The Renaissance Charter School 2 Curriculum
The Renaissance Charter School 2 (TRCS 2) opened its doors in September 2020 with a commitment to innovation, equity, and community partnership. Since then, we have grown into a vibrant learning community that prioritizes academic excellence, social-emotional wellness, and strong family engagement.
We continue to support students and families by providing access to technology, multilingual communication, and individualized support. Our educators participate in ongoing professional development to ensure high-quality, student-centered learning in every classroom.
At TRCS 2, we believe that our strong partnership with families is the key to student success. Together, we are building a safe, inclusive, and joyful environment where every child can thrive.
- Renaissance 2, as a village, nurtures hearts and minds. Deep human bonds can be nurtured within a village that values respect and kindness. Students build open and trusting friendships with each other; staff members move beyond cooperation to the level of collaboration; staff members take on the role of mentors to students; parents are honored; and each level of the school communicates with each other. Minds open as hearts open.
- Renaissance 2 values and protects the forums within its village. Important discussions take place in many of its centers: meetings of the Board of Trustees, the Collaborative School Governance committee (CSG), cluster and staff meetings, the PA, Student Council, town hall meetings, and various committees. Informal discussions go on all the time as well. It is only through participation in these forums that powerful and wise decisions can be made.
- Renaissance 2 values the spirit of self-motivated and collaborative action. Renaissance – Jackson Heights was started by a group of individuals who wrote and submitted a proposal for a new theme-based school without the backing of any prominent organization. The group’s spirit that the impossible can become possible has continued to be a bedrock principle of the school. Renaissance 2 honors dreams and gives full support to any of the members of the community—whether student, staff, or parent—who come up with ideas that they want to carry to fruition.
- Renaissance 2 fights aggressively for the happiness and success of each student. With this commitment the school ensures that all of its accountability goals will be met.
Kindergarten Through Fourth Grade
The early childhood program at Ren 2 is designed to educate the whole child through a holistic approach to learning. Children will feel supported to take risks and explore. Children in kindergarten and first grade will challenge themselves with rigorous “hands-on, minds-on” instruction. Through centers-based learning, children interact, play, and learn while keeping engaged and excited.
In these early and formative years of school, children forge friendships that will endure a lifetime. They learn to love school and value the learning process. The various approaches that will be used at Ren 2 incorporate all multiple intelligences such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic in order to reach every learner. We want Ren 2 children to run to school each day with an eagerness to learn knowing they are loved and valued.
Literacy
Our literacy program is designed to build strong reading skills through engaging literature, phonemic awareness instruction, and strategies for understanding both fiction and non-fiction texts. Lessons are carefully planned with differentiated instruction, small group work, and ongoing student-teacher conferences to ensure each child gets targeted support at the right time.
We follow the Lucy Calkins and TCRWP workshop model, which includes daily reading, writing, and phonics instruction. Through reading and writing workshops, students build foundational skills and confidence as readers and writers.
Writing is taught through the workshop model, where children learn to draft, revise, edit, and publish their own work. Topics include opinion, narrative, and non-fiction. Mini-lessons and writing conferences help students grow through grammar and phonics embedded in the writing process.
Daily reading workshops provide explicit instruction in reading strategies, supported by guided reading using the Fountas and Pinnell Literacy Program. Small groups focus on each child’s goals, while phonics is reinforced through the Units of Study in Phonics.
Classrooms also use the Daily 5: Read to Self, Read to Someone, Word Work, Writing, and Listen to Reading. This structure fosters independence, stamina, and student choice during literacy time.
Our math program focuses on three key components: models, conceptual understanding, and differentiated instruction.
Models help students visually represent and solve problems effectively. Daily problem-based activities and visual learning support conceptual development, giving students step-by-step strategies to approach and solve math problems with confidence.
Instruction is tailored through small groups and one-on-one conferences to meet each child’s needs. Teachers monitor progress closely to provide the right balance of support and challenge.
We also use the Math Daily 3 structure: Math with the Teacher (concept development), Math with the Assistant Teacher (practice and application), and Math Games/Center Time. This approach helps students build a strong foundation in math while fostering independence, confidence, and a love for learning.
The Science curriculum includes areas that are near and dear to young hearts; senses, weather and seasons, properties of objects, and the life cycle of insects, birds, and humans.
Science activities are woven into the English Language Arts curriculum to support non -fiction reading and writing activities. Students are provided opportunities to stimulate their curiosity and engage in their environment through hands-on activities and field trips.
Through the Responsive Classroom program children will have an opportunity to participate in a morning meeting that focuses on critical academic and social-emotional skills. By incorporating social studies into the morning meeting children will have extra chances to engage with each other, reflect on personal experiences, practice interactions with peers, thereby exploring concrete ways in which to build community. During morning meeting children can practice civic duties such as voting, build map skills by creating a map of the school, learn historical information through games and songs, and raise awareness of cultures other than their own through artifact exploration.
Music
Through active participation in musical activities that focus on enjoyment and learning, Primary students strengthen their understanding that music is a resource for enjoyment and learning. Students deepen their appreciation for the basic elements of music (rhythm, melody, tempo, harmony, form, timbre, etc.) while learning how to read the whole, half, quarter, and eighth note rhythm patterns through movement and rhythm exercises in various time signatures (4/4, 3/4, 6/8, etc) and tempos. Additionally, students study the various parts of the orchestra (strings, percussion, woodwinds, etc.) by playing classroom instruments (drums, maracas, glockenspiel, boomwhackers) and through listening activities (Peter and the Wolf, Carnival of the Animals). Students also develop an appreciation of the music through the study of composers from various genres (Mozart-Classical, Woody Guthrie-Folk, Irving Berlin-Musical Theatre, Duke Ellington-jazz). Themes include sacred music (Go Make A Difference, The Little Drummer Boy); patriotic music (God Bless America, America the Beautiful); human characters (Oh! Susanna, Billy Boy); storytelling (On Top of Old Smokey, The Animal Fair); musical theatre (Annie, The Sound of Music); and other cultures (Frere Jacques, Felix Navidad).
Mandarin
Introduction to the Mandarin language combines conversational language development, character writing and word association as well as a focus on important cultural experiences. Using the foundation laid in these earlier years will allow for an in-depth focus on conversational Mandarin and dialogue, reading, and writing in the elementary years.
Dance
In early childhood music and movement, the class provides opportunities for students for children to express themselves and channel their creative energy. Music and movement help to develop both sides of the brain while providing an overall joyful experience for the students.
With a HANDS-ON theme for their year in the art room, students will focus on acquiring familiarity with many different materials. Small class sizes will ensure that each student will receive individual attention as they explore their creativity. Students will focus on learning about THE ELEMENTS OF ART, which are line, shape, form, space, texture, value, and color. These concepts will be introduced through projects that use a variety of media, such as crayons, pencils, watercolor, tempera, printmaking, sculpture, collage, glue, brushes, and recycled materials.