School

A Visit To Our Pre-Primary Classroom

PP_Puzzle Here's a look at what our pre-primary students are doing. In celebration of Valentine’s Day, they were introduced to the colors pink, white and red and to the shape of the heart. The classroom was decorated with pink and red hearts.

Other shapes learned were: circle, rectangle, triangle, oval, diamond, pentagon, and hexagon. The children have been doing puzzle work with different shapes.

They read a book, “Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin” by Lloyd Moss, and learned about different instruments including the trombone, trumpet, French horn, cello, violin, flute clarinet, oboe, bassoon and harp.

One of our students shared the book, “Hands Can,” and we learned about different things that hands can do. For example: hands can wave to say ‘hello’, hands can give hugs, hands can touch high and low, hands can wave ‘goodbye’, hands can clap and hands can play ‘peek-a-boo’. The children had fun doing all the different gestures showed in the book.

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Visual Arts Program at The Renaissance School

Self-Portrait_Isaac_age_11 A strong visual art program provides children with so much more than an opportunity to express themselves. It improves their critical thinking, problem solving, flexibility, coordination, creativity, self-direction and communication.

At The Renaissance School (TRS), art lessons are provided at all levels—from pre-primary to 8^th grade. Our students consider the art studio as a place where solutions are found for even the most impossible problems. The work that they create is exceptional.

Our students often exhibit artwork in the main lobby of 1111 Broadway in Oakland’s City Center. In fact, the building manager recently asked TRS to bring new work every semester.

Our Pre-Primary Classroom

During the holidays, our pre-primary classroom focused on the theme of the winter season. The children used red, green and blue colors for thier Crayon Work because these colors represent the holiday season.

Along with their teachers, they talked about different holiday decorations as they decorated the classroom with Christmas and Hanukkah decorations. They enjoyed the decorations on the small holiday tree.

Other projects they did related to the holidays including stringing beads to make candy canes. They enjoyed the work and wanted to bring home their fnished products.

The pre-primary classroom for the two to three year-old child involves exercises in practical life, which are the most important in the Montessori classroom. It is through these exercises that a child learns how to work. The child needs to have the opportunity to practice purposeful activity at an early age in order to be able to focus later on.

The Montessori approach provides exercises so that children learn to care for themselves and their environment and demonstrates the grace and courtesy required to smoothly interact with the society they live in. The goal is for children to learn independence and acquire confidence to trust in their abilities. Acquiring practical life skills allows children to become physically and mentally competent, by encouraging repetition of various real-world tasks. This gives them a feeling of self confidence that comes from within themselves, and cannot be taken away.

Read more about The Renaissance School's pre-primary classroom experience.

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Redirecting Childrens Behavior-Parent Education Workshop

Tired of arguing with your children? Constantly reminding them of things they need to do?

The Renaissance School presents a Parent Education Workshop: "Redirecting Children's Behavior." This 8-week workshop is designed for parents and professionals working with children ages toddler to teen.

Parents will learn how to:

Reduce arguing, scolding, reminding and yelling
Feel positive about parenting skills
Promote change in children's behavior
Promote agreement on discipline with your spouse

Parents and professionals will find that children will benefit from what is presented in the workshop by gaining:

Self responsibility and good decision making skills
Enhanced self esteem
Self motivation and initiative
Cooperation skills and successful attitudes
Resistance to peer pressure

The next 8-week session begins January 12, 2012. Class dates are: January 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16 and March 8 and 15, 2012 and are held from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Classes are held at 3618 Dimond Avenue, Oakland in the upstairs auditorium.

The class is taught by Leslie Hites, founder and director of The Renaissance School.

The cost for the workshop is:
$125 per parent of The Renaissance School community
$175 per couple of The Renaissance School community
$299 per guest parent
$495 per two guest parents
The fee includes workbook and reference book. Food is served at each session.

For more information, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 510-531-8566.

Pre-Primary Students Enjoy Halloween

Even as we prepare for Thanksgiving, our Pre-Primary children (ages 2 years through Pre-K) are still talking about the fun Halloween party that we had on October 31st.

The children began their Halloween day by dressing up in their costumes. We had a Tom the Builder, two butterflies, a bee, two lions, two pumpkins, a princess Bella, and a Supper Dylan!

After getting into their costumes the children went outside to enjoy the special Halloween activities. They especially enjoyed making the spider with cream cheese, pretzels, and crackers and then eating the cracker “spider”. With their teachers, they walked around the schoolyard visiting the different Halloween activities that were set up.

They participated in Pumpkin Bowling, Fishing out the Eye Balls and the Toss the Beanbag into the big Jack-o-lantern. Also enjoyed was face painting and making a Jack-o-Lantern.

The children also participated in the TRS Halloween Parade, which took us on a walk around Dimond Park. Everyone had so much fun, and all the activities were greatly enjoyed.