Renaissance Academy has closed its doors.
On September 30, 2008, the board and administration of the Renaissance Academy closed the school. For fifteen years, Renaissance provided a unique program for gifted, twice-exceptional, and advanced learners in this region.
Coming soon: a new, tuition-free K-8 school.
With it's charter approved by Colorado Springs School District 11 and a final location secured, Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning is scheduled to open for the 2010-2011 school year and is now accepting enrollments.
Click here to find out more about Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning.
Click here to find out more about Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning.
After Renaissance closed, many parents identified the following things that they wanted to find in a new school:
opportunities for parents to volunteer in meaningful ways; respect for the talents of children; collaboration and teamwork between the school and the home; small class size and student-teacher ratio; students able to move around as they learn; hands-on and multi-age interaction; children taking responsibility for their own learning; expeditionary experiences; teachers who are exceptional listeners, are proactive for both academic and social/emotional needs, work collaboratively with parents and other teachers, are sensitive to children's needs, are flexible and willing to try new strategies and interventions as appropriate, are trained for the needs of twice-exceptional students, make emotional connections with students, are willing to teach Life Skills such as self-advocacy and confidence-building, have a sense of humor, and have a love for learning; and curriculum that is authentic rather than condensed in a textbook, cross-curricular and integrated, built on high level thinking and problem-solving skills, goal-oriented, relevant to every day life, embedded with self-awareness and knowledge of students' learning styles, and provides opportunities for students to focus and dig deep into the material.
A group of parents and teachers recognized that a school dedicated to the needs of advanced, creative, gifted, and twice-exceptional children was still very much needed in the Pikes Peak Region. To that end, an effort is currently underway to build a new, tuition-free K-8 charter school to serve the unique needs of this student population.
Taking these ideas and creating the next level of service to our community...
is the work of the steering committee for the Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning. In addition to what worked well at Renaissance, AACL is committed to developing a new premier curriculum based on the latest Colorado content standards. All staff will be highly trained to recognize and meet the unique needs of gifted students and to build top-quality reading, writing and math skills with scientific and historic inquiry as the driving force behind thematic units which also integrate music, the arts, physical health and education, Spanish and technology into core subjects.
is the work of the steering committee for the Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning. In addition to what worked well at Renaissance, AACL is committed to developing a new premier curriculum based on the latest Colorado content standards. All staff will be highly trained to recognize and meet the unique needs of gifted students and to build top-quality reading, writing and math skills with scientific and historic inquiry as the driving force behind thematic units which also integrate music, the arts, physical health and education, Spanish and technology into core subjects.
New private Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and Jr. Kindergarten is NOW OPEN.
The former school's primary preschool (Division I) teachers—Jennifer Baker and Peggy Priest—have recreated and expanded their preschool program at Discovery Trails Early Learning Academy.
Discovery Trails is now open and accepting enrollment for preschool, pre-Kindergarten, and Jr. Kindergarten children ages 3 to 6.
Discovery Trails is now open and accepting enrollment for preschool, pre-Kindergarten, and Jr. Kindergarten children ages 3 to 6.
Discovery Trails is private Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, and Junior Kindergarten located on Centennial Blvd, between Garden of the Gods and Fillmore. They specialze in creating an academic environment that is made specifically to meet your child's needs.
Discovery Trails prepares students to be lifelong learners by releasing the inherent capacities of each child through a balanced curriculum of both teacher-directed and student-directed activities. A paramount goal of our school is to develop a true passion for learning within the security of a fun, safe and nurturing environment.
Their curriculum is a balance between planned activities that help children progress toward a defined goal and those unplanned experiences that emerge from a child’s interest. This is achieved through theme-based instruction that promotes interdisciplinary learning, active problem solving, cooperative-based activities and independent exploration in learning centers. Individualized attention is also offered to capitalize on each child’s strengths and challenges.
Much of the curriculum at Discovery Trails is in life skills. This provides a solid foundation for the academic curriculum. Challenging students to find their own solutions to everyday problems helps them to develop life skills and fosters self-confidence. The more the children believe in themselves and practice these skills, the more confident they become. As a child asks questions or requests help, their loving and patient teachers guide them to find answers on their own.
In addition to teacher directed instruction, Discovery Trails makes use of learning centers within the classroom. Learning centers encourage children to make their own discoveries in the ways they learn best, and are recognized by current research as being the most effective way for young children to gain knowledge. Each center in the classroom is purposefully planned with activities that promote exploration and skill development. They also offer theme-based curriculum, active problem solving situations, independent exploration, descriptive and receptive communication, and hands-on experiences.
Discovery Trails prepares students to be lifelong learners by releasing the inherent capacities of each child through a balanced curriculum of both teacher-directed and student-directed activities. A paramount goal of our school is to develop a true passion for learning within the security of a fun, safe and nurturing environment.
Their curriculum is a balance between planned activities that help children progress toward a defined goal and those unplanned experiences that emerge from a child’s interest. This is achieved through theme-based instruction that promotes interdisciplinary learning, active problem solving, cooperative-based activities and independent exploration in learning centers. Individualized attention is also offered to capitalize on each child’s strengths and challenges.
Much of the curriculum at Discovery Trails is in life skills. This provides a solid foundation for the academic curriculum. Challenging students to find their own solutions to everyday problems helps them to develop life skills and fosters self-confidence. The more the children believe in themselves and practice these skills, the more confident they become. As a child asks questions or requests help, their loving and patient teachers guide them to find answers on their own.
In addition to teacher directed instruction, Discovery Trails makes use of learning centers within the classroom. Learning centers encourage children to make their own discoveries in the ways they learn best, and are recognized by current research as being the most effective way for young children to gain knowledge. Each center in the classroom is purposefully planned with activities that promote exploration and skill development. They also offer theme-based curriculum, active problem solving situations, independent exploration, descriptive and receptive communication, and hands-on experiences.
Please note: Since there currently is little or no public funding available for early childhood education, Discovery Trails is not a tuition-free program.
These new efforts are IN NO WAY affiliated with the former administration of Renaissance Academy. These are the efforts of former Renaissance parents and teachers (and, now, parents and teachers not associated with Renaissance Academy) picking up the pieces and trying to provide much-needed services for the advanced, creative, gifted, and twice-exceptional community in the Pikes Peak Region.