The Renaissance Bulletin

April 12, 2023	BRCPS Links ·Calendar ·Facebook ·Instagram ·Twitter ·YouTube ·LinkedIn ·BRCPS Website

Dear Renaissance Families, I hope this note finds you all well and you’re getting excited for Spring. It’s hard to imagine that the end of another successful school year is in sight As we prepare for April vacation, I wanted to share with you the latest edition of The Bulletin. This approach has helped us keep all of you informed and this edition is full of information about what’s happening at the school. I hope you enjoy this edition and as always, feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions you may have throughout the school year. Enjoy vacation and stay in touch. Sincerely,


LOWER SCHOOL UPDATE Our Core Value in March was PERSEVERANCE Classrooms selected Upstanders of the Month that practice perseverance and struggle through hard things, giving it their all. We celebrate our Upstanders every month in our Zoom community meetings and always end this celebration with an Upstander Dance Party! We ended March with our Student Led Conferences where our scholars get an opportunity to show off all they’re learning! We are so proud of how much they’re growing (as are they!) Thank you for coming in and cheering them on. Your support means everything. Now that you’ve seen all that your kiddo can do–look through these lists for additional at home activities. HOME SUPPORT MENU *March Madness!* The school celebrated March Madness our own way, with a show off of read aloud books. We’re still in the process of voting for the winners! SAVE THE DATE! April 28th – Character Day (families are invited to the parade!)
UPPER SCHOOL UPDATE Academics Updates: WIN Block will become math focused after ELA MCAS for the 2 weeks leading up to Math MCAS. This will give students more time being exposed to all standards and a chance to practice code switching, which will help on testing day. MCAS test taking strategies have been infused within daily instruction to ensure students are feeling confident going into the MCAS test with the tools they need to succeed. Teachers have been strategic with their writing process across content areas using note taking strategies such as two column notes. Teachers have also been ensuring higher level questions are embedded regularly to allow students practice with a variety of question types and formats. Grades 3-6 participated in a Mock ELA MCAS on March 14 and 15. This gave students and teachers the chance to become used to the online platform as well as holding the learning environment for an extended period of time. MCAS Dates April 10-13 Grades 3-6 ELA May 8-11 Grades 3-6 Math May 15 & 16 Grade 5 STE
VISUAL/PERFORMING ARTS
The Voices of Renaissance performed the annual spring concert on April 2nd to a sold out crowd! See highlight photos below and watch for videos from the performance online on our website and social media coming soon.

FAMILY SERVICES The Family Resource Hub is a compilation of all of the resources which have been shared with you throughout this year placed on one page. The Family Resource Hub can be used throughout the year for anything you may need and will be updated frequently. Please use it as a reference for any questions or needs you may have. BRCPS Summer Program will be canceled for this current school year due to HVAC repairs. We will, of course, let you know if anything changes. Here are other summer program options in our community IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES April 15th-22nd SPRING BREAK April 29th – ½ Day MCAS Dates April 10-13 Grades 3-6 ELA May 8-11 Grades 3-6 Math May 15 & 16 Grade 5 STE BULLETIN SUBSCRIPTION: If you do not already receive the BRCPS Blog in your inbox and would like to, please enter your email HERE to subscribe. The Boston Renaissance Charter Public School does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, gender identity, transgender status, gender transitioning, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its programs, activities or operations. These include, but are not limited to, admissions, equal access to programs and activities, employment, provision of and access to programs and services, as well as a selection of volunteers, vendors, and employers recruiting at the Boston Renaissance. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, students, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors.

February 17, 2023	BRCPS Links ·Calendar ·Facebook ·Instagram ·Twitter ·YouTube ·LinkedIn ·BRCPS Website

Dear Renaissance Families, I hope this note finds you all well and you’re enjoying the “winter” weather, Spring is fast approaching. As we get ready for February vacation, I wanted to share with you the latest edition of The Bulletin. This approach has helped us keep all of you informed and this edition is full of information about what’s happening for your children. The enrollment lottery for school year 2023-2024 for grades K-1 through 4 is open until February 28th. In the event you may know of a family wishing to join our wonderful community, please don’t hesitate to pass this information along to them. More information is available on the Enrollment page of our website. I hope you enjoy this edition and as always, feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions you may have throughout the school year. Enjoy vacation and stay in touch Sincerely,

WHOLE SCHOOL UPDATE Black History Month At BRCPS, we consciously plan for and learn about black history throughout the year. We read texts that center black and brown voices and celebrate black joy in classrooms every day through discussions, activities, play and exploration. This month is a great opportunity to share out and shine a light on black history! Below are a few of the ways we celebrate Black History: Black History Month Spirit Week to recognize and celebrate Black Excellence, Black Pride and Black Joy Artistic showcases that exemplify Black Excellence, Black Pride and Black Joy Diverse Community Speakers have come to various community meetings to speak to the students about their communities i.e. a woman came to speak about the history of wearing a hijab and two others came in to talk about the importance of people of color in STEM SEL curriculum year long is tied to diverse, multilingual and multicultural anchor texts that act as mentors to support learning of the SEL competencies. Readings, Videos and homework that highlight prominent Black historical figures around the nation i.e. K1 using the book Young, Gifted and Black book to focus on learning about individual historical figures Research projects on historical Black figures where students were able to choose how to share the information (image, poem, rap, etc.) Upcoming Event: 5th & 6th Grade Black Excellence Showcase BRCPS SOOOUL TRAIN: On Friday, March 3 from 8am-10:15am, BRCPS Students and Staff will be participating in our very first BRCPS SOOOOOUL TRAIN! On this day, our students will learn and showcase their best dance moves, while being introduced to the staples of music they hear at their own family gatherings. The lovely Ms. Trench will lead the community in dancing the Cha Cha Slide, The Wobble and many other group dances!

LOWER SCHOOL UPDATE Academics Update We have been in school for 100 days!! The learning and growing our kids have been doing over the past 100 days is astounding. Take a peak at what each grade level is up to: K1: Exploring social emotional learning topics (getting along together), letters, numbers and science topics through playful their integrated learning theme: Wind and Water. Next up, they’ll be starting a new theme: The World of Color. K2: In kinder, we’re building our background knowledge around important topics of living things and how they survive through their Animals and Habitats unit. Students are solidifying their letters and sounds in phonics and beginning to tap out simple words, a huge building block for reading! Grade 1: First graders are exploring Animals and their habitats as well in their unit of study. They’re building habitats and dramatizing their learning through Studios and applying their learning to reading and discussion around key topics. Their phonics skills are improving as they hammer down letter sounds and building words to read sentences and write more complex sentences. In math, they’re exploring adding and subtracting within 20. Next up for math, they will expand their skill up to 99! Thank you to the first grade rooms who hosted and the families who attended the Math Carnival! Grade 2: Our second graders are exploring communities and how people help one another through literature and collaborative measurement math tasks. They’re solidifying their phonics knowledge to blend and read more complex words and sentences. The second graders are showing steady growth on their internal data assessments, which is a huge testament to how hard everyone is working in those rooms. We’re so proud of our oldest lower school friends: WAY TO GO 2ND GRADERS! Upstander Community Meetings: Every half day, students in K1-2 participate in community meetings via Zoom or in person. We take the opportunity to explore a social emotional learning skill (big problem, little problem, collaborative learning), highlight our Upstanders of the Month and shine a spotlight on diverse topics happening across the globe. While we celebrate black joy and achievement year round, this month, we’re highlighting Black History Month through these meetings and in the classrooms. Global Play Day: We love to learn through play in the lower school and enjoy our tradition of joining schools across the globe as they celebrate global play day. A day to disconnect from screens and focus on social, emotional, collaborative skill building for a portion of the day. Check it out! Home Support: Please take a look at the Lower School Latest that went home a couple weeks ago with key ways you can support your little learner at home. THANK YOU for your partnership!
UPPER SCHOOL UPDATE Academics Updates: Spring 2023 MCAS dates were emailed to families. Please mark your calendars with these important dates and ask your child’s teacher if you did not receive the email. For the month of February, our core value is Respect. Classrooms will be running Social/Emotional Learning lessons surrounding this core value during their Monday and Friday SEL blocks. Upper School Pep Rallies took place for grades 3-6 students. The purpose of the Rallies is to celebrate the halfway mark of the year, all the successes and academic gains students have made, and to hype students up to end the year just as successfully! The Rallies had student, staff, and director speakers, a choir performance, a dance performance, and plenty of pump up music with JOY. 6th Grade students celebrated Global Play Day on February 1st, while grades 3-5 celebrated Friday February 10. Classrooms celebrated with collaborative hands-on play activities that did not utilize technology. This encouraged students to work together and enjoy playing with their peers. 6th Grade held a bake sale Friday February 10 to raise money for a Movie night. Students worked together to sell baked goods and to ensure customers were happy and left with the correct change, working on many life skills! MCAS test taking strategies have been infused within daily instruction to ensure students are feeling confident going into the MCAS test with the tools they need to succeed. Teachers have been strategic with their writing process across content areas using note taking strategies such as two column notes. Teachers have also been ensuring higher level questions are embedded regularly to allow students practice with a variety of question types and formats.
VISUAL/PERFORMING ARTS
The Voices of Renaissance traveled to Franklin, Massachusetts to sing for the Massachusetts School Administrators Association. The audience of teacher-leaders, principals, and administrators were very impressed with the choir performance and their confidence. Many of the principals were inspired to begin music programs and choirs at their own schools. They could immediately see the value of providing the arts as a part of the students’ educational experience. This month in Mr. Pro’s visual arts class, lower school scholars worked on paintings that incorporate patterns, reflections, perspective and a horizon line, while upper school scholars made Black History Month themed paintings.

FAMILY SERVICES Fundraiser: Family Fun is Best on Skates! On Sunday, March 5 from 12pm-3pm the POR Committee will be hosting a fundraiser event at Chez Vous in Dorchester. To attend, you must purchase tickets, which are available on a first come first serve basis, for $15 per person. You can purchase tickets on Eventbrite or you can purchase them from the front office. There will be good music, good fun, and some cool raffle prizes! We look forward to seeing you there! IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES March 3rd: Sooooul Train March 5th: Parents of Renaissance Rollerskating Fundraiser March 14th & 15th: ELA MOCK MCAS April 10th-April 13th: ELA MCAS Grades 3-6 BULLETIN SUBSCRIPTION: If you do not already receive the BRCPS Blog in your inbox and would like to, please enter your email HERE to subscribe. The Boston Renaissance Charter Public School does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, gender identity, transgender status, gender transitioning, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its programs, activities or operations. These include, but are not limited to, admissions, equal access to programs and activities, employment, provision of and access to programs and services, as well as a selection of volunteers, vendors, and employers recruiting at the Boston Renaissance. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, students, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors.

January 9, 2023	BRCPS Links ·Calendar ·Facebook ·Instagram ·Twitter ·YouTube ·LinkedIn ·BRCPS Website

Dear Renaissance Families, Happy New Year! I hope this note finds you all well and you and your family had a relaxing and re-energizing vacation and holiday season. As we kick off the new year, I’m excited to share with you this edition of The Bulletin. This effort has been a great way to keep our families informed of all the wonderful things happening within our school community. Among the highlights of this edition, I’d especially like to call your attention to our STEAM Day activities and our Annual Mentoring breakfast. These two events were great examples of our efforts to provide many of our scholars with memorable and enriching experiences. I also want to let you know we have reopened enrollment for this school year in K2, 1 st and 3 rd grades. In the event you may know of a family wishing to join our wonderful community, please don’t hesitate to pass this information along to them. I hope you enjoy this edition and as always, feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions you may have throughout the school year. Stay warm and stay in touch. Sincerely,

LOWER SCHOOL UPDATE STEAM Day Students participated in the first STEAM Day of the year this past month. The focus was around light and movement. Grade levels partnered together to explore grade level standards in a hands-on, collaborative setting. See below for the great things they discovered and stay tuned for additional STEAM Days! Exploring and Experimenting with Properties of Light on STEAM Day
What I Need Block Updates & Learning Grades K2-2 are making progress in their What I Need groups and are in the middle of Winter Benchmark testing. This testing gives us a data point around the growth they are making. We utilize the data to support shifts in their learning and intervention time. Please see the email from Ms. Tamairi Rivera on 12/5 for additional information on the tiered intervention groups and how it supports our scholars’ learning progress. Units of Study & Culminating Projects Grade 1 wrapped up their first theme unit, Building Strong Communities, with Book Access Projects. As a class, they learned about book access and the inequities that exist across the world around getting people’s hands on books. They worked hard on identifying a way in which they wanted to tackle this problem through brainstorming and action. See below for some photos on their culminating project. We’re so proud of our first grade activists! BRCPS 1ST GRADE SCHOLARS DONATING BOOKS Conferences We loved having families in the school on 12/15! Families stopped by classrooms and learned about various curricula and resources to support learning at home. Please review these documents for what your child should know in each grade level from the MA Department of Education: Learning Standards For Families. UPPER SCHOOL UPDATE Academic Updates Upper School students will begin their new trimester 2 elective January 6th. Students were able to select their top 3 interests which include electives that range from drama club to basketball to water color painting. Ask your child what elective they selected. Spring 2023 MCAS dates were emailed to families. Please mark your calendars with these important dates and ask your child’s teacher if you did not receive the email. For the month of January, our Core Value is Kindness. Students will be taking part in spreading kindness across the school and creating presentations for their monthly community meeting. Our third graders in Ms. Mahoney & Ms. Foley’s classroom have partnered with Ms. Cabral’s K1 classroom to have reading buddy Fridays. Thank you for joining us in December for student led conferences! Students were very excited to showcase their knowledge and work, while also discussing goals with their families. Having collaborative conversations while working on academic tasks has been a focus for upper school this year and our scholars have really embraced this concept throughout all content areas!
VISUAL/PERFORMING ARTS
This year the Boston Renaissance hosted the Annual Mentoring Breakfast. This event began in 2012, and has been an important time for community leaders and our scholars to come together for a time of sharing and mentoring. Also, student performers wowed the audience with dance, spoken word, and music. Over 70 community leaders were invited and attended this historical event. We look forward to connecting with the mentors for future events.
STUDENT SERVICES
SEPAC and ELPAC Winter Social On December 2nd the Boston Renaissance SEPAC and ELPAC held a Winter Social where families joined staff in learning more about these parent organizations and obtained resources for at-home support. The BRCPS SEPAC and ELPAC will be holding another family social in the spring! The purpose of the SEPAC and ELPAC is to provide families with the opportunity to have a voice in their child’s education. SEPAC acts as a resource for parents, advising the district on matters related to the support, programs and performance of students with special needs and disabilities, grades kindergarten through Six (K1-6) SEPAC provides support, networking, and workshops to help parents become informed about special education topics and connect with other parents. ELPAC provides advice to the school regarding its English Learner Education programs. ELPAC members meet with school officials to participate in the planning and development of programs designed to improve educational opportunities for ELs. They participate in the review of school improvement plans and district improvement plans as the plans relate to ELs. They also engage in fundraising activities and connect with local community partners IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN OUR SEPAC Please complete this form or email Stacia Copeland at scopeland@brcps.school. There are still plenty of spaces available on the BRCPS ELPAC! The purpose of the ELPAC is to provide families with the opportunity to have a voice in their child’s English language education. Our goal is to build supportive and collaborative partnerships among and between parents, school staff and leaders, and community members! For more information, see the ELPAC Flyer. Please complete this form if you are interested in joining the ELPAC or email Shelby Galvin at sgalvin@brcps.school. BRPCS scholars who receive EL services will be taking the Access Test starting in January. “Federal and state laws require that English learner (EL) students be assessed annually to measure their proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking English, as well as the progress they are making in learning English. In fulfillment of these laws, EL students are required to participate in ACCESS for ELLs tests. ACCESS for ELLs tests are administered annually in January-February.” (https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/access/)

FAMILY SERVICES We are Reopening Enrollment for this current School Year 22-23. Enrollment is currently available for students in grades K2, 1st and 3rd only. So, if you know of anyone that may be interested in enrolling with us or can share this flyer, it would be greatly appreciated. The application Deadline is January 13th. Enrollment will be determined by lottery, which will be held on January 17th. To enter the lottery, please visit https://bostoncharterschools.schoolmint.net/welcome. Enrollment questions can be directed to our School Registrar, Kaia Richards. Please feel free to share this virtual tour video as well. IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES January 6th: US begins T2 Electives January 1st-31st: Kindness Month January 13th: SY22-23 Enrollment Lottery Application Deadline for Grades K2, 1st and 3rd. February 17th: STEAM DAY March 3rd: STEAM DAY March 14th & 15th: ELA MOCK MCAS April 10th-April 13th: ELA MCAS Grades 3-6 BULLETIN SUBSCRIPTION: If you do not already receive the BRCPS Blog in your inbox and would like to, please enter your email HERE to subscribe. The Boston Renaissance Charter Public School does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, gender identity, transgender status, gender transitioning, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its programs, activities or operations. These include, but are not limited to, admissions, equal access to programs and activities, employment, provision of and access to programs and services, as well as a selection of volunteers, vendors, and employers recruiting at the Boston Renaissance. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, students, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors.

November 4, 2022	BRCPS Links ·Calendar ·Facebook ·Instagram ·Twitter ·YouTube ·LinkedIn ·BRCPS Website

Dear Renaissance Families, I hope this email finds you well and the new school year is off to a great start. This is the new edition of The Bulletin, designed to keep our parent community informed about all of the wonderful things happening at the Renaissance. I hope you enjoy it and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at any time with questions or suggestions. I can be reached at abuckmire@brcps.school. I look forward to seeing you on campus. Warmly,

LOWER SCHOOL UPDATE Students have participated in Fall benchmark assessments across K1-2. We use this data to inform our instruction and an intervention/enrichment time called What I Need (WIN) block. Reading and math teachers work with classroom teachers to provide support and small group instruction for students. Groups are determined based on the information we gathered from the beginning of year assessments and student progress will be monitored on a regular basis. The beginning of year data collected is incredibly helpful to ensure we are providing each student with instruction focused on what they need. Below is a table of the assessments we collect as well as some photos of our scholars hard at work during WIN time! We look forward to sharing more with you all soon about your child’s individual progress during WIN time and beyond.
UPPER SCHOOL UPDATE Academic Updates WIN is in full process in the Upper School. WIN stands for “What I Need”. This is a time for students to work on foundational academic skills and get strategic individualized instruction. Students have been working on either ELA or Math for the past 3 weeks. Next week begins the switch to the alternative content. As a school we are participating in two Math Pilots. Grades 3 and 5 are working with Bridges curriculum while Grade 4 and 6 are using Illustrative Math. Teachers meet weekly to review the curriculum and plan for the students. The goal is to establish a curriculum that would be most beneficial for our students at the end of the year to then shift into a school wide math curriculum. Announcements/US News: Click the image below for Middle School Info (Grade 5 & 6 Families). Middle School Padlet (Grade 5 & 6 Families) We have an official Student Council! The 6th graders held speeches for the student council office positions two weeks ago. The 6th grade student cohort then voted on the people they would like to see be a part of the student council to work with school leaders to help our school community grow and improve. The student council will consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and then 3 homeroom representatives from 6th grade and 4 homeroom representatives from 5th grade. We are excited to see what this amazing group of students can do when they work together. Upstanders of the month are presented at grade level community meetings. September’s core value was kindness. Each classroom voted for a student who showcased kindness through the month of September. Once an Upstander is selected they are showcased in the grade level community meeting. We are so proud of all the Upstanders who are being leaders in the school. There are some pictures below. The Core Value of the month for October was Courage. Students who show courage by pushing through challenging situations are highlighted at the end of the month by their peers. We love to see courage in the classroom when students share their learning and thoughts with the class regardless of how nervous or scared they may be. This courage helps all learners become stronger in their social and academic skills. Electives are continuing to be a huge success in the Upper School. Students are working on activities like; water color, Bollywood dancing, computer programming, environmental science, soccer and track. This time is giving students opportunities to work on their social and emotional learning as well as leadership skills. The joy during these sessions on ½ day Fridays is palpable.
VISUAL/PERFORMING ARTS
Mrs. Rizzo’s is teaching conducting to our young scholars! Keith Lockhart and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, get ready! Mr. Provenzano is completing an art project with his students The work below is the response to the question: “What is your idea/dream of what a better world would look like?” Two pieces will be selected to be in an exhibition in November. These paintings and mixed-media pieces (using more than one type of material eg. paint, marker and crayon) were done by Samuel, Evangeline and Emmaline from Ms. Marshall’s class. Mrs. Baker assisted her students in a really cool project which encouraged community and accountability! Take a look!
STUDENT SERVICES
October was Dyslexia Awareness Month. Dyslexia is one of the most common ways students struggle with reading. Dyslexia is neurobiological in origin and affects someone’s ability to accurately and fluently recognize words as well as their decoding and spelling skills. One common misconception is that Dyslexia affects vision. Evidence based instructional strategies can support students in these affected areas and help them become proficient readers. For more information about Dyslexia, the science of reading, and instructional strategies to support students with Dyslexia, see the flyer below. There are still plenty of spaces available on the BRCPS SEPAC! This is a great opportunity to join and participate in a community of parents who share your special education concerns and experiences. For more information, please see the SEPAC Flyer. Please complete this form if you are interested, or email Stacia Copeland at scopeland@brcps.school. There are still plenty of spaces available on the BRCPS ELPAC! The purpose of the ELPAC is to provide families with the opportunity to have a voice in their child’s English language education. Our goal is to build supportive and collaborative partnerships among and between parents, school staff and leaders, and community members! For more information, see the ELPAC Flyer. Please complete this form if you are interested in joining the ELPAC or email Shelby Galvin at sgalvin@brcps.school.

FAMILY SERVICES Coat Drive 2022 This fall/winter we are hosting another Coat Drive to benefit our students in need. This is going on from Monday, October 24 to Monday, November 21. If you have any LIGHTLY used coats in which you would like to donate, please drop them off at the front desk. Coats can be dropped off during regular school hours as listed on the school website. All sizes are welcomed. We will also accept donated winter accessories. If you or someone you know is in need of a winter coat, please feel free to stop by the front office to grab one or you can reach out to our Family Engagement & Partnerships Liaison Tamairi Rivera at trivera@brcps.school. IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES November 4th: Half Day for Students November 18th: Half Day for Students November 18th: STEAM Day November 23-25: Thanksgiving Break December 15th: Curriculum Night (Student led conference night) BULLETIN SUBSCRIPTION: If you do not already receive the BRCPS Blog in your inbox and would like to, please enter your email HERE to subscribe. The Boston Renaissance Charter Public School does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, gender identity, transgender status, gender transitioning, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its programs, activities or operations. These include, but are not limited to, admissions, equal access to programs and activities, employment, provision of and access to programs and services, as well as a selection of volunteers, vendors, and employers recruiting at the Boston Renaissance. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, students, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors.

September 30, 2022	BRCPS Links ·Calendar ·Facebook ·Instagram ·Twitter ·YouTube ·LinkedIn ·BRCPS Website

Dear Renaissance Families, Welcome back for what I know will be another wonderful school year. On behalf of our entire team here at Boston Renaissance, I’m excited to welcome everyone to our community and a special welcome to our new families. Last year, we debuted The Bulletin, designed to update you monthly about all things Boston Renaissance. The feedback we received has been fantastic. I hope you enjoy this edition and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at any time with questions or suggestions. I can be reached at abuckmire@brcps.school I look forward to seeing you on campus in the coming months. Warmly,

LOWER SCHOOL UPDATE Back to School Lower School scholars are back in the classroom! Lower School scholars back in their classrooms We are Upstanders! At BRCPS, our community strives to live our core values: Lower School students can earn stickers as a class for showing these core values as a collaborative team. Additionally, K1-2 can earn Upstander tickets. What is an Upstander? A member of our community who embodies our core values and listens, acts and unites to positively add to our school community. Students can earn Upstander tickets to showcase their hard work (they’ll proudly show off their Upstander sticker too!). Their earned tickets enter them in a raffle for small prizes and recognition. Learning through Themes: Trimester 1 – Community & Listening Lower School students explore their place in the community through K1, K2, 1st and 2nd grade units of study. This trimester, all grades are beginning with the theme of community, learning their place in the community, how to build strong communities and how we learn in our communities. Students are practicing self awareness skills throughout the day, including listening to each other and themselves. Studios A new and exciting component for grades K2-2 this year is called Studios. Studios provide opportunities for children to dig deeply into each unit’s Big Ideas and to express their developing understandings through diverse means. There are different types of studios — science & engineering, storytelling & acting, building, art, research — to name a few. The materials and activities are designed to further push children’s thinking about the Weekly Questions, thus deepening and expanding children’s understandings. New possibilities for the topic of study emerge from the discoveries and questions that arise as children direct their activity with purpose, seriousness, and playfulness. Adult observation, peer collaboration, and ongoing feedback all contribute to high-quality work. In Studios, students apply their developing skills in literacy and language; their thinking as scientists, historians, artists, and mathematicians; and new vocabulary in every discipline. In Studios, children and adults engage in a culture of creativity, exchange of ideas, problem solving, and revision as they negotiate the subject matter at hand. Studios also provide time to foster those skills and dispositions not easily measured: self-regulation and self-expression, creative and critical thinking, collaboration, communication (often called 21st Century skills). The work in Studios is both dynamic and challenging. Children’s social emotional engagement is stimulated by invitations to make personal connections to the topics of study, through multiple points of entry, and through the demands to work collaboratively with others and to reflect on one’s own work and the work of others. Studio time in lower school classrooms
UPPER SCHOOL UPDATE Academic Updates Throughout the month of September students have been taking their benchmark and diagnostic assessments to better support individualized instruction during literacy and math. If interested in your child’s results, please reach out to their classroom teacher. Announcements/US News: In September we are focusing on the core value of respect and celebrating individual scholars from each classroom who demonstrated this core value. The class votes for an individual and they are recognized at the monthly community meetings. October will focus on the core value of courage! We are celebrating LatinX/Hispanic Heritage Month! Classroom teachers are utilizing time within their morning meeting and social/emotional learning blocks to honor and recognize historical figures and to learn about the culture and history of Latin and Hispanic countries. Families are encouraged to share their own historical roots by scanning a QR code and creating a video. See the letter and code here. Electives have begun in the upper school! Students were able to select their top three areas of interest and were put into groups. Students get to participate in their electives on half day Fridays. Ask your scholar about their electives! Around Upper School New Electives!
VISUAL/PERFORMING ARTS
The Specialty Team is back for another year with over 200 years of combined experience in educating young people! To our beloved team members, Mr. John Provenzano and Mrs. Angela Sabir, celebrating over 25 years at the Boston Renaissance, we salute you! BRCPS Specialty Team Last, we are thrilled to welcome back our violin and music specialist, Mrs. Caroline Rizzo. We are excited to bring string instruments back to the Renaissance! Also, please join me in welcoming two new members of the Specialty Team. First, bringing back Theater Education to the Boston Renaissance scholars is Mr. Dan Reulbach. He will teach theater to our K-6 scholars this year. We are certainly looking forward to classroom productions under Mr. Reulbach’s leadership. Next, after looking far and wide, we are pleased to announce our new Physical Education teacher, Mr. John Gilbert. Using his expertise and experience, our scholars will continue to develop healthy strong bodies.
STUDENT SERVICES
Welcome to School Year 2022-2023! We are excited to continue our mission to support all students and their unique learning needs through the resources and support within the Student services department. See the information below to become familiar with the parent and family resources available at BRCPS! SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Committee) PLEASE JOIN OUR SEPAC: The purpose of the SEPAC is to provide families with the opportunity to have a voice in their child’s education.We currently have openings for all roles! This is a great opportunity to join and participate in a community of parents who share your special education concerns and experiences. Please complete this form if you are interested, or email Stacia Copeland at scopeland@brcps.school. ELPAC (English Learner Parent Advisory Committee) PLEASE JOIN OUR ELPAC: The purpose of the ELPAC is to provide families with the opportunity to have a voice in their child’s English language education. Our goal is to build supportive and collaborative partnerships among and between parents, school staff and leaders, and community members! Please complete this form if you are interested in joining the ELPAC or email Shelby Galvin at sgalvin@brcps.school. Mental Health Resources The BRCPS Mental Health team has compiled a variety of resources on their website to support students and their families. If you need more information or assistance, please contact the mental health hotline at 617-910-1273 Monday’s-Friday’s from 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Health Office Information Updates to the BRCPS COVID-19 guidelines have been made available on the Boston Renaissance Website. For any further questions, please contact the health office at 617-357-0900 x1102, x1103, or x1104.

Family Resource Center The Family Resources Center is open and available for you throughout the school year. Remember, this space is for YOU. Please feel free to come by anytime between 7:30am to 3:15pm to utilize the center and to check in for any resources you may need for yourself or even for someone you may know. Globe Santa 2022 We are pleased to announce that we have partnered again this year with Globe Santa to help make this holiday season special for our families. If your family is interested in Globe Santa’s services, please refer to this flyer for more information on. All information must be submitted to me no later than Monday, October 31st. Families receiving benefits through DTA (Department of Transitional Assistance) must enroll through the agency. CMOHS Comes to BRCPS We have partnered again this year with Commonwealth Mobile Oral Health Services to provide your student with onsite dental services. Services will be conducted throughout this school year, every Tuesday, starting Tuesday, October 18th. Your child will be sent home this week with a form in which you must complete, and turn into your child’s teacher. Services are completely OPTIONAL. If you have any questions pertaining to the program, please reach out directly to CMOHS Program Director, Tammy Cataldo at tammy.cataldo@cmohs.us, 508-947-0111 IMPORTANT SCHOOL-WIDE UPCOMING DATES October 10th: Indigenous Peoples Day: No School October 14th & October 28th: Half Day for Students BULLETIN SUBSCRIPTION: If you do not already receive the BRCPS Blog in your inbox and would like to, please enter your email HERE to subscribe. The Boston Renaissance Charter Public School does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, gender identity, transgender status, gender transitioning, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its programs, activities or operations. These include, but are not limited to, admissions, equal access to programs and activities, employment, provision of and access to programs and services, as well as a selection of volunteers, vendors, and employers recruiting at the Boston Renaissance. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, students, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors.