December 15, 2023

Important Dates:

December 20th: Winter Drum Circles (Information Below),  Crew Holiday parties 
December 21st: Last day of school 
December 22nd: Teacher work day

December 23rd- January 7th: Winter Break

NEW! A Note from Ms. Trena:

Dear REMS Families, 

Thank you for another great week at Renaissance! I enjoyed connecting with so many of you at student data conferences over the last two weeks. Students are happy, thriving, learning and growing! That is a complete bucket filler for all of us!  Kudos to their hard work and to our amazing teachers! 

A few reminders to finish our week healthy and strong before the holidays: 

• Please refrain from sending your child to school sick. Keep them home until they are well to protect our entire crew.  Healthy kids thrive.  
• If someone calls you from the Health Room, it is very likely that your child is sick. Please pick them up as quickly as you can. 
• Please drop off and pick up your children on time to be mindful of our school's hours and our staff’s time. 
• We appreciate that you send your child with water every day. We like our kids, hydrated and healthy.
• Please refrain from sending them with beverages other than water. They will be asked to toss them in the trash on their way in (Ie- Starbucks, Sonic drinks, sodas, etc...)
• Pack healthy, brain food for snacks that your child can eat quickly and return to learning. 
• If you wish to have a special celebration for your child in the classroom, communicate with your teacher first.  Please do not bring in food or things that could be disruptive to the learning. 
• As an Adventure Education school our students go outside a minimum of three times a day. Please dress them for the weather.
• We appreciate your commitment to being cell phone free during arrivals and dismissals. This helps to maintain safety for all.
• Refrain from dropping your children off in the parking lot. Please use the Kiss and Go lane or park in the lot and walk them up. 
• If a REMS staff member calls you in regards to your child’s behavior please assume positive intent. Our goal is to support your student’s safety and ensure learning for all.  Work together to solve problems and trust in our abilities as educators. We are working hard to support all students' success. 
• We model our core values with your children every day. Please reinforce this at home. 
• Offer our staff, grace and patience. It’s a very busy time of year in an elementary school and our teachers and staff are juggling a lot. We appreciate your extended kindness and empathy. 

Thank you for partnering with our crew to ensure a safe close to our first semester.  We appreciate your efforts! 

Community Challenge

I am asking as a REMS community that we support our staff this holiday season with a challenge...  I will be challenging staff to turn their vacation settings on their emails over the holidays and to remove their school email from their phones to be conscious about being present with their own families.  I ask our families to make a conscious effort to refrain from emailing staff until Winter Break has concluded on January 8, 2024.  I sincerely appreciate your willingness to allow our staff a restful break with their families to rejuvenate for the new year. Thank you. 

With warm regards, 

Trena L. Hand

Winter Performance - Save the Date: Wednesday, December 20th

Our Primary and Intermediate Winter Performances will be held on Wednesday, December 20th in the Gym. Primary (K-3) will begin at 9AM and Intermediate (4-6) will begin at 9:45AM. Due to limited space, we kindly request that you plan to attend only the performance in which your child is starring. We hope to see you there!

NEW! News from our Crews: 

Our 4th graders have been learning about electrical circuits. This week they were able to showcase what they have learned for their Kindie buddies and their families.

Ms. Summer's crew is practicing their balance at great heights. 

After School Opportunity:

NEW! News from our Parent Crew:

Thanks from the Parent Crew Board!
Thank you for all the wonderful help, love, and service that has been shared in preparation for the holiday season! From Ms. Allison’s Holiday Giving, to the Parent Crew Gives Back project, to holiday parties and every little act of kindness in between... our Crew is grateful for you!

Belay Training 1/17 & 1/24
Climbing is one of the most important pieces of our adventure education program, but it doesn't happen without your support. Each day that our students climb, we need dozens of parent volunteers to make it safe and enjoyable for our crews! Learn to safely belay with Mr. Doug here.

Urban Air Spirit Night: January 31st
Join us for an exciting night of fun and games at Urban Air with 20% coming back to Renaissance!

Save The Date: Crew Building Family Fun
Join us Thursday, Feb 8 at 5:30pm for a fun family night! More details coming after winter break!!

REMS Auction Planning & Sponsorship Opportunities!
Save-the-Date: Renaissance Auction March 30, 2024
Join us for a festive fundraiser at the beautiful new Castle Rock Library!
To help with planning or learn about becoming an event sponsor, email our event leads today!

Auction Wine Wall Donations Needed!
We have all sorts of fun planned for our auction! Such as: the Wine Wall!
We need 100 bottles of wine for our wine-wall game. Please donate nice wines to our auction. These count for tax deductions, and volunteer hours! Bottles can be dropped off in the front office. Thank you!

2nd Annual REMS Family Cruise Fundraiser
Calling all REMS Families! After a successful Alaskan Fundraising Cruise this past summer, we are doing it again, this time to the Caribbean! Sailing June 23-29th, 2024 from Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, sail with our REMS Crew to Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk and Amber Cove aboard the Carnival Vista while raising money for our school. For additional information and to get registered to book, please visit: www.rangervoyages.com/group/rems. You may also reach out to Cruise Planners Travel Advisor Brianna Ranger, mom of Shane (2nd grade) and Dean (Kindergarten) for additional details at (720) 333-6636 or email brianna.ranger@cruiseplanners.com. 

Gear Swap Coming Soon: donate gently used gear today!
The Renaissance Gear Swap is a community tradition to help make our Outdoor Education program accessible to all! Please donate your gently used, outgrown voyage gear (fleece/syntethic clothes, waterproof hiking boots & snow gear, wool, socks, sleeping bags, back packs, etc) and then come by during the Gear Swap to pick up any items your students might need!
Questions about what kind of gear to donate? Ask our amazing Adventure Education Coordinator, Ms. Ashley: acammack@dcsdk12.org