Renaissance Program
Overview
Renaissance Program
Renaissance is a nationwide program that rewards students for showing academic excellence, adhering to attendance guidelines, and displaying appropriate behavior. The goals of this program are to: increase overall grades, increase attendance, and promote a positive learning environment. Students that meet the requirements listed below at the end of each trimester will receive a Renaissance Gold or Blue band/card for the following nine weeks. The Renaissance Cards have the following requirements and potential benefits:
Renaissance Card Requirements
GOLD Card Requirements
- Grades of 90 and above (*unless petitioned)
- No more than 4 total unexcused latenesses/absences
- No disciplinary office referrals
-Third Grade- 85% or higher positive rating on Class Dojo
GOLD Card Benefits
- Front of the lunch line (dependent upon cafeteria procedures)
- Drawings for prizes –– Trimester events including, but not limited to ice cream parties and breakfast events
- Special discount coupons and/or gift cards when available
- Other special rewards
- Special trips
BLUE Card Requirements
- Grades of 83 and above
- No more than 6 unexcused latenesses/absences (*unless petitioned)
- No disciplinary office referrals which result in the assignment of a detention or a suspension.
*Student accountability system – student cannot lose in excess of 4 points
-Third Grade - 80% or higher positive rating on Class Dojo
BLUE Card Benefits
- Drawings for prizes
- Homework Passes
- Admission to breakfast programs, pizza parties and ice cream parties
- Special discount coupons and gift cards when available
- Special trips
● Teachers and the committee reserve the right to withhold Renaissance privileges from any students not displaying appropriate renaissance recognition requirements.
● Students – upon being written up for infractions lose Renaissance benefits from that point forward until after the next Renaissance event. At that time, the teachers can make a recommendation for the student’s Renaissance privileges to be reinstated.
Attendance Petition Policy –
Attendance policy is set by the Magnolia Board of Education and is based upon the statutes and codes required by the New ersey Department of Education. Students who do not receive a Renaissance card because of the attendance policy may petition to waive the attendance requirements. Official documentation must be included with an explanation of the absences to the principal prior to a student’s known absence if possible and within two weeks of the grading period in extenuating circumstances. All
petitions must be from a parent or guardian. Petitions do not guarantee acceptance. If a petition is accepted students will have to earn a renaissance card based upon
completion of “Renaissance service.” Renaissance service is time given back to the school helping a teacher, or staff member, a student, or the school in general.
Examples include: Helping a teacher with a task, helping another student with homework after school, and much more. For each absence over the 6 required to obtain a card, roughly one school period (40 minutes of service time) will be required. Example: 8 unexcused absences would require 2 Renaissance service periods. This can only be used 2 times in a given marking period.
Teacher MVP Card:
Each teacher is allowed to make 1 MVP recommendation to the committee of a student who has the qualities of a Renaissance student per trimester. The student will be eligible for a blue card upon the committee’s review of the students’ academic, attendance, and disciplinary record. (Please note – if the student’s disciplinary record shows multiple write ups (2 or more), or more than 7 merit points lost in a trimester or an infraction that resulted in a suspension they will not be eligible for the MVP card.)
Disciplinary/Academic Issues
In order for a student to be eligible for Renaissance during the next Renaissance Interval, students must meet the academic requirements and:
1. Can not have accrued more than five demerits during the current Renaissance Interval
2. Can not have received more than one disciplinary referral during the current Renaissance Interval
*If a student who is currently on Renaissance is written up for any offense, they will lose their Renaissance privileges for a period of one month and will be ineligible for the next Renaissance event for which they would have been otherwise eligible.
3. If a student who currently is on Renaissance accrues more than 5 demerits in given Renaissance Interval, they will immediately lose all Renaissance privileges and will be
ineligible to re-join Renaissance for a period of 10 weeks from the date of the violation.
4. If a student who is currently on Renaissance receives two separate disciplinary referrals during the same Renaissance Interval, they will immediately lose all Renaissance
privileges and will be ineligible to re-join Renaissance for a period of 10 calendar weeks from the date of the second violation.
2nd Grade:
Each child will be monitored by their Homeroom teacher. Teachers will be monitoring and focusing on listening skills, working cooperatively, being respectful to others as well as completing homework, following directions and working independently.
Obtaining a Renaissance Card
In order to qualify for a Renaissance card in Second Grade, a student’s Class Dojo Behavior percentage must be 75% Positive or higher
***Please note that for second graders’ Renaissance eligibility for the first Renaissance Interval will be determined on the first school day of October. This will only apply to 2nd graders.
Privileges
1. Free snacks
2. Admission to monthly events provided they have maintained a Class Dojo Behavior percentage of 75% Positive or higher for the month.
Losing Privileges/Becoming Ineligible for Renaissance
“If a student that is on Renaissance (has a card for the current Renaissance Interval) receives a disciplinary referral for any violation involving fighting, physical assault, bullying, or any other major
violation at the administration’s discretion, they will lose their card and al; associated privileges and immediately will not be eligible to re-join Renaissance for a period of at least 10 calendar weeks from the date of the violation.
*If a student does not have a card and they receive a disciplinary referral for fighting, bullying, or any other major violation at administration’s discretion, they will be ineligible for Renaissance for the following qualifying trimester.
*Any other disciplinary referral will result in a student losing their Renaissance privileges for 2 weeks from when they are written up, and any student who receives two or more disciplinary referrals during the same Renaissance Interval will immediately lose any Renaissance privileges (if they are eligible) and will not be eligible to re-join
Renaissance for a period of 10 weeks.”
If a second grader who is currently on Renaissance (or any Renaissance student) abuses any of the requirements, their card can and will be taken away from them immediately at the discretion of the teacher or administration. If this occurs, they will lose all privilegesassociated with having a card until the teacher/administrator deems
appropriate.
Renaissance Committee and Meetings
Any and all teaching members are encouraged and welcome to a Renaissance committee meeting. A permanent committee will consist of 5 members and 2 advisors. The committee will meet on the first and third Wednesday in the Library after school. These meetings will be mostly to formulate ideas and prep for renaissance activities.
Special meetings of permanent committee members may take place during school hours, whereby which coverage will be provided.
Student Leadership Committee
A total of eight students from 6th, 7th and 8th grade will be selected by the Renaissance committee to participate in the planning and implementation of the program. Students will need to submit an essay that describes what qualifications they have and why they should be on the committee. The essay should be typed and less than 1 page in length.
Student Leadership Committee
A total of nine students from 6th, 7th and 8th grade will be selected by the Renaissance committee to participate in the planning and implementation of the program. Students will need to submit an essay that describes what qualifications they have and why they should be on the committee. The essay should be typed and less than 1 page in length.
SY 23-24 Committee:
Dave Cogan - dcogan@magnoliaschools.org
Haley Attanasi - hattanasi@magnoliaschools.org
Zach Camerieri- zcamerieri@magnoliaschools.org
Elisa Rutherford - erutherford@magnoliaschools.org
Linda Rutherford - lrutherford@magnoliaschools.org
Tentatively Scheduled Trips for 23-24
-9/28/23- 30 Strikes Bowling Alley- Blue/Gold, 4th-8th Grade
-10/11/23- Shady Brook Farm- Gold, 5th-8th Grade
-10/18/23- Duffield’s Farm- Blue/Gold, 2nd-4th Grade
-11/21/23 or 11/28/23- Movie Trip, B/G- 2nd-8th grade (2 separate trips)
-12/22/23- Skatezone Ice Skating- B/G, 4th-8th Grade
-1/12/24- Cinemark Movie Trip- B/G, 2nd-8th Grade
-2/1/24- Blue Mountain Snow Tubing-Gold both T1 and T2, 4th-8th Grade
-5/24/24- Renaissance BBQ at the Magnolia Rec. Center- B/G- 2nd-8th
-5/31/24- Theme Park Trip (Renaissance for full year, B/G)
-6/14/23- Gold Full Year trip, 5th-8th Grade-