Specialty Classes

Specialty classes at Boston Renaissance are incorporated into the school day for all students. They include:

Visual and Performing Arts

Technology

Chinese Language and Culture

Physical Education and Recess

Library and Media Center

Visual & Performing Arts

Every day, Boston Renaissance has 2 music rooms, 2 art rooms, 2 dance studios and more are filled with scholars learning from highly skilled teachers who are also accomplished artists in their own right. Students frequently demonstrate their talents performing in professional settings such as concerts, plays, recitals and musicals throughout the year.

Boston Renaissance students also receive instruction in Digital Media including Photography, Videography and Graphic Design by creating their own images, movies and animated videos.

 

Technology

All students at Renaissance participate in Technology classes to learn essential computer literacy with education including learning typing, common programs and internet resources. They also explore a wide range of educational technologies often including more advanced programs often not available at the elementary school level.

 

Chinese Language & Culture

As part of the Boston Renaissance Global Education Initiative, Renaissance students learn Mandarin Chinese as a second language, beginning in Kindergarten and can continue all the way through 6th grade. BRCPS employs Mandarin instructors who work with the students on acquisition, articulation, and comprehension through structured instructional practice, curriculum, and assessment. This innovative program has received acclaim and attention nationally and internationally.

For years, Mandarin Chinese has been designated by the federal government as a “critical language” for American students. Responding to this designation, in 2009, President Obama announced the “100,000 Strong Initiative” a national effort designed to increase the number of American students studying in China. In the same year, Boston Renaissance Charter Public School began a collaborative and dynamic Chinese Program through a triangulated design: Envisioning, Implementing and Evaluating a Chinese Program. The program includes well-articulated goals, research-based classroom practices and assessment, and ongoing collaborative evaluation. It also embraces a professional development plan, a curriculum development process, and high level of responsiveness to the needs of students, teachers and families. This well-defined framework for instruction, assessment, and evaluation brings a structured process for teaching this vital language to urban children, while integrating innovative practice into the fabric of the school.

Our goal was to begin with a strong foundation and expand the program by adding one grade each year. We began with the youngest students, 88 K1 and K2 students began learning Chinese as a second language in school year 2009-2010. In school year 2010-2011, the students who learned Chinese increased to 392 students, including all K1, K2 and Gr. 1 students. These students received Chinese instruction three times a week for a total of 90 minutes. In school year 2011-2012, 468 students from all K1, K2, Gr. 1 and 2 received Chinese instruction. The class was scheduled five times a week for 30 minutes per class. K1-Gr. 1 students receive Chinese instruction 5 times a week for 30 minutes per class. Students in Gr. 2 and 3 receive Chinese each trimester for 5 times a week for 55 minutes per class. Students in the upper grades are allowed to continue taking Chinese as an elective.

Physical Education

In addition to the full scale gymnasium which can be configured into 2 separate gyms, students enjoy the use of extensive outdoor athletic grounds. including multiple play structures, 4 lane track, football/soccer field and basketball court.

 

 

 

 

Boston Renaissance partners with nationally recognized Playworks program using their methods and curriculum to create a place for every kid on the playground to feel included, be active, and build valuable social and emotional skills. We offer an essential opportunity for children to explore their imaginations, to connect with other kids, and to stretch and grow physically, emotionally and socially.

Library & Media Center

The Boston Renaissance Charter Public School Library serves as an integral part of the Boston Renaissance learning community.
The Library & Media Services program provides provide information literacy education, and serves as a resource for a wide selection of fiction and nonfiction books, magazines, audio/visual and web-based resources to broaden every student’s education and imagination.

The Library team has created an online blog site for the Renaissance community to stay up to date on what’s happening in the Library, including new books that come in and scheduled activities.  Click here to check it out: BRCPS Library Blog

 

The Library staff and resources serve students and faculty by providing materials and resources in print, audio/visual and web-based formats for curriculum enhancement aligned with the Common Core Standards, instructional support, and personal reading enjoyment. The librarians also instruct and assist students in developing skills in the access and use of information essential for modern information literacy.
The Library is located on the first floor and is managed by the Librarian and Media Specialist, Mrs. Angela Shariff-Sabir.