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School Profile
Ramona Community School (RCS) encompasses two alternative education options provided by the Ramona Unified School District. They are the Montessori program and the Mountain Valley Academy home study program. The school was developed in response to community interest and requests for alternative education, which has been provided by the district since 1982. Parents continue to be involved in the evolution and implementation of the education process to a great degree. Site-based decision making is a cornerstone of the school.
 
Ramona Community School continues to grow and change and respond to the needs of the community. This is a school which embraces, rather than resists, change. The current offerings are as follows: the Montessori program serves students in grades K-8 and the Mountain Valley Academy home study program serves students in grades K-12.
 
Both the Montessori and MVA programs have some very unique features, offering exciting and innovative academic instruction for the young people in our community. Both programs emphasize parent participation in education. The MVA program does this through a contractual arrangement wherein parents take responsibility for the delivery of academic lessons. In the Montessori program, parents participate through volunteering in the classroom and school activities. Both programs have strong parent participation in school organizations and functions. Individualized learning is a major component of the Montessori and the MVA home study philosophy, although arrived at through different means within each program.
 
Topics are introduced using real life, concrete examples and the child's observations. There is no limit to the scope of information as memorization of facts gives way to the training of the mind. The child learns through his own activity and is given the mental freedom to pursue what he needs.
 
Every effort is made to provide long, uninterrupted work times. This provides the child with the time to focus and concentrate on his/her work. It facilitates quality work with time for in-depth studies.