Basketball is in full swing! Be sure to come out to a game to support our school!
Visits from Community Leaders
We love inviting our community leaders to come out to our schools and see what we are all about. Some students at RCSA Innovation had the great opportunity to sit and meet with Mayor Lenny Curry. RCSA Elementary provided tours to many leaders, including Councilman Terrance Freeman and Councilman Randy White.
Reigning State Champs
Our reigning State Science Olympiad Champions are off to a great start! They've competed in competitions in Orlando and Atlanta already and have performed amazingly! Out of the 48 national level teams in Atlanta, RCSA Rockets placed 8th overall! The team also got to take a trip to City Hall where they met and talked with Mayor Lenny Curry and were recognized in the City Council meeting.
Fall Time Fun
We brought in the new season with lots of fun events! RCSA Mandarin, Innovation, and Elementary all held exciting Fall Festivals, complete with games, treats, and more! RCSA Middle-High held a Fall Dance and saw some awesome costumes. The weather even made an attempt to match the season for a little while!
Even more events!
RCSA Innovation held a Family STEM night, where students got to bring their families to school and show off some of the awesome things that they are learning!
Some 7th and 9th graders got to enjoy yummy Taco Bell as they sat down and had lunch with a few JSO Officers, part of their Lunch with a PAL program.
Students at RCSA Elementary and RCSA Mandarin showed off their favorite book character costumes on Book Character Day!
RCSA Mandarin held a fun Career Day on November 14th, where students got to hear from JSO officers, a K-9 unit, and more. One teacher said it was so exciting to see all of the students learning and taking notes on the different careers.
  • Some of our campuses held Breakfast with the Principal, a chance for families to visit with their principals and have great discussions about what's going on around school.
  • Our High School held college guidance nights, including a FAFSA night to help families apply for College Financial Aid.
A Final Goodbye
Although many things have been great, we had a heavy loss to the RCSA family. One of our students at RCSA Mandarin passed away one weekend in October. The school honored him with a memorial. Students painted rocks in memory of him which they personally placed around a freshly planted tree. His loss will continue to be felt, but there is now a beautiful memorial where students can visit to remember the great times they spent with him. 

#WeLoveRCSA
Social Media Contest!
Post your pictures with the hashtag #WeLoveRCSA for the chance to win breakfast with our school founders and talk all things RCSA and education.