74 years ago, the Day School was established in Coral Gables, and the rest is history.
In 1950, Riviera Schools was founded, and its history of education began at the day school. As the school’s website explains, “Riviera Day School was founded at its current location as a co-educational, independent day school with the highest educational ideals.” After 60 years of educating students from pre-k to middle school, the company expanded and opened a new campus, Riviera Preparatory School. The middle school was moved from the day school to the prep, and high school education was officially added to the curriculum.
In its first year of operation, only 220 students were enrolled at the prep school and the second floor was barely occupied. Today, the school has its largest student body, with a population of 656 students.
In 2021, the Cohen family sold the Riviera Schools to the International School Partnership (ISP). As the ISP website explains, their mission is to “…foster a culture of sustainability, encourage critical thinking about ethical dilemmas, and prepare students to contribute positively to society.” SGA President Gabriel Freund (12) has a positive outlook on the future, “I think the administration has worked very well and collaboratively with ISP to bring all these new changes that help the student life, not only for administration purposes,” he said. With these developments, the future of Riviera looks full of potential for both students and staff. From a vibrant new mural to a different schedule, here’s a rundown of what’s fresh and cool in our school community.
New Mural, New Look, New Feel
When students returned from summer vacation, they were surprised by a colorful mural in the courtyard honoring Rocket the Bulldog. The Director of School Culture, Ms. Jove explained that the muralist, Maximiliano Gutierrez, emailed her two years ago and she held onto his email, waiting for the perfect opportunity to unveil the vibrant mural of our beloved Rocket. When asked about the mural, Thomas Dos Santos Lara (12) said, “I was tired of the school being just yellow, gray, and bland, and I feel like the splash of color is just what the school needed.” The mural is more than a work of art– it’s a tribute to the school’s spirit and our new motto; support, challenge, and inspire.
Old Schedule, New Changes
Students might remember the days before combined lunches and study hall, but this year, the admin has listened to students’ requests to return to the previous schedule, but with some changes. They added back A and B lunches in order to control the influx of students into the cafeteria. Despite this schedule introducing conflict with the annual privilege of the senior door, they do have the right to go to lunch 15 minutes early. While the separation of grades has made lunch longer, the dismissal bell rings at 3:00 every day besides Wednesday, when dismissal is at 2:40. However, teachers are available in their classrooms until 3:30, ready to help students with their work if needed.
Sofia Britton (12) had some thoughts about the new schedule, “I like that tutorial is optional now, it’s better.”
Another piece of our scheduling that has changed is our annual calendar. Although school releases later, more holidays have been added throughout the year to make up for the extra week added, including a full week for Thanksgiving and the day after Halloween.
Updates to the Dress Code Guidelines
The school has updated the dress code to give us more freedom to express ourselves. New hoodies and crewnecks have been added to the list of permitted overwear. With these new additions, the colors of the school have been updated to the following colors; pink, baby blue, navy blue, white, and gray. These colors are also the only polo colors allowed at school. Another new addition is the color-coordinated ID lanyards to identify students by grade. These lanyards have been added to help with the new schedule and the division of the lunch period. Along with the latest merchandise, the new dress code guidelines give students additional freedom to express themselves.
As we lead up to our Diamond Anniversary, it’s a great time to reflect on how far Riviera Schools has come in 74 years. From its early days at the Day School to the growth of the Prep School, we’ve seen many changes over the years. With new ownership and a fresh new look, our school is adapting and evolving with the times. The dazzling mural, revamped schedules, more school events, and an updated dress code all show how we’re embracing a new chapter while still honoring our roots and our history. Here’s to more years of learning and growth at Riviera.
