Community Experiences
Weekly Chapel Services
On Thursday mornings, the Riverside family gathers in the sanctuary of Riverside Presbyterian Church to celebrate God's love through music, verse and lesson. Our chapels are welcoming to children and parents of all faiths. With imagination and inspiration, each chapel program nurtures the spiritual growth of the Riverside children and assures each one of their special place in God's world. This blend of faith within our academic community provides each student and family an exceptional and loving environment in which to grow and learn.
Special music, drama, dance and puppetry presentations are incorporated into Chapel by various grade levels throughout the school year. We hope you will join us often as our children celebrate God's love for all.
Rise N’ Shine, is a mini-chapel service specifically designed for our PreK 3 - Kindergarten students. The kindergarteners begin to build their leadership skills by helping present the Bible story and leading the classes as they move, sing, and pray.
Spiritual Formation
At Riverside Presbyterian Day School the spiritual formation of each student is key to the success of our mission to “educate the mind, nurture the spirit and foster the development of the whole child.
Author in Residence
At Riverside, we celebrate and inspire reading and creativity through our unique Author-In-Residence program. Working with high-caliber publishers such as Little, Brown and Company, Scholastic, and Peachtree Publishers, we have invited authors and illustrators whose works have received such honors as the Newbery Honor Medal, Caldecott Honor Medal, Coretta Scott King Award and National Book Award Finalist. The program began in 2017, with multiple medal-winning author/illustrator Brian Collier, and has continued each school year, even with a virtual visit from Peter Brown during the pandemic. Speakers deliver a lively presentation to the children which both excites them to read as well encourages them to write and illustrate their own stories. In addition, our authors share cultural experiences which help expand the world-view of our students, helping them develop empathy toward others unlike themselves. This up-close-and-personal event with a famous author is usually topped-off with the opportunity to purchase and have the author personalize a book for students’ home book collection. What could be more exciting and inspiring for a reader?
Risley Media Center
To support and nurture our students, we provide access to 18,000 print books and multiple online research tools. In our commitment to support our students wherever they may be, our online catalog and research resources are available to students 24/7, wherever there is internet access.
Lunch at RPDS
Lunch for Riverside students is an outdoor event! We take advantage of the beautiful Florida weather, a child's love for the outdoors, the fun and excitement of a picnic lunch with favorite friends, and the sheer joy of free play. Our campus location also provides convenience to parents who wish to stop by and join their child for lunch. Riverside's four playgrounds provide generous outdoor space for outdoor lunch and recess. Most students bring their morning snack and lunch to school; however, a lunch order option is available five days per week.
The Riverside Campus
- Playgrounds: 4
- Science Labs: 2
- Spanish Language Classrooms: 2
- Art Labs: 3 (ELC, lower and upper school)
- STEAM Labs: 2
- Music/Drama Instruction Rooms: 2
- Kissling Hall (special events, class plays, school assemblies)
- Rice Sports Zone (track and field, lighted basketball court, playground)
- Riverside Presbyterian Church (Chapel and special event ceremonies)
Sundae Monday
Sundae Monday is a carefully designed opportunity for RPDS students to meet their teacher, explore their new classroom or a new campus location, and enjoy an ice cream sundae served by faculty & staff while they reunite with friends and connect with their new classmates. Sundae Monday is a time-honored RPDS tradition that kicks off the excitement of the new school year!
School Events
RPDS builds community and lasting relationships through special events that encourage connection and deepen our families, faculty, and alumni’s sense of belonging.
Servant Leadership
RPDS students are morally grounded and naturally seek ways to positively impact the school and the wider community. Through intentional lessons, service projects, and community events students learn how their words and actions can spread love and spark change. From Pk3 through 6th grade our students are provided opportunities to help others and participate in community service. As students grow in knowledge, understanding, and empathy they take action and the initiative to develop their own service projects as they identify and become aware of the needs of our community and beyond. RPDS students are kind and compassionate and strive to live lives of service and leadership.
Serving Opportunities at RPDS
Service learning is a manifestation of our schools mission, philosophy, and values. Within a Christian context our students turn love into action.
Project LEADS
Project LEADS is our 6th grade servant leadership program designed to build in our students a desire to serve and a belief that anyone can serve. Over two and half days in October our students are given a chance during the school day to serve at 3-4 community organizations. These organizations include the Sulzbacher Center, UCOM, the Sanctuary on 8th Street, MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation, City Rescue Mission, Family Promise, Angelwood, The Well Church of Jacksonville. To continue this service and to continue to grow that desire in our students there are optional service opportunities from January to May to return to many of these same organizations after school and again serve them.
Project Leads 2023 Recap
The 6th Grade Experience
The 6th grade experience is unique to Riverside. Our 6th grade students' journey culminates with opportunities for students to lead, travel, serve, and confidently display their academic progress.