Renaissance High School
Parent Newsletter - Week of Aug 31st - Sep 4th
West Ada High School Student-Parent Handbook
Parent and Student
One-to-One Device Handbook
The 2020-2021 school year begins on Tuesday, September 8th. Even though we will not be seeing our students in person we are excited to be able to provide personal contact through online instruction. Students will be able to communicate directly with their teachers and communicate with them through Microsoft TEAMS while learning from home. Teachers have been working hard to prepare for the start of school to ensure the best educational experience possible while in remote learning.
We will communicate with students and families as soon as we are made aware of a change in the learning mode (Red to Yellow) and what adjustments will need to be made at that time.
We would also like to thank the West Ada community for the passing of the Levy on August 25th. We appreciate your continued support of your student's education.
The West Ada School District approved a Fall Reopening Plan.
West Ada has adopted the 4-by-4 Block Model for High School Instruction for this school year. This system will allow for students to focus on four classes only for each quarter (nine weeks).
Students are taking only A-day classes during the first quarter (9 weeks) and B-day classes during the second quarter (9 weeks). Students are enrolled in no more than 4 courses each quarter. More information can be found in the Fall Reopening Plan on page 7.
The West Ada School Board approved the "RED" opening category.
- Red means that all classes will be held online and students will be expected to follow the daily high school class bell schedule. There will be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning. During this schedule, student learning will be facilitated as a whole class with the teacher.
Students are expected to have their school laptop charged and ready to engage in classes daily through MS TEAM class meetings.
The first day of school is Tuesday, September 8th.
School will start in a RED schedule, which is a Remote Learning Schedule
for the week of September 8th.
Below is the schedule students will follow during Remote Learning.
Microsoft Teams will be our Remote Learning platform for instruction. Teachers will use this platform for delivering content and assignments to our students when they are working remotely. This platform will be utilized during face-to-face instruction as well to help students establish routines and understand how to access learning materials and assignments while they are learning from home. Video's to help you navigate teams are provided below. Please make sure you practice accessing teams prior to the start of school on Tuesday.
Class tiles for 1st quarter courses will not appear for your students in teams until teachers have activated each class team. Classes in Teams will be activated not later than Monday, September 7th at 3:00 pm.
Each student needs to be able to access their West Ada Email Account before Tuesday in order to be ready to start school at 7:44 am.
Information about accessing teams and West Ada emails can be found below.
Students will need to login using their West Ada login information. If your student has forgotten their login and/or password, students will need to contact the IT service desk to have the support team reset their password back to their default password.
Your student will be receiving a welcome message through their West Ada Email account from each of their four teachers by the end of this week. This message will contain information about how to access their live class sessions.
- Follow the bell schedule daily.
- Establishing a routine will help students transition easier when we are able to meet in person.
- Find a consistent location to complete schoolwork.
- Allow for breaks from working at a computer.
- Follow proper online meeting etiquette.
- Remove distractions from your learning area.
Hotspots: If you requested a hotspot we will contact you about pick-up times as soon as they have been delivered.
Technology contact information can be found below. When on the District website, choose the Parents and Students tab, Technology Support Services link. There is a green “Click to Chat” button students and parents may access for live assistance.
Videos are also provided below for logging into Wifi, accessing teams, and the student view of teams. More informational videos can be found at https://www.westada.org/TechSupport
All students will need to know how to log in to their West Ada Student Outlook email account to access Microsoft Teams. Student email accounts can be accessed here.
If your student is unable to log in, please contact District IT at 208-350-5300.
Only schedule change requests submitted online will be reviewed. Click Here to access the Schedule Change Request form. This can also be found on our school website in the Counseling section.
Because we have adopted the 4-by-4 Model for instruction this year, students will only see 4 classes on their schedule. These are the classes students will attend for the first quarter. Students will transition to their B-day classes second quarter.
12th Grade Vaccination Requirement
Idaho School Immunization rules were updated during the 2020 legislative session.
A 12th grade meningococcal vaccine is now required starting with the 2020-2021 school year.
New Requirement:
- Students who received their first dose of meningococcal (MenACWY) vaccine before the age of sixteen (16) must have two (2) doses of meningococcal (MenACWY) vaccine.
- Students who received their first dose of meningococcal (MenACWY) vaccine at sixteen (16) years of age and older, or those who have never received a dose, must have one (1) dose of meningococcal (MenACWY) vaccine.
If you have questions, please contact your primary provider as soon as possible. Per updated Idaho State law, your child will not be allowed to attend school until we receive an updated immunization record.
Please provide your updated records to the school as soon as possible.
Vaccination Clinics
Meridian Schools Clinic is open and providing immunizations to students.
Here are the dates of the upcoming immunization clinics:
9-2-2020 7a-1p
9-3-2020 1p-7p
9-4-2020 7a-1p
9-8-2020 8a-12p
9-9-2020 8a-12p
9-10-2020 8a-12p
The School Health Center will have extra staff available to expedite immunizations. Parents can call 208-514-2527 to schedule an appointment or walk ins are welcome.
Central District Health Department is providing immunizations for school entrance. Parents can call 208-327-7400 to make an appointment.
For information on nutrition services including curbside meal pick-up, free and reduced lunch, and menus , CLICK HERE.
Throughout the four years your child attends Renaissance, the Booster Club assists each class in raising money to offset the cost of their graduation party and picnic. We also host staff appreciation events, provide library support and grant teacher wish list requests. The Boosters prefer not to rely on fundraisers that require your student to sell merchandise to family and friends.
Due to the current crisis, we need your help more than ever. We are anticipating the cancellation of many of our annual events. As the first day of school approaches, you'll receive an email about our No Nonsense Fundraiser - an opportunity to make a one time donation to support your student and the activities of the Boosters.
The Booster Club is also working to offer RHS spirit wear - more information on how to order will be arriving in your inbox soon!
Finally, please mark your calendar for Tuesday, October 17th at 7pm. We are planning to meet at RHS, but may offer this meeting virtually as well.
If you have any questions, please email us at rhsidahoparents@gmail.com