Athens renaissance school

Athens Renaissance School is a K-12 online and blended student-centered school offering personalized educational options for students in Athens and across the Tennessee Valley. Athens Renaissance uses a progressive education model to provide student with the best education possible. Our unique educational approach allows us to tailor an education that is specific to each learner.

Renaissance. The word itself means renewal, rebirth or awakening. The learning experience at Athens Renaissance is nothing short of an awakening - in education. In today's world, student and family needs and demands are more differentiated than ever before.

Through strong teacher personalization of our blended and online digital platforms, students in a wide variety of locations can participate in unique, flexible learning. With the widespread accessibility of information, we have a strong belief that teachers are not the only source of expertise in the content areas. At Athens Renaissance, students are encouraged to be creators and owners of their learning.

What is blended learning?

Put simply, blended learning is exactly as it sounds. It is the practice of using both online and in-person learning experiences when teaching students in which the online and in-person experiences parallel and complement one another.

In a blended course, students might attend a class taught by a teacher in a traditional classroom setting while also independently completing online components of the course outside of the classroom. In this case, in-class time may be either replaced or supplemented by online learning experiences, and students would learn about the same topics online as they do in class.

Athens Renaissance students are able to take the majority of school coursework online with some courses and academic support provided on-site at the school. Students can study independently with the full confidence of knowing there is caring, conscientious academic support available as needed. The student support staff is a dedicated, hardworking team of professional school educators and mentors. The support staff has one sole purpose - to ensure students are achieving the learning objectives for each course while making smooth progress toward graduation and future success.

ARS students can access coursework from anywhere, at any time, with valuable face-to-face support available. For high school students, the personalized learning plan can be developed with the option to simultaneously take courses at our local Calhoun Community College, the University of Alabama Early College or any other college or career training center.

Students have the opportunity to participate in a Leadership Seminar and Field Experiences to empower them for life challenges and equip them with necessary skills for meeting them. Some of these include communication, listening and teamwork skills. Character skills such as integrity, work ethic, good judgment, maintaining a positive demeanor, and adaptability are developed. The focus is on the student's individual strengths, gifts, learning styles, college and career goals and contribution to the community.

Project-based learning (PBL) is a model we believe authentically engages students in a learning process that is intentional and organic. Teachers provide oversight, structure, and become facilitators in the development and fulfillment of projects. And more often than not, we as teachers end up learning along with students throughout projects.

Increasingly our PBL model folds in state content standards so that students are mastering those in a way that no longer involve abstract information and facts, but through the development of engaged and authentic experiences. We can also supplement our PBL curriculum through our digital and personalized instruction platforms developed for individual students or groups.

Our PBL model allows for a unique platform in which students can develop and foster essential skills, build strong group work dynamics, focus on critical thinking, work on goal fulfillment, and develop personal relationships with fellow students, teachers, and community mentors.

Student projects have involved the development of community programs, school curriculums, downtown beautification, and personalized student projects.

Increasingly ACS has moved towards authentic, hands-on, project-based learning as a means to better engage students and foster success. Education is more dynamic and exciting when we ask students to move from a static form of learning to one that captures their creativity, passion, and talents. Athens City Schools are poised to move students from being information consumers to content producers. But sometimes finding a viable medium for students to produce original ideas and content is difficult.

Athens City Schools has invited everyone in our system to participate in the “Athens Big Idea” contest. The premise of this citywide project is that students use traditional content, course of study standards, learning, and passion to develop a project that makes Athens a better place to live, work, and play. The possibilities are wide-ranging and varied as to what your students do. Perhaps one option our elementary schools choose to pursue aligns with their respective academies. For example, Newman students might develop a plan for a better health program for the city that involves parks, trails, or fitness programs. Our hope is that we are able to integrate curriculum throughout the project and it becomes a cross-curricular endeavor and it correlates to our systemwide Portrait of a Graduate initiative.

During this project, participants may build an invention, formulate initiatives, submit development plans for use of public space, produce a video, or build an app that will help improve the lives of our town and its citizens.

The possibilities for this project are endless. The focal point of this is to see how we as Athens City Schools can inspire the citizens of Athens to stimulate the idea process to help make this wonderful place better.

Along with our students, we would like to invite our city leadership to participate in submitting ideas, and competing in an adult version of the Big Idea Contest with our students judging them.

Each school will have a contest and select a winner which will go to the district level competition in April. This competition will be happening at the new Athens High School auditorium (dates in the schedule below). Students may work on this as a class, in small groups, clubs may submit a plan, by grade level, or individually.

We are very excited about this new endeavor, and we can hardly wait to see what our students create!