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Corporate and Foundation Sponsors
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 WELCOME BACK!
We hope everyone had a wonderful summer break and are ready to begin what will be another exciting and busy year at TRCS! This year we welcomed not only 25 new kindergarten students, but 18 Pre-K learners as well! We also have a new 5th grade class, as well as a few new students in 1st, 7th and 9th grades.
As always, we welcome your questions and feedback. Please check our website (www.renaissancecharter.org) for frequent updates, and be sure to log-on to https://pupilpath.skedula.com/ in order to track your child's daily homework, attendance, test scores and more. And be sure to read our monthly newsletter!
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Orientation for Middle & High School Students
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The first day back for our Middle & High School students was spent in orientation. Students were able to meet all of their teachers and classmates and get details about what they will need to do to achieve success.
Teachers and administration have worked hard over the summer to plan a curriculum that is both educational and engaging. Join us on Thursday, 9/18 for Curriculum Night to hear all about what your child will be up to this year!.
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Meet the Staff.....Nicole Jollon
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The latest addition to our staff is our new Middle School and High School Reading Specialist Nicole Jollon. Nicole will be replacing Elizabeth Huston and will be working with our ELA teachers in the middle and high schools.
 Nicole is a Queens native who completed her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Master of Science in English Education from Queens College-CUNY. She has worked in Harlem, as well as Brooklyn, teaching English to both middle school and high school students. She is really excited to become part of the team at Renaissance Charter School as a Reading Specialist in her hometown borough of Queens!
When she isn't running after her two young, energetic and athletic boys, she enjoys reading, walking on the beach and watching cooking shows. Welcome Nicole!
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Expanded 6th-8th Grade After-School
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This year our middle school after-school program is the recipient of an "Out of School Time" grant from New York City Department of Youth and Cultural Development. We are excited to add more challenging and engaging content to our middle school program, including Videography classes from Magic Box Productions; Science and Technology projects developed by our own Science department; leadership development from the Sadie Nash Young Women's Leadership Project; Athletics, free choice time and more!
Science will be a big part of the after-school this year, with 6-8th grade students engaged in hands on science. Students will investigate chemistry, agriculture, physics, earth science, and living environment by participating in activities that foster inquiry based science. Students will be growing crops in ou  r roof top garden, determining the best ways to organically support the ecosystem. They will experience and participate in numerous chemical reactions. They will work with alternative energies, designing and building solar powered cars. Lastly, In bridge building, students will design, build, and test their bridge's strength. Through this program students will be exposed to many different science experiences, each of which will be grounded in the scientific method. We are a  lso in the second year of the PEP grant, which will allow us to add more nutritional and physical education to our after-school. We hope to rotate through several different choices, including dance, karate, zumba, yoga and more!
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Featured Article....Food Services at Renaissance
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 As you probably know by now, the Food Service is now part of the Renaissance family! Their menus are posted on the school's website for Breakfast, Lunch and Supper, as well as our lobby bulletin board. All of the foods, bread, milk, produce and meat are bought fresh from local New York companies. Our students now have a variety of menus that are both nutritious and child friendly. Along with our posted menus, there are snack items that are sold at the end of each lunch period that qualify as "Smart Snacks". This means they are low in fat, whole grain rich and below 200 calories.
Some of the highlights are:
Breakfast: Freshly-made Pancakes
French toast
Egg Sandwiches
Fresh Apple, Banana, and Oranges
Assorted cupped fruits are also available
Whole grain cold cereals
Whole grain Bagels and English Muffins
Lunch: Freshly made entrées such as:
Chicken Quesadillas
Beef Tacos
Meatballs
Pizza- Whole grain w/Low-fat Cheese
Meatloaf.....and much more
Full Salad Bar every lunch with fresh vegetables
and hard cooked eggs
Supper: We serve freshly-made entrees daily, fresh salads and a variety of fruits at every supper.
Snacks: An afternoon snack is offered each dayOur Food Service groups adds something special at holiday times, as well, such Nathan Hot Dogs in celebration of summer and Belgian waffles with whipped cream for Valentine's Day. We can't wait to see what they cook up this year! 
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What's On Your Mind? Cyber Bullying
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The follow excerpts are from an anti-bullying letter sent out recently by Suzanne Arnold, our Director of School Culture & Student Support:
"....Recent research and the tragic stories of teen suicide, due partly to cyber bullying, bring to light an issue we have encountered in our community. Apps such as Ask.fm and Secret, among others, allow our youth to create anonymous user accounts and with anonymity, allows them to bully their classmates - and they do. Even sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, allow for the creation of accounts based on false identities.
"What that means to us is that students can deny responsibility based on the idea that a fake account was created in his or her name...... If there is no way for us to prove or disprove - then there is no chance for accountability, restoration, or for providing the counseling and consequences that the bullying student clearly needs".
Going forward the school plans to treat this issue swiftly and seriously. Penalties could include suspension or expulsion. This is a serious issue that needs your attention, so please take time to read the letter in its entirety. We will also be organizing an seminar for families and students where they can get more in-depth information on cyber-bullying and how to prevent it. In the meantime, you can click on the links in the Helpful Hints section of the newsletter.
http://www.renaissancecharter.org/parents.html/studentsupport.html
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Renaissance Rocks!
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Suzanne Arnold, our Director of School Culture would like to give a Big Shout out to the senior class leadership for their excellent ideas and innovations!  We also want to give a Giant Shout Out to Ram, who was named as a Daily News Hometown Hero of Education! In a previous newsletter we reported that Ram had been nominated, and now we are pleased to announce he was a winner. out of a pool of over 200 nominees, only 11 were chosen. Well done, Ram! At a special breakfast at Times Square on Wednesday morning, 9/17, Ram was introduced by non-other than NYC School Chancellor Carmen Farina (who also gave Principal Stacey and Renaissance a shout out!). For those who haven't read Ram's inspiring story, please click here Read about the award ceremony here.
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Spotlight On... Leadership Program
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The mission of Renaissance is "Developing Leaders fro the Renaissance of New York" and students have real hands-on experience through our Leadership Program.
A part of our College Bound Program, coordinated by Girelle Guzman (a graduate of Renaissance!), the Leadership Program offers students an opportunity to volunteer and/or work both inside and outside of the school and gain important experience.
Our 9th and 10th grade students start off by interning in classrooms and the offices of the the schools, or participating in leadership groups that meet here at Renaissance on Wednesday mornings. Junior and Senior students must have an outside leadership position, and if they cannot find their own, Renaissance provides a great variety of choices for them including programs where they can get CPR certification and paid positions. This work experience will be added to their resumes. Some of the great choices this year are:
Check out the College Bound Leadership page to see all of the great opportunities!
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TRCS Sports Desk
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Knights Sports would like to welcome Danielle Reynolds as our new HS Volleyball Coach.
We also welcome back Miguel, who will once again coach the HS Boys Soccer Team.
Coach Alexander Smith will continue his fifth year as HS Girls Soccer coach.
Upcoming Games:
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|  A message from your PTA Executive Board: Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year! We have many exciting events planned for this year and would love to see every family get involved in our efforts to support all of the TRCS students and community. Getting involved can take many forms: from sending in your PTA dues to volunteering at a school or PTA event to participating on a committee or providing translation services and so much more. Studies show that students perform better when parents are involved. You are the key to success! Look for a future email to learn how you can get involved. Some upcoming events: Miss Chocolate - September 22 thru October 14 PTA Meeting - October 15 - we are working on providing some mini lessons with your child's teachers. Scholastic Book Fair - October 20 thru 24 Monster Mash - October 24 Picture Day - November 10 - Grades Pre-K through 11; senior class picture We are working on scheduling some family nights (games, movies, dancing; maybe Zumba!). Stay tuned. More information to come. Lillian Chen and Kelly Goodwin - PTA Co-Presidents
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Upcoming Events:
Thursday, 9/18 - Curriculum Night 6-8PM All Grades
Monday, 9/22-10/14 - Miss Chocolate Fundraiser
Thurs-Friday, 9/25-26th - Rosh Hashanah School Closed
Monday, 10/13 - Columbus Day School Closed
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Helpful Hints and Cool Links
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Check out the new link on the Parents page of our website called "Supporting Your Child."
http://www.renaissancecharter.org/parents.html/support_child.com
This page includes many helpful documents and resources to support your child both academically and emotionally, from experts in the field and our own staff. Currently, there are several documents that will help you help your child, by understanding our discipline code, our commitment to an anti-bullying culture, and by understanding what our communication protocols and our philosophy of student counseling. Here are some additional resources:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/people-skills/201008/cyber-bullying-defenses
http://eyeguardian.com/
http://www.netsmartz.org/Cyberbullying
Read the following document for tips on internet safety:
Internet Safety
Elementary Math:
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Make an investment in children, education and the future of our world. Safer, better-educated communities are great for business; they improve the quality of life for everyone. Renaissance's hard-working, high-achieving students strive to make that happen and with your help that goal is closer to being a reality: Please visit our website for more information, and lick on the red DONATE button on the bottom of each page: http://www.renaissancecharter.org/. Thank you!
Sincerely,
The Renaissance Charter School
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