Other Important Updates
Important Upcoming Dates
3/09 is Blaze Pizza Night 🍕🍕
3/12 is Battle of the Books: If your student(s) is participating, the battles will take place in the Middle School wing of the school (designated classes to be announced sometime this week) from 9:00am until 11:00am. 📚📖
3/15 is a No School day for students; Faculty and Staff will be engaged in a Professional Development day.
3/16 marks our 1-year anniversary of COVID School Dismissal!
3/19 is the last day of Term 3 (already!!!). 💯🏫📝
3/09 is Blaze Pizza Night 🍕🍕
3/12 is Battle of the Books: If your student(s) is participating, the battles will take place in the Middle School wing of the school (designated classes to be announced sometime this week) from 9:00am until 11:00am. 📚📖
3/15 is a No School day for students; Faculty and Staff will be engaged in a Professional Development day.
3/16 marks our 1-year anniversary of COVID School Dismissal!
3/19 is the last day of Term 3 (already!!!). 💯🏫📝
Important Reminders for 6th-8th Students & Families (regarding Online Classes):
Renaissance 6th-8th Students & Families,
Thank you for your support and patience this school year as we navigate the new world of hybrid online/on-campus learning! Our teachers are working so hard to learn and implement new ways of teaching so that your children will continue to learn, grow and progress in both their Chinese and English subjects. I know our new hybrid schedule has not been easy, but after talking with our on-campus, online, English and World Language teachers, as a whole we believe our students are doing so so well!! We are so proud of all they are learning and doing! I received a lot of positive feedback last week from staff about how students (even as young as kindergarten and 1st grade) are adjusting, learning new IT skills and becoming more competent online every day! They are doing it!
In light of my conversation with teachers last week, I would like to reiterate our school-wide expectations for 6th-8th students during online classes this school year (both Chinese and English language). I know there was so much information communicated when school started, it was very overwhelming and you may have missed some of these important details. Please take a few moments to carefully review the information below. Feel free to reach out with any questions or contact your child's teachers directly.
6th-8th Online Class Expectations
1. All 6th-8th grade students are expected to attend both on-campus and online classes included on their schedule Monday-Thursday. With the exception of Specials in 6th grade and Electives in 7th/8th, online classes are required for MS graduation and are not optional. Please ensure your student attends all on-campus and online classes Monday-Thursday.
2. Chinese Immersion Program Students Only
Attendance at PM online Chinese Immersion classes is required for all students in the DLI program. PM classes are not optional or supplemental. Please take note of the following important information;
a) Students are taught new content in both AM on-campus and PM online Chinese classes. PM classes are not 'review' classes.
b) The school day is not finished when students leave campus at 11:30 am. They have an extended lunch break to travel home, eat lunch, and then log on to their afternoon online classes.
c) Our hybrid DLI model is the same as a typical school year, in the sense that a DLI student takes both English and Chinese language classes at school. It is critical that all students participate in all of the daily instruction. If a student does not regularly attend either online/on-campus class, they will miss significant chunks of instruction, fall behind quickly, and struggle to master the grade level content/standards this year.
3. 6th-8th Online Classes - Live Streamed
All 6ht-8th online classes are live streamed. Students and families should expect to attend and participate in online class for the full class duration Monday-Thursday. Please treat our online classes as 'school hours' and refrain from 'checking your student out' (i.e., have them leave the online class early) as much as possible. Our teachers have had some challenges with students leaving to run errands, help with chores at home, watch tv, or look after siblings during designated class time. I realize this year is a challenge for everyone, and having your students at home in online class is not easy by any means, but as much as possible please treat this time as designated school time where your child is not available for other tasks.
4. Missed Work - Online class 'tardies' & being 'checked-out early'
Students who arrive late to online classes will be marked by the teacher as 'tardy' and 'checked out' if they leave early or disappear/don't respond when called upon if they are muted and have their webcam off. We will presume they have left the computer/class. Students who are absent, tardie or check out early from online classes (the same as on-campus classes) will need to make up any missed work.
5. Food during online classes - Students eat before/after class
Please ensure your child has eaten lunch before class starts - and does not eat during class. Students are welcome to have a water bottle during class just as on-campus. It is extremely challenging for our teachers to engage and encourage student participation if they are eating.
6. Web Cameras
As much as possible, we encourage students to have their webcam on during online classes to allow teachers to see them, gauge student engagement and understanding, watch/encourage participation, monitor if they are physically at their computer, and also watch their mouth/lips during Chinese language classes. If your student's device does not have a webcam, we have chromebooks available for student check out in the office. Contact Ashley Doyle at [email protected]
7. Learning Environment
Please help your children concentrate and get the most out of their online classes by positioning them in a location in your home that is conducive to learning, allows maximum concentration and student participation in online discussion, and has limited background noise. We absolutely understand that many families may prefer to have students in communal areas at home for class/computer time, but please be aware of environmental distractions/background noise.
Thank you for all you are doing to support your child/children and our teachers at home! Have a fabulous week!
- Stephanie Avery
Renaissance 6th-8th Students & Families,
Thank you for your support and patience this school year as we navigate the new world of hybrid online/on-campus learning! Our teachers are working so hard to learn and implement new ways of teaching so that your children will continue to learn, grow and progress in both their Chinese and English subjects. I know our new hybrid schedule has not been easy, but after talking with our on-campus, online, English and World Language teachers, as a whole we believe our students are doing so so well!! We are so proud of all they are learning and doing! I received a lot of positive feedback last week from staff about how students (even as young as kindergarten and 1st grade) are adjusting, learning new IT skills and becoming more competent online every day! They are doing it!
In light of my conversation with teachers last week, I would like to reiterate our school-wide expectations for 6th-8th students during online classes this school year (both Chinese and English language). I know there was so much information communicated when school started, it was very overwhelming and you may have missed some of these important details. Please take a few moments to carefully review the information below. Feel free to reach out with any questions or contact your child's teachers directly.
6th-8th Online Class Expectations
1. All 6th-8th grade students are expected to attend both on-campus and online classes included on their schedule Monday-Thursday. With the exception of Specials in 6th grade and Electives in 7th/8th, online classes are required for MS graduation and are not optional. Please ensure your student attends all on-campus and online classes Monday-Thursday.
- 6th grade
- On-campus classes - Language Arts, Math & World Language
- Online classes - Science, Social Studies (Chinese & English) & Specials (optional)
- 7th grade
- On-campus classes - Language Arts, Math, Science & World Language
- Online classes - Health, Character Education/UT Studies, Chinese Culture & Electives (optional)
- 8th grade
- On-campus classes - Language Arts, Math, Science & World Language
- Online classes - CTE/Digital Literacy, US History, Chinese Culture & Electives (optional)
2. Chinese Immersion Program Students Only
Attendance at PM online Chinese Immersion classes is required for all students in the DLI program. PM classes are not optional or supplemental. Please take note of the following important information;
a) Students are taught new content in both AM on-campus and PM online Chinese classes. PM classes are not 'review' classes.
b) The school day is not finished when students leave campus at 11:30 am. They have an extended lunch break to travel home, eat lunch, and then log on to their afternoon online classes.
c) Our hybrid DLI model is the same as a typical school year, in the sense that a DLI student takes both English and Chinese language classes at school. It is critical that all students participate in all of the daily instruction. If a student does not regularly attend either online/on-campus class, they will miss significant chunks of instruction, fall behind quickly, and struggle to master the grade level content/standards this year.
3. 6th-8th Online Classes - Live Streamed
All 6ht-8th online classes are live streamed. Students and families should expect to attend and participate in online class for the full class duration Monday-Thursday. Please treat our online classes as 'school hours' and refrain from 'checking your student out' (i.e., have them leave the online class early) as much as possible. Our teachers have had some challenges with students leaving to run errands, help with chores at home, watch tv, or look after siblings during designated class time. I realize this year is a challenge for everyone, and having your students at home in online class is not easy by any means, but as much as possible please treat this time as designated school time where your child is not available for other tasks.
4. Missed Work - Online class 'tardies' & being 'checked-out early'
Students who arrive late to online classes will be marked by the teacher as 'tardy' and 'checked out' if they leave early or disappear/don't respond when called upon if they are muted and have their webcam off. We will presume they have left the computer/class. Students who are absent, tardie or check out early from online classes (the same as on-campus classes) will need to make up any missed work.
5. Food during online classes - Students eat before/after class
Please ensure your child has eaten lunch before class starts - and does not eat during class. Students are welcome to have a water bottle during class just as on-campus. It is extremely challenging for our teachers to engage and encourage student participation if they are eating.
6. Web Cameras
As much as possible, we encourage students to have their webcam on during online classes to allow teachers to see them, gauge student engagement and understanding, watch/encourage participation, monitor if they are physically at their computer, and also watch their mouth/lips during Chinese language classes. If your student's device does not have a webcam, we have chromebooks available for student check out in the office. Contact Ashley Doyle at [email protected]
7. Learning Environment
Please help your children concentrate and get the most out of their online classes by positioning them in a location in your home that is conducive to learning, allows maximum concentration and student participation in online discussion, and has limited background noise. We absolutely understand that many families may prefer to have students in communal areas at home for class/computer time, but please be aware of environmental distractions/background noise.
Thank you for all you are doing to support your child/children and our teachers at home! Have a fabulous week!
- Stephanie Avery