2022 School of Distinction Recipients
The Jostens Renaissance School of Distinction designation was created to celebrate those schools that, in collaboration with the Renaissance community, are making a positive impact on school climate and culture through executing the Renaissance formula: RESPECT + RECOGNIZE + REWARD + REINFORCE + RELATIONSHIPS = RESULTS.
For School Year 2022, 18 schools met the requirements and are designated as Schools of Distinction. Seven reached Platinum Tier (six renewals and one new application), three reached Gold Tier (all new), and eight reached Silver Tier (all new). Below are the Renaissance goals and values shared by the school, and a photo and summary of one of the outstanding ideas shared on their application.
Brazoswood High School, TX – Platinum Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“Our Renaissance group’s goals and values are to build school pride and to support individuals. Our core values are to get students to feel excepted, included, and to have pride in our school. We want all students and staff to look forward to coming to school.”
Outstanding idea:
Brazoswood High School students decided to revamp a high traffic area that is often forgotten about — the bathrooms. When describing the process, their teacher Gracie Price said “Students and staff were involved by helping paint the mural. We had a meeting after school open to everyone and we all helped paint the mural. We each put in ideas for what we wanted on it and came up with a final look. We then all took turns painting our part on the mural and checked everyone’s designs out.”
Cane Bay High School, SC – Silver Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“The core values and goals of Cane Bay Renaissance are to create an environment where students and Staffulty feel welcomed, encouraged, appreciated, and celebrated in a positive and diverse learning environment.”
Outstanding idea:
To recognize their ALL Staffulty, Cane Bay Renaissance students implemented “Cobra Kudos”– once a month, students nominate Staffulty to be recognized in front of the student body and receive a goody bag.
Flanagan-Cornell High School, IL – Gold Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“Our goal as a Renaissance group started out to improve the overall culture and climate of the school. Over the years we have also added goals to improve recognition of students and staffulty. Our mission statement is “We believe FCHS should be all of our students, teachers, and staff actively being kind and encouraging to one another. We should build one another up, and work to create a fair, fun, and understanding environment for all the people in it. We live in a small community which gives us the unique opportunity to have meaningful connections.”
Outstanding idea:
Students recognized their custodians by creating a spirit and service week, thanking them for “key-ping their school clean and safe.”
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, CA – Silver Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“Flintridge Sacred Heart Renaissance Student Leadership aims to unite the community by encouraging and recognizing hard work and inspiration shown by anyone and everyone within our school community. We are dedicated to the advancement of values, cultures, traditions, and beliefs at our school. Our focus is to encourage and recognize hard work and inspiration shown by anyone and everyone within our community. We hope to emanate a sense of pride that is reflected in the results seen in improved academic performance, behavior, student engagement, and school spirit.”
Outstanding idea:
Students and Staffulty created the ” FSHlympics”– an event that creates friendly challenges and games between each grade level.
Green River High School, WY – Silver Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“This year our goal was all about climate and culture in our school… Our goal was to get this school as close to normal as possible. Assemblies, rallies, award ceremonies and student and teacher recognition events had to come back to boost the morale in our school.”
Outstanding idea:
Green River High School improved their school look by expanding their senior recognition banners to not only include athletes, but all seniors involved with extra curriculars and clubs!
Greenbrier High School, TN – Platinum Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“Greenbrier High School’s Jostens Renaissance program continues to focus on celebrating not only on student’s academics, but also covers several other areas. For instance, we recognize students who make good grades, exhibit good attendance, no discipline referrals (or a decrease), etc… We love to celebrate our Staffulty. We have quarterly Inspire Cards, birthday celebrations, dress-up days, and our GHS Renaissance Teacher of the Year.”
Outstanding idea:
Greenbrier High School integrated an idea exchange into their Senior Decision Week – a Senior Acceptance Wall! All marked spots on the map represent seniors plans for their next step after graduation.
Henderson County High School, KY – Silver Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“HCHS prides itself in focusing first and foremost on establishing relationships building wide, ALL stakeholders. Relationships are the foundation of what it means to be a Colonel. Our Leadership Dynamics class (Renaissance group) works to foster those relationships which we believe leads to a positive working environment for both the adults and the students. The Leadership Dynamics class makes it its mission to recognize students and Staffulty on a routine basis in an effort to reward the successes and accomplishments. With our rebranding efforts and clearly defining the expectations of our students, the Leadership Dynamics class takes every opportunity to use the 6 Rs to take the culture of our building to the next level. This goal is revisited on a weekly basis to reinsure that the class stays laser focused.”
Outstanding idea:
When their monthly Staffulty shout outs are chosen, Renaissance students “ambush” the winners the during 1st period with music and confetti cannons to be given their poster and award.
Horizon Middle School, CO – Platinum Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“Our goal is to recognize and reward our students for all of their achievements. We put a lot of emphasis on growth and effort, our population of students benefits from positive reinforcement in these areas. We are about kids, first and foremost – during interviews the administration team is very forthcoming that we do what’s best for kids. The expectation is you build relationships with every student in your classroom, the first week of school and throughout the year we expect to see that as part of your instruction. Teachers are evaluated on class climate, culture and student relationships. All staff must attend two extra curricular activities which are built into their teacher evaluation process.”
Outstanding idea:
Horizon Middle School created a “Hall of Fame” for their beloved yearly Renaissance t-shirts.
Kennebecasis Valley High School, NB – Platinum Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“The goal of Renaissance at KVHS is to make every Staffulty member and student feel valued and recognized. We strive to create an environment at school where everyone feels welcome when they enter the building (including guests). The core values of our Renaissance program are kindness, character and commitment. Kindness to ourselves and each other, positive character traits and commitment to academics, attendance and a positive attitude.”
Outstanding idea:
Kennebecasis builds relationships outside the walls of the school and began meeting with other Schools of Distinction. These meetings inspired Fizzie Fun Friday- a treat for Staffulty to grab on Fridays!
Kingman Academy of Learning High School, AZ – Platinum Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“Our Renaissance group’s goal is to create a positive school climate and culture where everyone feels seen and welcome. Our core values are tenacity, integrity, generosity, empathy, respect and service. Renaissance is dedicated to building a positive school climate and culture by respecting, recognizing, rewarding, and reinforcing these core values within our school’s community.”
Outstanding idea:
Kingman Academy began a “Needful Things Closet”- full of necessities like hygiene products, school supplies, and snack/meals for students to access if they need it.
Lesher Middle School, CO – Silver Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“Our goal is to involve as many students and Staffulty members as possible in each activity that we put on as a group throughout the year. The mission of our program is supporting the development of student leadership through building character, growing connections, and creating a culture of celebration.”
Outstanding idea:
As a C2G (Commitment to Graduate) activity, Lesher Middle School planned a day for their 8th graders to visit their prospective high schools for the following year.
Musselman High School, WV – Silver Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“Musselman High School aims to provide an inclusive environment in a positive and safe atmosphere. We drive and strive for student success using multiple outlets whether it be for academics, athletics, attendance, discipline, college commitment, military commitment, fairs, or field days. When we started the Renaissance program, our goal was to recognize students for their academics and attendance a manner similar to that of athletics. We have continued working towards this goal since adopting and implementing the program in the 2007-2008 school year. The core values of our Renaissance program mimic the 6 R’s of Respect, Recognize, Reward, Reinforce, Relationships, and Results; we use these values to guide our student recognition both in and beyond the classroom.”
Outstanding idea:
Students at Musselman High School implemented an idea exchange involving a passing of the torch from one class of leaders to the next but made it their own by incorporating their already existing class flags and turned it into an event called Step Up Day!
Norte Vista High School, CA – Silver Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“The Goal of Norte Vista Renaissance is to celebrate the Achievements of Students and Staffulty in the Classroom, on the field and in the Community. We hope to achieve this by being intentional with our actions to recognize those students whom would traditionally receive those recognitions but also looking for opportunities to recognize those whom normally would not be seen in the traditional sense in a high school.”
Outstanding idea:
Norte Vista Renaissance teamed up with their Guidance Department, AVID classes, Yearbook, NVTV and the Reach Higher College Club to create a video of Norte Vista’s National College Signing Day events where they interviewed their senior class about the colleges, trade schools, and jobs that are in their plans.
North Stafford High School, VA – Platinum Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“The goal of North Stafford’s Renaissance Program is to continually foster a community of inclusiveness and excellence. We adhere to the principle that results will happen if we can empower each student to have a positive connection to the school. This past summer, we worked on simplifying our core values that represent not only our Renaissance program, but also our school. We decided to utilize ‘NORTH’ as an acronym to highlight our core values:
No Excuses Optimism Resiliency Teamwork Honesty
We believe that students and Staffulty who are committed to these core values will achieve success and create a culture of excellence.”
Outstanding idea:
During the 2021-2022 school year, North Stafford High School partnered with the Virginia Black Business Directory to run their Black History Month Celebration. Students and staff met with the founders of the directory throughout the winter months to plan and organize the vendor portion of the celebration.
Oak Grove High School, NC – Silver Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“The goal of our Renaissance program is to use the 6 R’s of Renaissance to make Oak Grove high school a supportive and positive place for all stakeholders. Our core values are producing an all inclusive school environment that invites students and staff to be involved and participating members of the school’s culture. We use a variety of rewards to promote attendance, performance, involvement, and positivity so that Oak Grove High School is a place we all want to be a part of.”
Outstanding idea:
Oak Grove began recognizing their Staffulty by not only awarding one Staffulty each month, but having the award centered around the 6 R’s of Renaissance.
Ottawa High School, KS – Gold Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“Our Renaissance group’s goal is to promote and advance positive climate and culture at Ottawa High School, seeking to building (ONE) CyclONE Family where ALL students and Staffulty are recognized and valued. This year specifically our goals were to increase recognitions (for students AND Staffulty) and positivity. Our core values are lined out in our Cyclone PRIDE acronym:
Pursue Excellence
Respect Everyone
Improve Yourself and Others
Dare to Dream
Expect Greatness”
Outstanding idea:
The Renaissance students teamed up the wood shop students to create a beautiful display case for their C2G (Commitment to Graduate) robe.
Powell High School, TN – Platinum Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“The goals of Powell High School Renaissance program is to notice others, listen to them, and let them know they are important. Also, to encourage them to be involved in school activities. We accomplish these goals by instilling our core values of commitment to the school and community, by building positivity and kindness, and recognizing students and Staffulty.”
Outstanding idea:
During 9th grade orientation each incoming Freshman has their picture taken in a cap and gown and holds a PHS diploma. The goal of this activity is for the freshman entering high school to visualize their future – to see the ultimate goal, a diploma! These pictures are then placed in their senior envelope at graduation four years later.
Summerville High School, SC – Gold Tier
Renaissance goals and values:
“The last two years have been a whirlwind and despite the instructional changes made to accommodate COVID safety protocols, our Renaissance goals and values have not changed. One of our main goals is teacher retention and morale by prioritizing our school climate and culture. This goal overflows into our second goal, which is to recognize and celebrate our students in ways that capture all of our groups/organizations with the utmost diversity!”
Outstanding idea:
Summerville High School teamed up with their local National Guard for School Beautification Day in which they tended to the flower beds, cleaned windows, and organized their sports equipment.