House System
One School. Five Houses. One Mission: Excellence!
Ron Clark Academic House Overview
Altruismo
"The Givers"
Altruismo traces its origins to the rainforests of the Amazon, where a group of powerful Brazilians were given the name because of its Portuguese meaning: “the Givers.” This special group is known for striking a balance between bold strength and altruistic giving—a team that understands true power comes not from looking out for oneself, but from empowering others. They care deeply about lifting others up, while also maintaining a fiercely competitive spirit and strong sense of pride. Historically, the House has been known for its smart, driven students, and Altruismo has produced more valedictorians per class than any other House to this day. Its members are highly involved in every club, committee, and activity a school has to offer. As a result, Altruismo takes great pride in being a cultivator of real leadership and instills a powerful spirit within new members—encouraging them to grow into, and live up to, its enduring legacy.
Amistad
"Friendship"
Amistad is the House that originates from Mexico—a group of kind yet powerful individuals, known mostly for their unconquered spirit. In the language of their ancestry, the name means friendship.
Incoming members are often a mix of extremes—our students can be incredibly intelligent, creative, friendly, and competitive. Amistad is a wonderfully diverse group! Although it took the House eight years to win its first House Championship, its fierce spirit never wavered. The House draws great inspiration from its symbolic animal, the immortal peacock, and leaders always remind members that the fighting spirit of an Amistadian never dies. Members of our House are consistently challenged to self-reflect because we believe that “Once the peacock finds its feathers, it discovers who it really is.” Therefore, each student is encouraged to find their own feathers and step into their greatness. While some students may enter the House lacking confidence, they will learn to embrace their authentic selves and master the gifts, talents, and virtues of an Amistadian. Once this milestone is reached, a student may earn the highest honor of the House—knighthood. As a knight, they become fierce warriors, protectors of the realm, and guardians of the kingdom’s most valuable treasure: friendship.
Isbindi
"Courage"
Isibindi is a tight-knit group of individuals, akin to a pride of African lions, where family means everything. The House’s symbolic animals, the mute swan and the lion, serve to empower incoming members. While new students might initially be quiet or shy, the longer they are in the House, the more they begin to display characteristics of strength and bravery. In Zulu, Isibindi means ‘courage.’
The dichotomy of sharing symbolic animals between the gentle and beautiful swan and the proud and courageous lion is what makes Isibindi so unique. It is a House that inherits the legend and influence of both Shaka Zulu and Nelson Mandela. Isibindi is adept at being strategic and creative, knowing when to pull back and be reserved, as well as when to go full force with power and strength. This is why Isibindi welcomes creative and quiet kids, transforming them into leaders over time. They learn that, like the mute swan, their quiet creativity can be harnessed to speak volumes in its own way.
Reveur
"House of Passion"
Rêveur is a royal House whose name in French means ‘dreamers’ or ‘idealists’—because the members who fill this group are students filled with freedom and wild abandon, recognizing their dreams and letting nothing stand in the way of achieving them. This spirit is embodied in the unicorn, situated at the center of the House’s crest—a powerful creature almost impossible to tame. Similarly, the House of Rêveur is a House of passion.
Rêveur is the natural rival of Altruismo because, in the early days of the House Championships, Altruismo beat Rêveur by a single point, holding a winning streak over them for three years. In the 2011-2012 school year, the Sorting Hat did not place many students into Rêveur, making it the smallest of the four Houses. However, the staff House Leader, Ron Clark, rallied the students and told them, ‘This year, because our House is smaller, we each have to be bigger. We each have to multiply ourselves this year!’ That was the year when Rêveur, despite being the smallest House, went on to win its first championship. This legend is now passed down to remind students that the size of the House is not as important as the size of the hearts and efforts of its members.
Sollevare
"House of Lifting"
Sollevare is the House that originates from Italy. It was formed by a group who understood that the true strength of being undefeated warriors lies in always getting back up, no matter how many times they may be knocked down. The members of the House of Sollevare are known for their uplifting nature — always rising above, and helping others do the same. This is where their name comes from in Latin, meaning to “lift” up.
New members have a spark of creativity — even if it is only a dim spark in the beginning, they will grow to have a great fire of creativity as they continue on! This is because it takes great creativity to see the ability to rise above in any circumstance; being able to lift others up means seeing past the current problem, and thinking ahead about the next step. All of these things together are why the House of Sollevare takes inspiration from the Phoenix as their symbolic animal. The Phoenix is a powerful creature who is able to rise up from the fire and ashes, reborn into an even greater being because it has learned from its mistakes or sacrifices. Full of ancient power and wisdom, the Phoenix reminds the members of the House not only that it is their duty to rise up from the ashes, but also their duty to help others do the same. Because when we uplift everyone around us, we uplift and create a better world for us all.
