Have You Heard the Buzz?

 Renaissance Secondary School ...

Fact or Fiction?

We have a group of dedicated parents who have a strong vision and passion for extending the learning experience of students at Renaissance on to the secondary level. They've organized themselves into a founding board under the non-profit "Renaissance Education." The board has five parents from three families with Noreene Thibault-Chen, our former professional learning specialist. There is now a whole "steering committee" of about 15 additional people. I am participating on this committee, as are others, as we strongly support the vision of a secondary school.

The first attempt at a secondary school through the district was not granted, and the group pushed on and is now preparing to apply for a Charter through the district. They are hoping to be ready in March of 2016 with an opening target date of fall 2017. 

Likely you have many, many questions, so I urge you to get connected and involved. If this Charter application is going to be successful the group needs your support and input. In order for the Charter to be approved in the first stages, the group needs to formally report parent interest to the school district and this can be done on their website. Please visit their website for frequently asked questions and more information.

 www.renaissancecharterschool.org. 

If anyone wants to get involved, they can email help@renaissancecharterschool.org.

We strive every day at Renaissance to intentionally create the unique learning experience we provide.  It has always been a concern that our students leave Renaissance 'primed' - with tools for learning, character development, service oriented and leadership skills -and there is no aligned next step just when they are most prepared both developmentally and educationally, to really soar. If only there was a continuation of this experience at the secondary level that was aligned with Renaissance - the culture, the principles, the mission, the learning experiences. It's for this reason, that I am passionately behind this group. I believe we haven't done all we can for our kids, without this next step. I know that many are wary about the idea of a Charter School. Challenge is always an opportunity. Perhaps this could be an opportunity to collaborate with the district in a partnership that's never been created before? This group has many ideas for how to make this vision become a reality. 

My goal here - to get the word out. To let you know I support the group and their vision. To lend a hand and contribute ideas and resources. 

You've likely seen the posters hanging around the school advertising a special event - did you know it's being hosted by this group? 

Check out the website for purchasing tickets. www.renaissancecharterschool.org.

 This is their first event to communicate their message and bring interested people together.

Warmly,

Ms. Deborah

Design Principles

For the Renaissance Secondary School

“The aims of education are to enable students to understand the world around them and the talents within them so that they can become fulfilled individuals and active, compassionate citizens.”

~Ken Robinson from Creative Schools

1. Strong School Culture
1. The school will have strong character education embedded into the culture of the school, including an emphasis on service learning appropriate to students’ development and grade level, developing students as principled, caring young people who take action as a consequence of their learning. The school's motto, "We are crew, not passengers" embodies the ethos that each student is expected to actively participate in his/her learning and to help others in their pursuits.
2. An adventure education program will be in place, in which students are challenged physically and mentally, pushed outside of their comfort zones This will assist with a culture of teamwork, perseverance, and cooperation.

2. Teachers and Students as Designers
1. Teachers and students are program and curriculum designers. Students work with teachers in interdisciplinary teams to design relevant learning experiences. Teachers and students participate in critical decisions regarding curriculum, instruction and assessment. Teachers are involved in decisions regarding professional development, hiring and other significant areas of the school.
2. The schedule supports team teaching and teachers and students have ample planning time to devise relevant integrated projects and authentic assessments by which all students demonstrate their learning and progress.
3. Teachers and students will be offered opportunities to develop in their role as designers.

3. Integrated, Project/Problem-Based Approach
1. Authentic, Relevant and Integrated curriculum: developing critical, creative, and reflective thinking skills to solve complex problems.
2. Innovation and Creativity. Students use a creative process to develop ideas, products and projects. Innovative thinking allows students to combine multiple known concepts to create something new or solve a problem.
3. Critical thinking and problem solving: Students think critically, analytically, and creatively. They know how to find, evaluate, and synthesize information. They can design their own solutions to complex, relevant problems.
4. Collaboration: Students work productively in groups. They communicate and understand multiple points of view and they know how to cooperate to achieve a shared goal.
5. Effective Communication: Students communicate effectively. They structure information in meaningful ways, listen, act on and give feedback, and construct messages for specific audiences.
6. Assessments: Performance assessments and portfolios, exhibitions of student work. Authentic, real-world assessments.
7. Growth Mindset: Students develop a growth mindset that enables them to have a strong belief in their abilities. They believe their success to be the result of hard work. They overcome obstacles with persistence and resiliency. They learn to see setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth. They also learn from and support each other. Their work is relevant to the real world.

4. Personalized Learning
1. Self-directed Learning: Students can direct their own learning. They set goals, monitor their own progress, and reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement. Self-directed learning is facilitated through:
• Small learning community
• Student projects that pursue interests and passions
• Advisory crews

5. Real-world Connection
1. Internships, fieldwork, and other community-based learning
2. Empathy drives and inspires the defining of problems and designing of solutions in the workplace or community.
3. Students develop meaningful relationships with adults in different disciplines.
4. Exploration of interests, passions, gifts and talents are embedded in learning experiences.
5. Flexible schedule contributes to opportunities for real-world connection

 6.     Arts Integration

                a.    The arts give students form to how they view themselves and the

                       world around them                         .

            b.     The arts give students a vehicle for understanding another culture