February 2025 Newsletter

2024-2025 School Calendar and Monthly Lunch Menu

Here is the link to our calendar for reminder on days off and early release days for your reference.

Here is the link to our monthly Lunch Menu.

Upcoming Events

February 11, 2025 - 3rd Grade takes a field trip to see the RPO

February 17-21, 2025 - School Closed for February Break

February 26, 2025 - Black History Month Celebration Performance

February 27, 2025 - 5th Grade Evening Field Trip to see "The Wiz" at RBTL

February 27, 2025 - K-2 A.R.T.S. Assembly

March 3-7, 2025 - Read Across America Week and RA Spirit Week

March 18, 2025 - Arts Night and Renaissance Academy Family and Faculty Association (RAFFA) meeting

8 kids hugging each other and smiling at the camera

February is Black History Month—a time to put an additional emphasis on the rich history, culture, and contributions of Black leaders, scholars, and changemakers who have shaped our world. At RA, this work is done all school year long; however, this month, we place an even greater emphasis on celebrating the profound contributions of Black pioneers who have shaped our history, culture, and future. We are committed to ensuring that our students not only learn about history but also see themselves as leaders of today and tomorrow.

Throughout this month, our students will engage in meaningful activities that highlight the strength, brilliance, and achievements of Black trailblazers. From classroom discussions to creative projects and performances, we aim to inspire pride, knowledge, and confidence in every child.

We encourage families to continue these conversations at home—read books by Black authors, share stories of resilience, and remind our children that they are part of a legacy of greatness.

Together, let’s celebrate Black history, not just this month, but every day.

Academics at Renaissance Academy

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Focus for February

Here are the topics for our character education program, Positivity Project that students will be learning about and working on in the month of February

Love
OPM - Cheering Others' Success
Humility

Academic Focus

K-2 ELA

We LOVE READING over here in our primary grades! When you’re snuggling up with your little valentines this month, pull out their favorite book and read together. Did you know that by reading 20 minutes a day, your child will have heard 1,800,000 words per year?! That increases their vocabulary development, stamina, language acquisition, and builds fluency when reading. (fluency = the rate at which a person reads related to accuracy and expression) In your students’ classrooms, teachers read to their classes daily pointing out targeted vocabulary and working on comprehension. Imagine the growth your child will show getting this daily reading at school AND home!

3-6 ELA

This month, we are taking our second Internal Assessment. This allows us to make targeted small groups based on individual student needs, heading into our NYS test prep unit- Crescendo! The NYS ELA test this year is April 10th and 11th for grades 3, 4, and 6. It is April 16th and 17th for 5th grade.

We continue to encourage our students to read at home. If you feel your child could benefit from additional practice, ask your child’s teacher for extra work to be sent home!

Arts at Renaissance Academy

Happy Black History Month! Check out some of the wonderful arts-based activities our students are participating in this month:

3rd Grade Field Trip to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra: Our 3rd grade students have a special opportunity to go see a professional concert at the RPO on February 11th!
Student Black History Month Performance: On February 26th, many of our students will perform in the annual Black History Month Celebration. This celebration is intended to highlight the amazing contributions of Black Americans to music, dance, theatre, and visual art. We have an exciting theme this year, and we can't wait for everyone to see it!
4th Grade Harlem Renaissance Arts Integration Unit: In 4th grade music integration, the students are researching musicians of the Harlem Renaissance. They will then write essays about what they learned and analyze some of the songs from the era.
6th Grade Bucket Drumming General Music Unit: In 6th grade general music class, the students have been learning about bucket drumming. Bucket drumming originated in New York City as a type of street performance art, and has grown and expanded since then.
2nd Grade Light Visual Art Integration Unit: In 2nd grade visual arts integration, the students are connecting science with art by learning about how light works.
6th Grade Visual Art Enrichment: A small group of 6th grade students learned about the artwork of Bisa Butler and created fabric collages inspired by her work.
5th Grade Visual Identity, Symbolism, and Self-Portraits Arts Integration Unit: Students finished up their unit on identity, symbolism, and self-portraits at the beginning of February. Check out the two photos of their presentations below!

Read Across America Week and Spirit Week

March 3-7 is Read Across America Week! This is a week celebrated nationwide where schools and communities organize events to encourage children to read and promote the importance of literacy.

See the letter with details from Renaissance Academy's Literacy Specialists, Kristin Fitzgerald and Katie Moriarty.

Keep your eyes peeled for reminders on ClassDojo!

6th Grade Families and Students

Now is the time to apply for next school year to secure your child in a middle school of your choice!

A few tips and reminders to support this transition!

Apply to more than one middle school. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. It is always good to have your pick, but first you need to be accepted. Securing a space in more than one middle school will ensure you can choose a school that is the best fit for your child.

Charter school application is open now and closes April 1. Go into https://www.goodschoolsroc.org/ and apply to many charter schools at one time. Make sure you apply before the application closes. The lottery is on April 7.

Be aware of scholarship exams for private, independent and parochial schools. Now is the time that different private schools have potential students come in to take exams that result in offering scholarship money for students. If you are interested in applying to a school that requires tuition, stay on top of the dates of these exams and what you need to do to sign up to make sure your child qualifies for this opportunity.

Student Pick Up Reminder

A reminder for parents/guardians picking up students before the end of the school day!

If you are picking up your child prior to the end of the school day, you must arrive before 4pm (Mondays-Thursdays) or 1:45pm (Fridays). Otherwise, dismissal of your child will happen through the side cafeteria door through our typical dismissal process. Between 4-4:30pm is extremely busy as we prep for dismissal and we need to ensure the safety of each and every student by ensuring a smooth dismissal.

For all pick up requests, all calls must go through the front off (rather than your child's teacher) to ensure it is documented appropriately and your child goes to the pick up room.

If you are picking up your child prior to 4pm, RA will call for your child to come to the front office once you arrive in the building. Please plan accordingly!

Free At Home Learning Resources

RA's Instructional Coaches want to share this vetted list of online websites that can be used for free at home for additional learning opportunities for RA students! Many of these websites offer paid versions AND free versions. You may need to navigate a little to find the free version.

Check out the list below:

Literacy Websites:

MyOn - This is a paid subscription, but we have a subscription through our school! MyON is a digital reading platform that provides students with access to a vast library of personalized, age-appropriate books, allowing for interactive and engaging reading experiences.
- Login information: www.myon.com
- School name: Ren. Academy Charter School of the Arts
- Username: first name + last initial + 19 (i.e. CaitL19)
- Password: 1234
GetEpic - GetEpic is a another digital reading platform designed for children, offering a large collection of books, audiobooks, and educational videos tailored to various reading levels and interests. There is a free option! https://www.getepic.com/
ABCYa - ABCya is an educational website that offers a wide variety of fun and interactive games designed to help children from Pre-K to 6th grade learn math, reading, and other foundational skills. https://www.abcya.com/
SplashLearn - SplashLearn is an interactive learning platform that offers personalized math and reading games for students in Pre-K through 5th grade, helping them build skills through fun, curriculum-aligned activities. www.splashlearn.com

Math Websites:

Boddle - Boddle is an interactive educational platform that uses gamified learning to teach math concepts to K-6 students through engaging and adaptive gameplay. https://www.boddlelearning.com/
Prodigy - Prodigy is a gamified learning platform that helps students improve their math skills through personalized, curriculum-aligned gameplay in an interactive fantasy world. https://www.prodigygame.com/
Khan Academy - Khan Academy is a free online education platform that offers comprehensive lessons and practice exercises in a wide range of subjects, from math and science to arts and humanities, for learners of all ages. https://www.khanacademy.org/
Math Playground - Math Playground is an educational website offering a variety of math games, puzzles, and problem-solving activities designed to make learning math fun and engaging for students in grades 1 through 6. www.mathplayground.com

Attendance Matters

Attendance each and every day matters! As a school, our goal is to have 94%+ average daily attendance. Your child must be in school to learn.

We will continue to have 'Surprise Attendance Days' where anyone in attendance on the surprise day gets a fun prize or special activity!

Family Services Department

Announcing!!! RA's Community Food Pantry Grand Opening!!!

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Has your child lost something at school (hat, jacket, shoes, lunch bag, etc)? PLEASE check our LOST and FOUND!
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Quick Links

www.renacad.org
https://racsa.itemorder.com/shop/home/ (Uniforms)

Things to do with your child:

Do you need help with getting your taxes done? For Free! Make an appointment!

https://empirejustice.org/cash/

Are you in need of food, childcare, heating assistance? Click below:

https://www.monroecounty.gov/hs (Resource help in the county)
https://sweetidamaepantry.com/ (Food)
https://www.monroecounty.gov/hs-daycare (Child Care Assistance)
https://www.centerforyouth.net/crisis-nurseries/ (Child Care)
https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/contacts/default.asp?county=M (Monroe Utilities Assistance)
https://foodlinkny.org/find-food/ (Food)
https://roccitylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/MONROE-COUNTY-AREA-FOOD-CUPBOARDS.pdf (Food)
https://peoples-pantry.org/ (Food)
https://childcarecouncil.com/ (Child Care)

Having Trouble Getting to School Events?

If you are having trouble getting to school events, RA can help provide you a taxi! Please reach out to Mrs. Kilolo Moyo-White, Family Services Coordinator and she can help arrange transportation. You can reach out at 585-225-4200 ext. 209 or moyowhite@renacad.org

Quick Links

www.renacad.org
https://racsa.itemorder.com/shop/home/ (Uniforms)

Things to do with your child:

Do you need help with getting your taxes done? For Free! Make an appointment!

https://empirejustice.org/cash/

Are you in need of food, childcare, heating assistance? Click below:

https://www.monroecounty.gov/hs (Resource help in the county)
https://sweetidamaepantry.com/ (Food)
https://www.monroecounty.gov/hs-daycare (Child Care Assistance)
https://www.centerforyouth.net/crisis-nurseries/ (Child Care)
https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/contacts/default.asp?county=M (Monroe Utilities Assistance)
https://foodlinkny.org/find-food/ (Food)
https://roccitylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/MONROE-COUNTY-AREA-FOOD-CUPBOARDS.pdf (Food)
https://peoples-pantry.org/ (Food)
https://childcarecouncil.com/ (Child Care)

Having Trouble Getting to School Events?

Quick Links

www.renacad.org
https://racsa.itemorder.com/shop/home/ (Uniforms)

Things to do with your child:

Do you need help with getting your taxes done? For Free! Make an appointment!

https://empirejustice.org/cash/

Are you in need of food, childcare, heating assistance? Click below:

https://www.monroecounty.gov/hs (Resource help in the county)
https://sweetidamaepantry.com/ (Food)
https://www.monroecounty.gov/hs-daycare (Child Care Assistance)
https://www.centerforyouth.net/crisis-nurseries/ (Child Care)
https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/contacts/default.asp?county=M (Monroe Utilities Assistance)
https://foodlinkny.org/find-food/ (Food)
https://roccitylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/MONROE-COUNTY-AREA-FOOD-CUPBOARDS.pdf (Food)
https://peoples-pantry.org/ (Food)
https://childcarecouncil.com/ (Child Care)

Having Trouble Getting to School Events?

RA Board of Trustee Meeting Dates

Renaissance Academy's Board of Trustees meet in the school's conference room once a month from 4:30-6pm. The meetings will be held the following dates in the upcoming months:

February 19, 2025
March 19, 2025
April 16, 2025

The public is welcomed to attend and are allowed to speak during the section titled "Public Comment".

Renaissance Academy Charter School of the Arts

Website: http://www.renacad.org
Location: 299 Kirk Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-225-4200
Facebook: facebook.com/renacadarts