apple distinguished school

We are proud to be recognized as an
Apple Distinguished School

Leaving a Legacy

At Rio San Gabriel, we are a learning community where our legacy empowers all students to achieve their highest potential. We support our students and teachers in being innovative, creative and collaborative in a variety of learning spaces. We believe it is important to continuously build upon our capacity to lead, learn and grow, utilizing technology to take risks, be productive citizens, think critically and have a growth mindset. By doing this, we build students who are globally competitive and ready to revolutionize the world.

1:1

1:1 iPad Program

21st Century learning

21st Century Learning

tech team

Tech Team

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Innovation Lab

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ISTE & Apple
Certified Teachers

Apple logo

Apple Distinguished School

Boy studying on an iPad

What It Means to Be an Apple Distinguished School

Being named an Apple Distinguished School places our school among a select group of schools recognized for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence. This distinction highlights our commitment to:

  • Empowering student voice and choice
  • Designing creative, student-centered learning experiences
  • Using technology to deepen, not replace, learning
  • Preparing students with the skills they need for the future

Only a small number of schools in California have received this honor, making Rio San Gabriel a model for what’s possible when creativity and technology work together. Learn more about the award.

Creativity Powered by Technology

At Rio San Gabriel, technology amplifies learning. It empowers students to think deeply, create boldly, and share their voice with purpose. With iPads as a tool for learning across all content areas, students engage in meaningful experiences that go far beyond consumption.

We are committed to developing learners who are not only prepared for the future but ready to shape it:

students working in groups on ipads

Promote Collaboration

Students, teachers and families work as a team and these partnerships build leaders and inspire innovation.

students using ipads with a green screen

Inspire Innovation

Learning is student centered to ignite enthusiasm and inspire leadership opportunities. Innovation can happen anywhere, at anytime and with anyone.

students with ipads outdoors

Flexibility in Location

Students are stretched to think outside the box in flexible learning areas where they can express their creativity and problem solving skills.

Tech Team

Our Tech Team student leaders are an integral part in supporting our RSG family in technology and innovation. Our Tech Team is a group of student digital leaders who promote creativity, inspire, and teach strategies for communicating ideas using a variety of tools to their peers and teachers.

Little boy with an electronic keyboard

Innovation Lab

Rio San Gabriel’s Innovation Lab is a place where creativity is powered by technology. The purpose of our Innovation Lab is to provide a space where students can create, explore, investigate, and build. These spaces have been designed to spark curiosity and inspire our students to engage in learning opportunities built around STEAM. Regular lab visits help students further develop the 21st-century skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.

Learning opportunities our Innovation Labs include robotics, coding, computer programming, engineering design, Lego-design wall activities, broadcasting, creating music, and engineering and design utilizing 3D printing. Students are involved in inquiry and problem-solving based on relevant and engaging topics. Our fun and colorful Innovation Lab is a place to think outside the box and give our students voice and choice and enhance their learning!

Our Commitment to Innovation

“We believe in providing robust opportunities for our students to think deeply and creatively, allowing them to have voice and choice while utilizing an iPad as a tool for learning across all content areas. We are committed to providing a learning environment where our students are engaged, challenged and are on a continuous path toward innovation.”

— Jennifer Robbins, Director of Elementary Education 

Ready to Get Started?

Forging Responsible & Aware Digital Citizens

We cannot properly prep our students for the future without lessons in digital citizenship. It is vital in the world we live in today. At Downey Unified, we teach our students how their words online have real-world effects and the permanence of their digital footprint, along with key online safety skills.

Be a Good Citizen

  • Be safe on and offline
  • Help protect “safe spaces”
  • Posts must be directly related to course
  • Only participate in meetings/chat rooms related to your classes and set up by your teachers

Be Trustworthy

  • Be honest
  • Use school appropriate and scholarly language
  • Use the chat feature to post questions/respond

Be Responsible

  • Prioritize time appropriately
  • Own your words and actions
  • Treat your device/equipment with care

Be Fair

  • Be inclusive
  • Allow others to share their views

Be Respectful

  • Think before you post, speak or act
  • Act and speak as if you were talking to your teacher or peer face to face
  • Respect classmates and teachers

Be Caring

  • Be patient with each other
  • Help those in need
  • Ask for help when needed