HOW THE MODEL WORKS
A Renaissance Model
The Renaissance model puts academics, the arts, and movement at the center of the school day. Each has a set place in the schedule, and students take part in all three.
I am an academic.I am an artist.I am an athlete.
Students think, create, and move every day.
Academic Excellence, Artistic Expression, Maintaining Healthy Bodies, and Sense of Self and Community carry equal weight at City River. Together, they give students more than one way to challenge themselves and discover what they are capable of.
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Academic Excellence
Being an academic at City River means learning to think deeply, ask good questions, and explain their ideas. In math, students learn why a formula works as well as how to use it. In history, they read original documents and build arguments from them.
Students test ideas, revise their work, and receive feedback and guidance tied to their needs, strengths, and interests.
Our Commitment to You
Every student gets the preparation and support to be ready for college.
- A challenging curriculum in every core subject
- Small-group tutoring three times a week
- College counseling
What Students Study
Mathematics
- Algebra I
- Geometry
- Algebra II
- Statistics
- Calculus
Science
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Environmental Science
- Computer Science
Language Arts
- Literature
- Writing and Composition
- American Literature
- English Seminar
Social Studies
- World History
- U.S. History
- U.S. Government
- Economics
World Language
- Spanish (3+ years)
AP prerequisites vary by course.
AP prerequisites vary by course.
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Artistic Expression
Being an artist at City River means learning to make something with intention and developing the confidence to share it. Every student studies the arts, including students who do not yet see themselves as artists. Making with your head, heart, and hands is part of becoming a thoughtful, expressive person.
During their first two years, students explore performance and visual arts. They then choose a pathway and deepen their practice. Annual showcases and a graduation portfolio give students a body of work they can explain and be proud of.
Arts Disciplines
Visual Arts
A student starts with a sketch, moves to a brush, and eventually shapes something in clay or another material entirely their own.
Performing Arts
A student learns lines in rehearsal, steps onto a stage, and performs live for the City River community.
Practical Arts
A student picks up real tools, learns to build and repair, and walks away with something they made with their own hands, the same spirit as a shop class.
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Maintaining Healthy Bodies
Being an athlete at City River means learning how to move, practice, contribute to a team, and build habits that make daily movement part of life. Every student starts the school day with morning movement at 8:00 AM.
Students can choose from volleyball, basketball, soccer, yoga, dance, strength training, and informal play-to-learn groups. They can try something new, deepen a practice, and experience the discipline, teamwork, energy, and joy that come from moving every day.
High school is a formative time. City River’s goal is to help students build a lifelong relationship with movement by making it a natural, joyful part of the school experience.
Every Student Moves Every Day
Fall
- Soccer
- Cross Country
- Volleyball
Winter
- Basketball
- Squash
Spring
- Rowing
- Lacrosse (play to learn)
- Track
Year-Round Fitness
- Yoga
- Dance
- Strength Training
Competitive and Play-to-Learn Opportunities
Competitive Sports
Women's, Men's, and Co-ed teams compete within Ohio's high school athletics association (OHSAA).
Play-to-Learn Teams
A fun, supportive way to learn a new sport. City River plans to form its first Play-to-Learn team, co-ed lacrosse, in Spring 2028.
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Sense of Self and Community
A strong sense of self grows through reflection, responsibility, and relationships. Students meet weekly with the same advisor throughout all four years, giving each student an adult who knows them, advocates for them, and helps them develop their voice and agency.
City River is working to build a community that reflects Cleveland’s racial, economic, religious, and cultural diversity. Learning with people whose experiences differ from their own asks students to listen closely, question assumptions, and build real friendships across those differences.
Your daily schedule
See a day in the life.
A typical Monday through Thursday makes room for movement, a community meal, five rotating classes, lunch, and built-in support before students head home.
Example Schedule: Monday–Thursday
8:00 AM–5:00 PM
8:00–9:15 AM
Morning Movement/Sports
9:15–9:30 AM
Transition & Get Ready
9:30–10:00 AM
Community Breakfast
10:00–11:05 AM
English
11:08 AM–12:13 PM
Mathematics
12:16–1:21 PM
Science
1:24–1:59 PM
Lunch
2:02–3:07 PM
Spanish
3:10–4:15 PM
Art
4:20–5:00 PM
Advisory (Monday) / Tutoring (Tuesday–Thursday)
Friday • 8:00 AM–3:15 PM
A shorter day with the whole school together.
Friday opens with a whole-school Community Meeting instead of movement and breakfast. All six classes meet before the 3:15 PM dismissal.
Your Classes
Every freshman takes six classes:
Why the schedule rotates
Monday through Thursday, you’ll take five of your six classes. A different class rotates out each day, changing the order and combination of classes on that day’s schedule. On Fridays, all six classes meet.
Games and competitions are played in the traditional afternoon and evening time slots. The schedule is built so students can leave for an away game without missing a core class.
Monday
Advisory
Meetings with the same advisor for four years.
Tuesday–Thursday
Tutoring
Small-group academic support.
Friday
Community Meeting
The whole school gathers to start the day.
Prospective Families
Stay informed of the upcoming admissions timelines, open house invitations, and key enrollment dates for the upcoming school year.