In this fun-filled camps, children will explore five amazing artists and study one of their famous works. They will work with different art mediums and learn different techniques to produce their own unique works of art, inspired by the artist of the day.

Many of you are probably aware of the increased cases of Influenza (the flu) and the stomach flu (caused by a particularly virulent strain of the Norovirus) throughout Canada. As children, most notably those under 5 years of age, are most susceptible to catching the flu, we wanted to take a moment to remind you for our illness policy as well as share some valuable information to keep families and our children as healthy as possible during flu season.

It is crucial that children who are sick stay at home and remain at home until they have been symptom free (no fever, no vomitting, no diarrhea) for 24 hours. Your dilligence in this matter is greatly appreciated as we work to avoid transmission of viruses and ensure that your child is well enough to return to school.

Symptoms of Influenza

• Fever of 100°F (37.8°C) to 104°F (40°C), which can reach 106°F (41°C) when symptoms first develop. Fever is usually continuous, but it may come and go. Fever may be lower in older adults than in children and younger adults. When fever is high, other symptoms usually are more severe.
• Body aches and muscle pain (often severe), commonly in the back, arms, or legs.
• Headache
• Pain when you move your eyes.
• Fatigue, a general feeling of sickness (malaise), and loss of appetite.
• A dry cough, runny nose, and dry or sore throat. You may not notice these during the first few days of the illness when other symptoms are more severe. As your fever goes away, these symptoms may become more evident.

Symptoms of Norovirus Illness

• nausea and vomiting (in general, children experience more vomiting than adults)
• diarrhea and stomach cramps
• some people may have a low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. 

• If you haven’t already done so, it’s not too late for your family and children to get the “flu shot” for Influenza. (This does not prevent Norovirus illnesses)
• Wash your hands frequently! Key times to do so would be before preparing or eating meals and after using the bathroom. Ensure that you are using soap or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. 
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating.
• Prevent spreading the virus by covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve and not your hand when you cough or sneeze.
• Always avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth whenever you can as this facilitates the spread of germs.

We wish you and your family a healthy winter!

Today is a landmark date with our new wing opening at our Richmond school. This new wing includes our new Renaissance Academy classroom, two Renaissance Baby classrooms and a multi-purpose studio. We now wait in excitement at the completion of The Arts Connection which Renaissance Kids will be adjoined to. Our children will have the opportunity to regularly use the amazing facilities at The Arts Connection to further enhance their experiences at school.

Please join us at our  OPEN HOUSE in Tsawwassen on Saturday, November 24 at 10:00AM. We will host a short information session in our multi-purpose room, followed by a tour of our completed space! Enjoy some light refreshments, learn about our toddler (Renaissance Baby), preschool and junior kindergarten programs, and meet our teachers and staff.

Also, in celebration of our opening, each registered or attending family will be entered into a draw for a $1,000 scholarship.

Please RSVP below if you are planning to attend:

We are excited to be situated across the street from Southpointe Academy and hope to provide exceptional educational opportunities for the youngest children of Southpointe families. We are pleased to offer the younger siblings of Southpointe Academy students a 5% discount on their tuition fees after any special introductory offers have expired. Please contact us for further information.

We will be participating in two fun local Tsawwassen events as we try to get involved with the community! Please be on the lookout for our tent at both the Sun Festival Marketplace and at the Lion King Outdoor Movie Night for fun activities for children as well as information for parents about our school and our programs. Please see below for more information:

SUN FESTIVAL
Monday, August 6, 2012
Time to be Confirmed
We have a fun-filled day planned with great educational activities for children, including a take-home picture frame art project. Stay tuned for our finalized schedule of activities.

TSAWWASSEN OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT
Saturday, August 11, 2012
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
In celebration of the Queen’s jubilee, we invite children to our tent to create some fantastic jewelry pieces to take home and enjoy.

On June 29, 2012, South Delta Leader featured an interview with Renaissance Kids founder, Linda Shirley, regarding the new facility opening in Tsawwassen on September 2012.

ARTISTIC LEARNING
Renaissance Kids in Tsawwassen will combine academics and art
by Christine Lyon

You won’t find any slides, swing sets or Disney memorabilia at the new early learning centre being built in Tsawwassen. At Renaissance Kids, children are encouraged to create their own play.

Offering kindergarten, junior kindergarten and toddler programs, the facility will follow an integrated curriculum of fine arts and academics for children aged 18 months to six years old.

The centre will be located in the former Southpointe Academy building at Century Square on 56th Street. Once renovations are complete in September, the 5,000 square-foot space will be able to accommodate 57 students.

“It’s going to be totally transformed,” says Linda Shirley, CEO of Renaissance Kids. “The upstairs space we’re going to turn into a nice, big arts studio. It’s a beautiful space, it’s got lots of natural light and it actually lends itself very nicely to an arts studio.”

Renaissance Kids, which already has one location in Steveston, is operated by The Arts Connection, a visual and performing arts facility that has been in Richmond more than two decades.

Shirley says the youngsters at Renaissance Kids are taught to appreciate “the finer things in life” such as music, dance, art and theatre.

“We believe that those things feed a child’s soul and those things are really important in order to develop a well-rounded child that will grow up into a well-rounded adult,” she says. “If you present children and put them in an environment of beautiful things, you’ll get that beauty back out of them again.”

Rather than taking field trips to the pumpkin patch, Renaissance Kids students might take in the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit at Science World or a Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performance.

Shirley says the learning centre’s low student-teacher ratio is another thing that sets it apart from other preschools.

“We have the ability to work with the children in much smaller groups, to really focus on their particular needs, their particular talents,” she says.

The Richmond location has a student waiting list, despite continued expansions. Shirley says she decided to open a second location in South Delta after hearing through the “childcare grapevine” there was a need in Tsawwassen for a good-quality children’s program with an arts and academic focus.

She was also inspired by the sueccess of Southpointe Academy, which outgrew its former location and last winter moved into a brand new campus on the east side of 56th Street.

“That led us to believe that possibly there was a need for that same level of programming for the younger set,” she said.

She hopes Renaissance Kids will fill the gap left by Southpointe when it stopped offering its pre-kindergarten program after relocating.

Because the building is still in the early stages of renovations, Shirley invites interested parents to tour the Richmond location to get a sense of what’s to come.

View Article in PDF

The Richmond Childcare Alliance is hosting a tour of Early Childhood Education Centres in Richmond on Saturday, June 2nd from 9:30am – 1pm and Renaissance Kids Early Learning Centre has been invited to be one of the destination locations. Childcare providers from Group Centres and In-Home Centres will be using their ‘passport’ to travel Richmond and observe different centres and chat with colleagues.

Students from our Junior Kindergarten class, under the direction of Ms. Trysten, are participating in a Children’s Art Exhibition sponsored by the Richmond Child Care Alliance and the Richmond Child Care Development Advisory Committee in celebration of “Childcare Month”. The exhibition will take place on Saturday/Sunday, May 26 and 27 from 10am to 4pm at The Caring Place (7000 Minoru Blvd., Richmond). We invite all of our families to visit the event and see the displays from various centres throughout Richmond. View and read about our Junior Kindergarten class’ entry on our school blog.

We are pleased to announce that on Tuesday, May 15th at 4:30pm, Mr. Graham Baldwin, CEO and Headmaster of Southpointe Academy in Tsawwassen will be coming to discuss with our parents what options are available to their children after graduating from Renaissance Academy. We invite you to join us for refreshments and a brief discussion/question period.