Renaissance Revival

"Our mission is to help students identify and learn how to cope and overcome their academic and behavioral challenges in order to become productive and responsible members within Warren Township school population and community at large."

"I never lose. I either WIN or Learn." Nelson Mandela

The fight to make Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a holiday took 32 years, a lot of campaigning, and guest appearances including Stevie Wonder, Ted Kennedy, and the National Football League. King’s birthday was finally approved as a federal holiday in 1983, and all 50 states made it a state government holiday by 2000. Officially, King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta. But the King holiday is marked every year on the third Monday in January.

The King Center in Atlanta has a detailed chronology of how the efforts, starting shortly after King’s death in 1968, paid off in the long run. It wasn’t an easy task for holiday supporters, who had to push hard in Congress to get the federal holiday created. A second battle took place to get individual states to also recognize the holiday, with often emotional disagreements in two states.

Today, the King holiday serves multiple purposes: It honors the total legacy of King; focuses on the issue of civil rights; highlights the use of nonviolence to promote change; and calls people into public service. The struggle to get the holiday recognized reflects all these topics, along with some interesting twists and turns along the way. Representative John Conyers introduced the first motion to make King’s birthday a federal holiday in 1968, just four days after King’s assassination in Memphis. It took another 11 years to the federal holiday to come up for a vote on the House of Representative’s floor in 1979.

Information Taken From NCC Staff

Middle School Moments

Welcome New Students!! This week we welcomed several new students to Renaissance. Adjusting to a new environment can be a challenge. Please encourage your student, veterans as well as newbies, to help each other make the necessary transitions.

Middle School Challenge: The first middle school student to say, “balderdash” to Mrs. Shaw will receive a gift card. BALDERDASH is the secret word of the week. MRS. SHAW is the teacher of the week. This challenge is valid January 21st through 24th.

Academic Focus: Our students learned about “Freedom Summer” - the summer of 1964. During this time, approximately 700 students from all over the country traveled to Mississippi to try and help the African-American people of that state register to vote. Before their arrival, only 7% of the eligible African-American population in Mississippi was registered. By the end of the movement, almost 70% of eligible voters had registered. Ask your student what else he/she learned about this important event in the Civil Rights Movement.

Reminder: In observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday, Monday, January 20th there will be NO SCHOOL. Enjoy the three-day weekend as you reflect on the legacy MLK left behind.

Weekly Affirmation: “Today I choose to think positively.”

Middle School Team

CORE/Success, Mrs. Shaw, kshaw@warren.k12.in.us

Math: Mrs. Nowling, rnowling@warren.k12.in.us

English: Ms. Craycroft, scraycro@warren.k12.in.us

Hello Renaissance Family,

Student conduct and academic improvement will always be the areas of emphasis for us, and I challenge all of our students to focus on their individual academic achievement as well as growing as citizens in this new semester begins.

High school is an exceptionally busy four years for our students, and I know the stress that accompanies the busy lives our students live. Perspective is important, and our students need us to help them keep a healthy perspective as they live their journey.

Respectfully,

Mr. Z

“Take pride in how far you’ve come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don’t forget to enjoythe journey.”

~Michael Josephson

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
Albert Einstein

Student Success Handbook for Warren Township:

https://coredocs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/359717/Student_Success_Handbook_Board_Approved_19-20_school_year.pdf

Seniors have been meeting one-on-one with me to go over credits and plan out the rest of the school year. Students in Ms. H's senior English class are also using this information for their portfolio project. Be sure to contact me if you have questions about the classes your student needs for graduation.

On Tuesday Andy from Herff Jones spoke with seniors about purchasing their cap and gown. I have packets in my office if your student needs one. Please purchase caps and gowns by Jan 31!

I will begin meeting with Juniors to go over their credits beginning next week.

Great news for all Renaissance students...our school now has access to Naviance! This program is a career and college readiness tool that will help your students learn more about potential careers and post-secondary education. As the quarter progresses I will be in the classroom to show students how to use Naviance for interest assessments and to make their education goals. Students can sign on to Naviance through their Clever log in.

ISTEP retakes are scheduled for February. Schedules for that day will be announced.

Feb 11 - Math Part One

Feb 12 - Math Part Two

Feb 13 -ELA Part One

Feb 14 - ELA Part Two

Important Dates

SAT registration information

Next Date March 14, 2020

Registration February 14, 2020

Late Registration February 16-March 3, 2020.

Upcoming ACT Registration Deadline:

Next Date February 8, 2020

Registration January 10, 2020

Late Registration January 11, 2020- January 17, 2020

ACT registration information

Reminder: All of our 21st Century Scholars must take the SAT or ACT to claim their scholarship. Please see information below

From the Desk of the Social Worker

Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

This month, our nation takes a moment to remember, celebrate, and honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His name is known around the world as a civil rights leader, activist, pastor, academic, husband, father, son, brother, leader, writer, marcher, catalyst, system-changer, and spokesperson. Although there were many more civil rights leaders without which the movement would not have succeeded, Dr. King became the face of it all. He led thousands through countless marches, held and planned meetings, and provided encouragement throughout the entire movement. Dr. King continuously risked his life and well-being in the fight for racial equality and an end to segregation and injustice.

As we honor Dr. King, may we also take a moment to recognize that his work is not over yet. We celebrate how far the nation has come in regard to justice and racial equality, but we acknowledge that we are nowhere close to being done.

Did you know that youth played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement? Kids of all ages heavily impacted the movement and brought serious change to the nation.

• There was a march called the Birmingham Children’s Crusade, where hundreds of kids of all ages marched to end segregation. Many were arrested as a result.
• A 16 year-old girl, Claudette Colvin, was the first to resist bus segregation, months before Rosa Parks did as well.
• College students held sit-ins, in restaurants, libraries, and public spaces all over the country.
• Buses of both black and white young people, most younger than 30, would travel around the country and into the South, protesting against segregated buses. Many buses were stopped, threatened, set on fire, and even bombed.
• The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine African-American high school students who were some of the first students to be involved in the desegregation of schools in Arkansas.
• 
  

Think for a moment about your community, the place you call home. This may be your neighborhood, school, places of worship, your city, or someplace else. Where do you see injustices in your community? Now that you have identified something, consider another

question: What can you do about it?

Each person has a voice that deserves to be heard. Find a way to utilize your voice for the betterment of your community. Here are some small ways that you can start to make a difference in your community:

· Write a letter to the mayor about the problem you have identified

· If 18 or older, register to vote!

· Volunteer

· Start a petition

· Attend an Indianapolis Council meeting

· Organize an event

· Use social media to promote change

Community Resources:

Renaissance supportive services offered for 2019-2020;

v Gallahue Community Hospital - Counseling School-Based service programs to assist with social and emotional challenges

v Future Promises Program - Teen parenting and casework services-Marion County Health Department

v The Indianapolis Urban League - College Readiness Program and other extracurricular activities offered

v Inner Beauty is now housed in our building every Thursday evening 7-9p

Renaissance is always seeking to add more community resources and programs to promote, improve and increase social and emotional skills within our community.

Lori B. Dodson, MSW

School Social Worker

Phone: (317) 532.2996 ext. 2962

ldodson1@warren.k12.in.us

Graduation

There has been a change in the Cap and Gowns. Students will be wearing one color(Black)with the cap(black)and tassel(black and gold).The price has changed to $34.00 dollars. All else will stay the same. Students may go to the website (herffjones.com) to access the picture of the Cap and Gown.

College and Career Planning

Led by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, Learn More Indiana is a partnership of state and local organizations working to help Hoosiers of all ages complete education and training beyond high school. Go to this website and take personality quizzes, research potential careers and educational opportunities, build a resume and more!

https://learnmoreindiana.org/

Financial Aid Information

Is your student a 21st Century Scholar? Log on to ScholarTrack to check your student's enrollment status, update contact information or check progress on their required ScholarTrack activities.

https://scholars.in.gov/parents/keep-your-scholar-on-track/

Financial Aid for Seniors

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications are available on October 1, 2019. Stay tuned for information about a FAFSA Completion night at Renaissance when we will go through the application process.

Also, be sure to follow the College and Career Readiness page on twitter for regular updates!

@CCR_WarrenTwp

Core Character Traits Spotlight For the Month of January is: Civility and Order!

What is Civility?

noun

1. 
   

   
   

   formal politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech.

   
   

   "I hope we can treat each other with civility and respect"

What is Order?

noun

1. 
   

   
   

   
   

   1.a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.

2. 
   

   due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others.
   

   
   

Help us congratulate our students who are showing CORE,( Civility, Order, Respect, Excellence)! Each week students are being recognized!

1/10 C.O.R.E Winners

Jaiden B. - Order

Ruby C. - Excellence

Tyreon W. - Civility

La'Dre H. - Excellence

Aiyanna K. - Excellence

Ashley T. - Order

Guan M. - Respect

Quincey F. - Excellence

Donell B. - Order

Amiya M.- Order

Currently, every visitor who enters our building is asked to present a state of federal ID, such as a Driver’s License, and it is scanned into the Raptor System. Once the visitor has been approved, the office staff enters the reason, destination of the visit and the Raptor System will print a photo ID visitor badge. If for any reason a parent or guardian does not have a U.S. government-issued ID, the staff member can use any form of ID and manually enter the person’s name into the Raptor System. Beginning November 11, 2019, this will apply to our PreK-4 campuses as well.

A photo ID visitor badge is not required for those who visit our schools to drop off an item or pick-up paperwork at the front desk. Further, they may drop off their items(s) or remain in the waiting area until their student is available. Please be aware that current practices established in each building remain in effect.

The safety of our students is our highest priority. The Raptor Visitor Management System provides us with a consistent process of knowing who is in our buildings at all times as well as a tool to identify those individuals who may present a danger to our students and staff.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and support towards enhancing school safety protocols in our district. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us here at Renaissance at 317-532-2996.

IT'S EVERYTHING WARREN TOWNSHIP IN YOUR POCKET!

Catch up with the latest student stories, sports scores, and news updates. It’s everything Warren Township, in your pocket. Download the app on Android: http://bit.ly/2Fp2N3T or iPhone: https://apple.co/2quwRR9.