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Robust, generative, sustainable education

The school is our microscope; the world is our canvas.

About

Embracing childhood.

Transforming learning,
leadership & civic engagement for a lifetime.

Imagine a school where questions lead learning, where wondering is a habit of mind, where children engage the city and their studies as full participants. Imagine an environment where musing is an esteemed occupation and skills are developed to venture beyond “here,”where great ideas become real.

Imagine an education that values childhood and its wisdom, sensitivity, and vitality.

Imagine making dreams possible.
Imagine a life built on a foundation of engagement that creates a love of knowing, and a knowing that allows us to stand on the edge of each day, assured there will be more.

At A Renaissance School, arts, design, engineering and the sciences are lively, natural contexts for the introduction, development, and application of skills. Multi-layer projects unfold with collaboration and adult guidance as each child develops confidence and competence as a learner. As community members, children are empowered to find their voices and contribute their signatures through service, leadership, and civic engagement, shaping unique questions and interpretations of their expanding world.

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About Ren

Our values and practices align with families seeking:

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  • engaging, constructivist pedagogy that illuminates the individual and contributes to lifting the standards for all

  • inquiry and application, drawing together what is known with what is new to create something even more interesting, more compelling, of better quality 

  • esteem for creative processes that lead from musing to innovation, from prototyping and research to cutting-edge craftsmanship

  • multi-layered collaboration among varied perspectives, expertise, disciplines, and experience 

  • celebration of leadership from within, entwined with new opportunities

  • service to the broader community for sustainability of our human and environmental endeavors

  • a sense of belonging and safety as learners develop their identities, voice, and artistic signatures, a safe space for all

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About

What Sets Us Apart

• Small class sizes (1:10 ratio) and personalized instruction

• Individualized assessment, rather than grades and test scores

• Academic learning integrating art, design, science, and engineering

• Extended day (7:30-4:00) that allows all necessary work to be done at school

• Extended year (September-July)

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Literacy and Communication

Ren writers capture and convey the human experience for audiences intimate and immediate, as well as those yet unknown; and reading sparks our imaginations, opens doors to new ideas and information, and insights our power with words. The world awaits, full of prose and poetry, graphics and media,  listening, and speaking for purpose and pleasure.

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Numeracy

Mathematics is another way of exploring, making connections, and describing quantifiable experiences. It progresses from play to the thoughtful navigation of problem identification and solving. From the beginning, in all mathematical work, children develop vocabulary and use models to explain their processes and results,

 developing abstract thinking capabilities. 

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Design Technology and Sciences

Ren scholars don the mantles of designer, scientist, and engineer, observing what is, imagining what could be, building with minds and hands, with materials and tools, creating confidence and competence in their current world, and preparing for vigorous engagement and innovation in their future.

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Arts and Humanities

Perspectives and voice are expanded through drama, music, visual arts, and topical studies both traditional and contemporary. Ren is deeply committed to developing responsible, critically-literate global citizens who understand the significant role of humans on our planet and who proactively participate to create and maintain a healthy, sustainable world for its inhabitants.

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About

Learning Community

As a K-8, Ren School offers an “extended family” environment and a more integrated form of academic learning to fit the needs of the developing mind. Extended, intimate learning translates to more personalized support and challenge, with additional time to develop healthy past-times and practice positive decision-making skills. Each child is known in our community. Relationships are key to learning. 

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