Renaissance Revival
Academics, Attitude, Action --- November 22, 2019
Renaissance Mission Statement
"Our mission is to help students identify and learn how to cope and overcome their academic and behavioral challenges in order to become productive and responsible members within Warren Township school population and community at large."
Inspiration
"I never lose. I either WIN or Learn." Nelson Mandela
School Calendar
Please find below link that will allow you access to the most up-to-date MSD Warren Township School Calendar.
http://msdwarrenin.apptegy.us/o/msd-of-warren-township/browse/44250
Renaissance Webpage
No School November 27-29th, For All Warren Township Students!
MSD Raptor Visitor Management System
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Warren Township Schools is pleased to announce that we are using the Raptor Visitor Management System in all of our schools to strengthen our program of campus safety for students and staff. Part of keeping students and faculty safe is knowing who is in our buildings at all times, and the Raptor System allows us to do that. The Raptor System allows us to screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers in our schools and provide us with a safer environment for our students and staff. Our goal is to keep a balance of being a welcoming school district as well as maintaining the safety of our students and staff.
Currently, every visitor who enters our building is asked to present a state of federal ID, such as a Driver’s License, and it is scanned into the Raptor System. Once the visitor has been approved, the office staff enters the reason, destination of the visit and the Raptor System will print a photo ID visitor badge. If for any reason a parent or guardian does not have a U.S. government-issued ID, the staff member can use any form of ID and manually enter the person’s name into the Raptor System. Beginning November 11, 2019, this will apply to our PreK-4 campuses as well.
A photo ID visitor badge is not required for those who visit our schools to drop off an item or pick-up paperwork at the front desk. Further, they may drop off their items(s) or remain in the waiting area until their student is available. Please be aware that current practices established in each building remain in effect.
The safety of our students is our highest priority. The Raptor Visitor Management System provides us with a consistent process of knowing who is in our buildings at all times as well as a tool to identify those individuals who may present a danger to our students and staff.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and support towards enhancing school safety protocols in our district. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us here at Renaissance at 317-532-2996.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Masimba Taylor
Principal
A Principal's Perspective
Greetings,
I want to send a sincere thanks to all my parents who made sure that their student was here on time and ready for testing. We are currently in the process of doing make-ups with hopes of wrapping everything up before Thanksgiving. Although, there are other options for meeting the graduation requirement taking the ISTEP test every time it is offered is one of the many requirements for a student to be considered for a "waiver".
Following Thanksgiving Break teachers will begin to wrap up courses and close out units. All courses will need to be completed for this 9 weeks prior to Christmas Break. You are always able to access your students grades, discipline, and attendance via the Parent Portal. Please find attached instructions on how to access this information. If you are in need of a log-in please reach out to Renaissance front desk at 317-532-2996.
Seniors should be receiving a letter discussing their current progress and where they stand regarding credits, class grades, and graduation status. Please review these letters with your student and do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Nassar, our Guidance Counselor, with any questions or concerns.
Many students have inquired about what needs to happen in order for them to transition back to their home school. At the middle school level meetings take place 3 weeks into a student's placement and typically at 9 weeks if the student has met expectations established at placement they may begin the transition process. High school students are only considered for transition back to WCHS at the start of each semester. Consideration and final decision for transitioning is at the discretion of administration. Discipline, attendance, and credits earned will all be considered when determining a students placement or return to home school.
Finally, I sincerely thank those who are taking the time to read the information placed within this newsletter. It is my goal to keep you as informed as possible about what is taking place here at Renaissance. I truly believe that "it takes a village" and hope that keeping you in the loop will help support our students and ultimately lead to academic success. To further encourage you to keep reading we will begin to embed fun facts and trivia throughout the newsletter that parents can respond to which will make you eligible to win a gas card. So keep on reading and as always I thank you for allowing me to serve your students.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Don't forget to ask your student the following questions:
1. How was your day or week?
2. How many credits do you still need to graduate?
3. What did you do today to help you get closer to your goal?
4. Anything I can do to help?
5. You know I love you right?
As always feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns!
Again, thank you for allowing us to serve your students!
Middle School Moment
Middle School Moments
We welcomed several new students this week. They arrived just in time for a short week! Next week we only have school on Monday and Tuesday. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! Please enjoy the holiday with family and friends. We return to normal scheduling the following Monday, December 2nd.
Just a reminder that students who have signed out ChromeBooks are expected to do schoolwork at least 20 minutes a day from home. So far, this expectation has not been met. Please remind your student that ChromeBooks are primarily for academic pursuits. Students who are not working while at home may be asked to return their equipment so that other students may have the opportunity to be successful.
Miss Olivia hosted a day of Thanksgiving activities with our students on Thursday. Students created a variety of beautiful feathered, glittered, and pom-pommed turkeys - some with gold grills! Who knew that turkeys even had teeth?? They also decorated cutouts of leaves then wrote down things that they are thankful for on them. These leaves will hang from Mrs. Shaw’s ceiling as a reminder of all of our blessings.
This week’s affirmation: I can face any obstacle that comes my way.
Dean's Corner -- Discussion With The Dean
Hello Renaissance family,
Online safety is vital for our kids to learn. There are many dangerous situations that teens can find themselves in just by simply clicking into a few websites, or interacting with people on social media. Below, I have found several links that discuss online safety for kids.
https://www.connectsafely.org/social-web-tips-for-teens/
If at any time you would need assistance, please feel free to contact me at your convenience.
Tarek Zawahri
Dean of students
“I don’t mind if U have to sit on the floor at School. All I want is education. And I am afraid of no one.”
Malala Yousufzai
Student Success Handbook for Warren Township:
Counselor Corner -- Conversation With the Counselor
The Great American Smokeout is on November 21st. This day is to encourage all smokers to take steps to quit. The American Cancer Society website has lots of tips for anyone attempting stop smoking. As vaping has become more prevalent among teenagers, smokefree.gov offers information on how to quit vaping as well.
Reminders to seniors
Please remember to order your cap and gown. You may pay online or bring money and the order form to Ms. Nassar.
Seniors remember that if you are using the Career Pathway option in place of passing ISTEP you must complete 75 hours of extracurricular activity/volunteer work OR 75 hours of employment. Students must turn in the verification form as well. Many students have already completed this requirement. If haven't or need help please contact Ms. Nassar.
Important Dates
Next Date December 7th.
Upcoming ACT Registration Deadline:
Reminder: All of our 21st Century Scholars must take the SAT or ACT to claim their scholarship. Please see information below
Social Worker Corner-- Social Work Insight
HAPPY NOVEMBER!!! We are 1 week away from Thanksgiving Break and 4 weeks away from Christmas Break. YAY ! This is truly a month to celebrate those that serve, donate while giving selflessly of their time. It also looks great on your resume. Let’s give a big shout out for VOLUNTEERS. Before the month comes to close November 21st is National Parental Involvement Day. PARENTS you are our biggest volunteers to the district, township and especially Renaissance.
What’s the most accurate predictor of academic achievement? It’s not socioeconomic status, nor how prestigious the school is that a child attends. The best predictor of student success is the extent to which families encourage learning at home and involve themselves in their child’s education.[1]
When parents are engaged in their children’s school lives, students have the home support and knowledge they need to not only finish their assignments, but also develop a lifelong love of learning.
Teachers who focus on parent engagement often see a profound change in their classrooms. The more parents involved in their children’s education, the better their entire class’s motivation, behavior, and grades become.
Encouraging parent engagement is more than common courtesy. It’s one of the best ways to create a positive learning environment for every student. To create a community built on parent-teacher relationships in your school, find out what parent engagement is and how to nurture it.
Children with engaged parents are more likely to:
- Earn higher grades or test scores
- Graduate from high school and attend post-secondary education
- Develop self-confidence and motivation in the classroom
- Have better social skills and classroom behavior
They are also less likely to:
- Have low self-esteem
- Need redirection in the classroom
- Develop behavioral issues
Try these parent engagement strategies to transform involvement into parent partnerships:
- Give parents your contact information and get to know them early in the school year. That way, when they have questions, they’ll feel comfortable reaching out
- Provide opportunities for parents to connect with the school. Volunteer shifts, class activities, or parent-teacher committees are all great engagement opportunities
- Share your classroom goals or expectations openly with parents, and ask them to do the same
- Connect with parents in-person as much as possible. Use emails, texts, or apps to keep parents up-to-date on upcoming class events
- Address common challenges that inhibit parent engagement like scheduling conflicts or an intimidating atmosphere
Community Resources:
Renaissance supportive services offered for 2019-2020;
Gallahue Community Hospital - Counseling School-Based service programs to assist with social and emotional challenges
Future Promises Program - Teen parenting and casework services-Marion County Health Department
The Indianapolis Urban League - College Readiness Program and other extracurricular activities offered
Inner Beauty is now housed in our building every Thursday evening 7-9p
Renaissance will be seeking to add more community resources and programs to promote, improve and increase social and emotional skills within our community.
Lori B. Dodson, MSW
School Social Worker
Phone: (317) 532.2996 ext. 2962
Senior Student Success
Graduation
There has been a change in the Cap and Gowns. Students will be wearing one color(Black)with the cap(black)and tassel(black and gold).The price has changed to $34.00 dollars. All else will stay the same. Students may go to the website (herffjones.com) to access the picture of the Cap and Gown.
College and Career Planning
Led by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, Learn More Indiana is a partnership of state and local organizations working to help Hoosiers of all ages complete education and training beyond high school. Go to this website and take personality quizzes, research potential careers and educational opportunities, build a resume and more!
Financial Aid Information
https://scholars.in.gov/parents/keep-your-scholar-on-track/
Financial Aid for Seniors
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications are available on October 1, 2019. Stay tuned for information about a FAFSA Completion night at Renaissance when we will go through the application process.
Also, be sure to follow the College and Career Readiness page on twitter for regular updates!
@CCR_WarrenTwp
CORE CORNER --Respect
noun
1.
a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
"the director had a lot of respect for Douglas as an actor"
2.
due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others.
"young people's lack of respect for their parents"
“Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.”
Bruce Lee
“Men are respectable only as they respect.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Students Showing CORE!
11/15 CORE Buck winners
Thomas Kendrick- Respect
Aiyanna King- Order
Asia Eldridge- Excellence
Shawn Roton- Order
Taelor Vanderver- Respect and Excellence
Geniya Goodman- Order
Anthony "Trey" Williams- Excellence
Azarry Hart- Order