
10 minute read
Faculty Advisors
Students may wear nice jeans or pants. Shorts, skirts, tank tops, and crop tops are acceptable, but should be reasonably modest in coverage. Students may not wear T-shirts or sweatshirts with explicit language, messages targeted toward hate, depicting drugs, alcohol, or tobacco, or degrade the integrity of individual groups. Undergarments should not be exposed. Hats that hide the eyes or face should not be worn during school hours; otherwise, they are permitted between classes and at the discretion of the teacher during class. Sunglasses and bare feet are not allowed.
It is important to remember school should be considered a professional learning environment for all and how we present ourselves matters in all professional settings.
Advertisement
Each student will be assigned a member of the Renaissance School faculty as an Advisor. The Advisor will generally meet with students on a weekly basis. The Advisor will work directly with the Head of School. Faculty Advisors consult with a student’s teachers weekly, to ensure that he/she/they are succeeding at the school. Additionally, the Dean of Students serves as a fulltime advisor for all Renaissance School students.
DISCIPLINE POLICY/ HONOR CODE VIOLATIONS
Renaissance School is designed to promote confident, enthusiastic, and responsible young adult learners who treat teachers and each other with courtesy and respect. As responsible members of the Renaissance School community, students will be held accountable for their actions.
Unacceptable Behaviors
Use, distribution, or possession of illegal drugs, alcohol, vapes, or tobacco products, or abuse of prescription drugs and chemicals is not
allowed. Searches of student belongings and cubbies may occur. Any single infraction of this rule may result in immediate expulsion from Renaissance School and reporting to the police.
Lying – Cheating – Stealing will not be tolerated. This is a direct violation of Renaissance School’s Honor Code and may result in suspension or expulsion. Plagiarism falls under this category.
Disrespectful Behavior disrupts the learning environment, making it difficult for teachers to teach and others to learn. Abusive language and/or disparaging remarks about others will not be tolerated. Students who cause general disruption and/or willfully choose not to participate in class activities will be held accountable for their actions. Steps in the disciplinary process will be implemented when disrespectful behavior occurs (see page 8).
Abuse of Property and not cleaning up after oneself shows a lack of respect for the Renaissance School community and may result in disciplinary action. (see page 8).
Being Unprepared for Class disrupts the learning environment and hinders the development of academic skills. Students who come to school unprepared (without homework completed, without having done required reading, without materials, etc.), under the advice of the Dean of Academics, will meet with teachers and their Faculty Advisor to develop a plan to foster a more responsible approach to school. Parents will be notified and asked to support the implementation of the plan. In addition, the student will lose sign-out privileges until the issue is rectified.
If these steps do not solve the problem, a meeting with the Head of School, Dean of Academics, the Advisor, the parents, and the student will be held. At this point, if appropriate, the student will be placed on academic probation, and his or her status at Renaissance School will be re-evaluated. Please note: computer problems are not an excuse for incomplete or late homework assignments. Plan accordingly!
All Honor Code incidents and suspected incidents are to be reported directly to the Head of School by the classroom instructor or student through the Incident Report Link . If a student suspects an Honor Code violation in the classroom, he or she is to immediately raise his or her hand to be recognized by the instructor. The instructor will monitor exams to check for violations and will write a report to the Head of School about the incident. If the suspected incident occurs outside of a classroom, the student should report directly to the Head of School. All discussions of
Honor Code violations must remain confidential and private to protect
all involved parties. The Head of School will perform an investigation and will apply appropriate action.
Guidelines for Disciplinary Action
Disciplinary measures are designed to be teaching tools that help students learn from their actions and replace inappropriate behaviors with acceptable ways of responding to different situations. Renaissance School has a restorative approach to disciplinary action and sees disciplinary action first as an opportunity to help students learn to choose better. If there is a history of disregard for school rules, we will reconsider the student’s status at Renaissance School.
The following basic steps for disciplinary action will be implemented when infractions occur. While students will be held accountable for their actions, teachers will assist students in replacing inappropriate behaviors with acceptable ones.
(1) Students may complete a student disciplinary form, which provides an anecdotal record of the incident. This form is turned in to the Head of School for review. In the absence of this form, the Head of School will document the reports as part of a conduct report. Depending on the nature of the infraction, parents may be advised of the situation. The Faculty Advisor may also be notified.
(2) With three or more related office referrals or filed disciplinary forms, the Head of School notifies the parents, student, and teacher(s). A student conduct report is used to record a summary of the notifications and the agreed course of action. This report is stored with the Head of School and
(3) If the student continues to display inappropriate conduct, the Head of School will notify the parents. If suspension is required by the school, a parent conference with the Head of School and the Dean of Academics, as well as a letter of explanation written by the student and addressed to the school community, are required to readmit the student.
(4) In cases where a student has not responded to the above-mentioned opportunities to change his or her behavior and become a responsible member of the learning community, expulsion may occur.
Renaissance School recognizes individual situations often warrant different courses of action. In most cases, these options will be part of a plan established by the Head of School during the writing of a student conduct report. It is at the discretion of the Head of School to determine the course of action.
Additionally, Renaissance School believes disciplinary action is a private matter between the student, their parents, and the school. Because of this, we rarely comment publicly on individual students and their disciplinary action. If there is ever a concern about the steps taken, students are encouraged to schedule a meeting with the Head of School.
RENAISSANCE SCHOOL ANTI-BULLYING POLICY
Renaissance School has an academic environment where respect and kindness are at the core of our interactions. Bullying and harassment of any nature are prohibited. Our detailed anti-bullying policy is included in the annual Orientation Form, to be read and acknowledged by all students and parents. A paper copy of the Renaissance School Anti-Bullying Policy is available on request.
The Focused Study periods provide an excellent opportunity for students to get a portion of their work done at school and to meet with teachers for extra help. These periods are not optional -- students must attend them and work productively. Ninth, tenth and eleventh graders are assigned to a specific room for each day’s Focused Study.
If a student wants to meet with a teacher in another room, he or she must fill out a Focused Study Pass before the period begins, obtaining the signature and permission of both the Focused Study faculty leader and the teacher with whom the student wants to meet. Students may also get permission to work together on assignments, in an area of the school (such as an empty classroom) where they can talk without disturbing their other classmates. However, if it is clear that students are not working productively under this arrangement, this privilege will be revoked. If a student needs to use a personal computer during Focused Study, he or she must request a Computer Pass prior to the start of the Focused Study.
If students do not arrive for a Focused Study by the start of the class, they will be marked tardy.
This includes students who fail to turn in a focused study pass to work with another teacher. We strongly recommend that students use their Focused Study time wisely. For instance, instead of using Focused Study to complete homework for the next period’s class, students should use the time to work on assignments they know they need extra help on, with Focused Study teachers who are present and available to help.
ONLY students in the 12th grade, with satisfactory grades (no D's or F's) and parental permission, have the option to leave campus during Focused Study time. However, if a teacher requests a meeting with the student, this meeting is not optional – he or she must attend. Furthermore, if a student’s grades slip, if homework is not done on time, and if he or she is unprepared for class, he or she loses the option of leaving campus during Focused Study.
ALab is a designated 30-minute period of each day used for Advisor meetings, time with teachers for extra help, or class conflict resolution. Additionally, ALab time may be used in classes as extended class time to support particular lessons, labs, and/or project work. When possible, teachers will communicate in advance when a class may need to go into ALab time, otherwise it is at the teacher’s discretion and in consultation with the Academic Dean.
GRADES
The primary function of grades is to provide a transferable record of a student’s performance that other schools can utilize in making decisions about that student’s ability to enter their curricula. At Renaissance School, we observe high absolute standards when grading a student’s performance. While the student is attending Renaissance School, we consider direct contact between the student and teachers (including semester comments) much more important than the actual grade in evaluating the student’s learning progress. Parents should take teacher comments seriously and use them as the basis for assisting each student in maximizing the learning opportunity.
Renaissance School communicates grades with parents throughout the school year.
• Parent/teacher conferences occur in the first and third quarters. It is recommended that parents of students in all grades attend the first quarter conferences. Third-quarter parent/teacher conferences are optional for parents of students in grades 9, 10, and 11.
• Letter grade reports will be sent home for each of the four quarters.
• Comment sheets will be provided at the end of each semester.
Renaissance School faculty will provide a written summary of the course and student progress for the semester with the second and fourth quarter letter grade reports.
All courses at Renaissance School are Honors level courses. A teacher may recommend Advanced Honors or the Standard level based on student performance in the class. This recommendation will be made under the guidance of the Dean of Academics and Head of School and will be discussed with the student and parent prior to the end of the grading period.
Grade A: Mastered (91% - 100%): (eligible for distinction)
Student demonstrates and articulates a thorough factual and conceptual understanding of course material.
Grade B: Learned (81% - 90%): (eligible for distinction)
Student demonstrates factual and conceptual understanding of course material with some ability to apply concepts.
Distinction: Students performing at the Mastered and Learned levels will be encouraged by their teacher to initiate independent work outside of normal course material to further their ability to apply and integrate course concepts. Demonstrated ability to integrate concepts with other disciplines will earn Distinction. The Distinction Award will be noted on the student transcript next to the appropriate semester grade.
Grade C: Achieved (71% - 80%):
Student completes assignments and demonstrates a consistent understanding of course material.
Grade D: Probationary (65% - 70%)
Student shows serious difficulty in understanding and using the course material. A lack of effort may be indicated.
Grade F: Failed (0% - 64%)
Student has incomplete assignments and failure to understand the course material.