Hello Renaissance High School students and families. 

I want to open this message with warm thoughts and a wish for you to have a wonderful holiday season.

I'm happy to share that the program changes we started this year with are working. We're seeing a 20% improvement in attendance compared to this time last year. Students efforts are showing a 24% improvement in Monthly Progress over this time last year. This level of increase in student engagement highlights both the effort students are making to invest in themselves, and the strong link between good attendance and better academic performance.

In addition to our academic focus, we are creating new ways to cultivate students' sense of hope, or the belief that your future can be brighter and better than your past, and that you actually have a role to play in making it better. Here are a couple activities we are creating to build students' hope:

Recently we had 17 students attend a school field trip to the Tacoma Glass Museum. This experience provided students a new way to look at the world by opening their mind to creativity and new possibilities, chemical changes in the brain when we engage in art, and the benefits of shared experiences as a community.

We've also had high student interest in Archery as a new component to our PE classes, with five of our students participating in their first Regional Archery Tournament this last Wednesday. These same students will have the opportunity to participate in the State Competition this coming February. Archery has been shown to help students develop focus and a commitment to improving their skills. These skills and mindset transfer easily to academic and vocational performance, which we are also seeing in our students.

All of us at Renaissance High School feel a strong sense of accomplishment and joy when our students succeed, and we know you do too. Please take a moment to reflect on our students' success and share the joy that comes with their effort to be their best self. Together we make make good things happen; we look forward to continuing our partnership as we enter the New Year.

Sincerely, 

Mark Mayfield

Principal of Renaissance High School

Winter Spirit Week:

• Mon: Holiday Sweater or RHS Gear
• Tues: Hot Cocoa Mug or Holiday colors of your choosing (tree judging day at District Office)
• Wed: North Pole PJ Day or Dress for Snow
• Thur: Winter Sports or Black Out

Winter Break: Reminder that we will be on Winter Break from December 21st-January 4th.

• WE WILL BE BACK AT SCHOOL ON JAN 6TH. 

School Assembly: Winter School Assembly will be on Thursday 9th during Advisory Class.

Running Start Winter Quarter Reminder: RUNNING START CLASSES BEGIN ON JAN 2ND (during BSD holiday break, make sure to check on your classes and what the requirements are for that day)

• Dec 16-19: First week of Term 3 and Spirit Week
• Dec 21-Jan 5th: Holiday Break
• Jan 2nd: Running Start Winter Quarter begins
• Jan 6th: First Day back to school
• Jan 9th: School Assembly
• Jan 20th: MLK Day, no school
• Jan 27th-29th: Term 4 Appts (all work needs to be turned in Jan 23rd)

A safe, secure, and modern approach to communication between school and home.

We are excited to announce that we are implementing a new school-to-home communication tool called ParentSquare! ParentSquare allows parents to get all district and school notifications in one place and view only what’s relevant to their student(s!).

As a registered parent/guardian, you can:

• Choose how you want to receive messages from the school and district (phone, email, text, and/ or app notification). We will still do occasional 'robo calls' too!
• Choose to receive information as it comes or all at once with a daily digest at 6 p.m.
• Communicate in your preferred language
• Comment on school postings to engage with your school community
• Direct message teachers, coaches, staff, and other parents
• Participate in group messages from schools and teachers
• and more... all from your desktop or mobile device!

ParentSquare will be used for all District and school communication, and will replace Remind for communication with families and students/athletes. You may already be familiar with ParentSquare as many of our neighboring Districts are using it - or implementing it this fall!

This week, all parents in the District will receive an invitation via email or text to activate their ParentSquare account. You can also click the activate button on the bottom of the most recent email updates from the District. We hope you'll take a moment and set up your account. The video below provides a quick overview of ParentSquare, and we've got additional information, training links and resources on our website to help you get started!

REMINDER that student grades, assignments, and attendance can be found in Skyward through student and family access. If you are having a hard time accessing Skyward email Malia in the office at malia.perry@bremertonschools.org to reset your password. 

More and more of our families are accessing Skyward Family Access, a service that allows students and families to view students' gradebook, assignments, and attendance online at RHS. Families and students who are already signed up for Family Access may begin monitoring students' academic progress immediately. If you are not yet set up for Family Access, or you're signed up and having difficulty accessing the gradebook or attendance pages, please contact our front office and we'll help you with the process. 

The Bremerton School District recognizes that the school day is a critical time for students to engage deeply in learning, build meaningful in-person relationships, and fully participate in the school community. Research shows that excessive phone use and social media distractions can significantly impede students' ability to focus, retain information, and develop essential social skills. By implementing a phone- and social media-free environment, we are fostering an atmosphere where students can be fully present, reduce anxiety linked to online interactions, and thrive academically and socially without the pervasive pressures of digital devices.

This fall, our secondary schools will implement new expectations for mobile device use. This change will help students stay focused and free from the distractions and pressures of digital devices during the school day.

• Deepen their understanding of subjects

• Strengthen connections with peers and teachers

• Develop essential communication and collaboration skills

• Explore their creativity and passions

As a District, we are calling this important initiative "Mind Over Mobile." Bremerton High School, Renaissance High School, and Mountain View Middle School will soon share their specific Mind Over Mobile expectations with students and parents, which will take effect on the first day of school. We recognize that adjusting will take time and are committed to supporting students during this transition.

Thank you for your support as we work together to build a safe, productive, and distraction-free learning environment for all students.

Campus for the 2024-2025 school year will remain a closed campus. Once you have arrived at school during your scheduled school day you will not be permitted to leave campus or re-enter campus once you leave without parent/guardian permission. Specific information regarding the new expectations regarding RHS cellphone use will be discussed by the Principal and Security at Orientation. 

Notify school staff if your student requires medication during school hours. Follow school protocols for medication at school. Unless otherwise instructed, if your student’s illness requires antibiotics, the student must have been on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school. Antibiotics are not effective for viral illnesses such as COVID-19.

• Please be aware have updated our attendance procedures to align with new State and Alternative Learning requirements.
• How is attendance coded?
  • Students arriving to class on time means being in assigned area and ready to engage in learning when the class begins.
  • Students arriving to class less than 10-minutes late will be marked as late. (coded 'L')
  • Students arriving more than 10-minutes late will be marked absent. (coded 'W')
  • Students who leave class early without permission will be marked as skipping.
• Most 18+ year old students may not excuse themselves from school; they must be excused by a parent or guardian. We are now implementing a process for some legally adult students to excuse themselves provided they have good attendance history and are making adequate progress. Students qualifying for this privilege will need permission from the principal and a parent or guardian.
• If you need to call regarding an absence you may contact the Front Office or Jen Hedegaard at: 360-473-4709

for any questions, comments, or concerns

Email: mark.mayfield@bremertonschools.org
Website: bremertonschools.org
Location: 3400 1st Street, Bremerton, WA, USA
 Phone: 360-328-4158

Malia Perry

for any questions, comments, or concerns

Email: malia.perry@bremertonschools.org
Website: bremertonschools.org
Location: 3400 1st Street, Bremerton, WA, USA
Phone: 360-473-4706