RSA is an inclusive, secular program that welcomes families and students of all religions, personal beliefs, cultures, and backgrounds. Although our school meets in various church locations, we are not affiliated with any church.
RSA is an educational cooperative because it is operated by our members. We are a private, non-profit organization, but do not have any full time employees. We rely on our member families as volunteers. Daily operation of our large school, along with planning, scheduling, recruiting and choosing instructors, organizing events, recitals, shows, fund-raising, marketing, location coordination, etc. are all accomplished by our very talented and hard-working parents and students.
Unlike many homeschool cooperatives, where the parents take turns teaching classes, our instructors are recruited from all over Hampton Roads. They are chosen for their education, expertise and skills in a particular subject area. Some paid instructors also happen to be parents of homeschooled students who attend RSA. These parents must apply for these positions along with other applicants and also meet all of their RSA membership responsibilities, such as signing up for volunteer tasks and assisting with day-to-day operations.
On Thursdays, for insurance purposes, a parent or responsible adult must be present onsite with any student under the age of 18 while at RSA.
On Tuesdays, teens 13+ may be dropped off only after attending orientation and signing a conduct agreement. Students must sign in when they arrive and sign out when they leave. They are expected to be responsible and respectful of the facility, volunteers, instructors, and other students. Attending without parental supervision is a privilege reserved for teens who are ready for this special program.
Students are not required to take a class each period.
Parents may set up at a table in our large gathering space (and bring lunches, laptops, etc.). During breaks, students can usually be found hanging out with their friends. We have students of all age groups-preschool through high school-and they enjoy their “down time” with each other as much as they enjoy the classes.
Generally, RSA follows the school closings of Suffolk Public Schools and Isle of Wight County Schools, however there are occasional exceptions. Public schools delay opening or are closed in order to allow ice to melt, fog to disperse, or temperatures to warm up. Since RSA begins later than public schools, a late opening on their part may not result in a delay or closure for RSA.
We will make every attempt to make this decision and post an email by 9 PM the evening before. There will be a forum email and a Facebook notification. In the event of a school closure because of inclement weather: instructors will be paid for the FIRST such closure each semester. Subsequent inclement weather closures will result in pro-rated class payments.