School/Classroom FAQ

Current TRIS families will receive the re-enrollment papers and contracts for the following academic year in February.

Your child is automatically enrolled in the summer program if you are on a 12-month contract. However, we request a courtesy notification to inform us of your child's absence if you are traveling or have other plans for the summer. If you are enrolled in the 10-month program and would like to enroll for all or part of the summer program, please watch for the Summer Program Enrollment Registration Form shared via email in June. 

At the time of enrollment, parents create an account on SchoolCues, our school management software. We strongly recommend both parents activate their individual SchoolCues accounts.

The SchoolCues app includes a School Directory listing the staff and students' names. However, for the student's name to appear in the School Directory, parents must share at least one parent's name and an email or phone.

Please complete the Car Registration Form and hand it to the staff member in the Lobby to receive a parking decal. 

To order school apparel, please visit our School Apparel Page under TRIS Administration on this Parent Portal. If you have further questions, please contact Elizabeth Thomas.

The Yearbook is created and shared by the TRIS TPA. During the last few months of school, the TRIS TPA Yearbook Coordinators share more details about how to buy the Yearbook and other details. 

Please request them to sign up for our mandatory campus tour if they are Bay Area residents. If they live outside the Bay Area, they can schedule a Virtual Tour. After their attendance (in person or virtual), we email all attendees a link to begin the online admissions process. For more details, please visit our Admissions Page.

You can learn more about volunteering opportunities by visiting the Volunteering FAQs and the Volunteering Opportunities with TPA pages or contacting Leah Vass (TRIS's Volunteer Coordinator). When the School and TPA have upcoming events, we send out volunteer requests. Please keep an eye out for event emails for volunteering opportunities.

To log in your hours, please use this: VOLUNTEER LOG Form.

Toddler

The week before a child is scheduled to start, we ask that the parents bring the child to school in the morning between a designated one and a half hour period from Monday to Friday. The specific time will be communicated to you close to your start date.

• Day 1 & 2 - The parent should bring a book or other activity and plan to sit in the yard allowing the child to play with the other children while having the security of the parent’s presence. The role of the parent should not be that of an “entertainer,” but rather of a silent observer.
• Day 3 - The parent should plan on leaving the child at TRIS for one hour.
• Day 4 & 5 - The parent should plan on leaving the child for the full hour and a half.

Preschool

New children transition in the same way as those in the toddler program. 

Children transitioning from Pre-primary to primary:

Each transition is a bit different, however, children transitioning from Pre-Primary to Primary will spend the week before their transition date visiting their new classroom. Before this, they will meet their new teachers in the primary yard and get a chance to get to know them. During transition week, children will start their day in Madrone and will then go to the new classroom for a short visit of about an hour on the first day. If that goes well, they will go for a longer visit the next day. This will continue until they are ready for a full day including naptime. The next day the student can be signed in and dropped off in the new classroom. 

Typically the transition visit schedule looks something like:

• Monday - 9:00-10:00
• Tuesday - 9:00-11:00
• Wednesday - 9:00 - end of lunch
• Thursday - 9:00 - naptime
• Friday - sign in and drop off at new classroom

Kindergarten - Middle School

The process is the same for children transitioning from Kindergarten to Elementary, from Lower Elementary to Upper Elementary and from Upper Elementary to Middle School. When it is determined that a student is ready to transition, they will begin a series of transition visits (usually between 6-8). 

End of Year Transition

At some point in the spring, transitioning students will begin to visit the classroom they are transitioning to. Students will be dropped off in their current classrooms and will then join their new classroom later in the morning. They will start with a short stay and then progressively increase the time they spend in the new classroom. The number of visits usually vary from 6-8 depending on the needs of the students. 

Typically the transition visit schedule looks something like:

• Week 1 - 9:00 - 11:30
• Week 2 - 9:00 - 11:30
• Week 3 - 9:00 - 12:30
• Week 4 - 9:00 - 12:30
• Week 5 - 9:00 - 3:00
• Week 6 - 9:00 - 3:30

Before leaving their current classroom, students will have a good-bye circle. On the last day of school they are dropped off in their new classroom and will spend the entire day there. During the day, they will have a Welcome Circle. 

All students transitioning from Primary to Elementary are required to spend a minimum of three weeks at TRIS in the summer.  

Mid-Year Transition

Students who transition mid year will transition either in January or February. For those transitioning from Lower Elementary to Upper Elementary, the transition is the same as for that of end of year transitions. 

The transition process is a bit different for primary transitioners as they will start the year participating in the Elementary music program. This means they will arrive at school by 8am to participate in vocals every morning and they will receive one hour of Kodaly twice a week. At some point during the semester, students will begin transition visits to Lower Elementary. 

Typically the transition visit schedule looks something like:

• Week 1 - 9:00 - 11:30
• Week 2 - 9:00 - 11:30
• Week 3 - 9:00 - 12:30
• Week 4 - 9:00 - 12:30
• Week 5 - 9:00 - 3:00
• Week 6 - 9:00 - 3:00

Transitioning students will generally have a good-bye circle on the day of the Primary Concert in December and will join Lower Elementary on the day of the Elementary/JH Concert in December. In January, they will fully be transitioned to Lower Elementary. 

Please note that this is an outline of the transition process. This can change from year to year depending on the needs of the children and the program. 

Classroom teachers share weekly updates, including essential information, announcements, and news about the classroom. The Room Parents also share important information and announcements with parents. 

Before your child starts school, the teaching team will give you specific information about what to expect and what to bring. It includes information about the transition period, the daily schedule, and a list of things such as a change in shoes, a water bottle, a backpack that fits lunch, a change of clothes, etc. 

We offer lunch two days a week - Tuesday and Thursday.

Please use this form to sign up: LUNCH PROGRAM Form.

Pictures of other children cannot be taken on personal devices at school unless you have permission from the other child's parent. We have a school iPhone and a DSLR camera available during school events and we regularly share photos of school and classroom events with parents. 

Please respect your child’s learning environment and refrain from entering the classroom. Please wait outside the classroom during pickup or drop-off.  When the class is ready to be dismissed for the day, the teacher will open the classroom doors and excuse students. If you have informed the classroom of an early pickup, you may request the Lobby Staff member to notify the teacher of your arrival. At the Pre-Primary (Madrone) and Primary levels, children MUST remain with an adult at all times when on school premises, and must be signed out on the way out of the school.

Please contact Adriana Gee to schedule a classroom observation. If you want to visit the classroom for a birthday celebration or share an event with the classroom during circle time, please contact your child's Teaching Team. 

Teachers share a weekly update with a snapshot of the week. You can also contact your student's teaching team to learn more.

The administration or teachers email parents about field trips. We generally plan trips a few months in advance, and once finalized, we announce the field trip by email detailing the location, travel plans, and what to bring and expect on the trip.  

Cooking days at all levels are part of the Cultural curriculum. Students cook food from the continent of study for that year. 

Primary

Elementary

Students cook in small groups of 4-6 students at a time. Students typically have an opportunity to cook 2-3 times a year and participate in the cooking day meal on every cooking day.  

At the beginning of the year, parents send in cash for cooking days (the classroom determines the amount, but it usually ends up being about $10 per meal). The money allows the student to pay in cash at the supermarket. 

At the elementary level, the students help choose the recipes for Cooking Day. This practice is part of their discovery of that country. The day before they cook, the students visit the supermarket to purchase the necessary ingredients. This experience allows them to understand budgeting and managing financial transactions. 

On cooking day, students cook the meal under the supervision of an adult. When the meal is ready, the cooking group makes a small presentation to the class, and everyone eats a communal meal together. 

Middle School

In Middle School, students can pick recipes of their choice from whatever part of the world they would like. Since they do not focus on one continent throughout the year, the recipes can vary as to where they are from. Students independently prepare the meal from beginning to end, including choosing the recipes, purchasing the ingredients, and cooking. 

Every week, parents take turns providing snacks for their classroom. The teachers list acceptable snacks after considering student allergies and dietary restrictions. The Room Parent or teacher notifies classroom parents how much and when to bring the snacks. 

Please click on the link below to view our general guidelines for each level. We consider student allergies and dietary restrictions when creating the snack list for each academic year.

• Madrone 
• Primary
• Elementary 

Please bring the receipts with a completed Reimbursement Form and hand it to the staff member in the Lobby. A hard copy of the Reimbursement Form is available in the main Lobby or online in the Commonly Used Forms section on the Parent Portal.

Sharing days occur at the Primary level. Each classroom has a different day for their sharing circle, so please get in touch with your classroom teachers directly for this information. Educational materials such as books, objects, pictures, or items related to the study of Botany or Zoology are welcome. Please, no Disney or cartoon books. Children are welcome to bring projects they have created outside of school.

We have two Parent-Teacher conferences (PTC) for all levels in the school year. These are only for parents. We highly recommend both parents be present in person. However, we do understand that sometimes that may not be possible. We have had instances where one parent is in person, and the other has joined using a video call. We announce the Conference dates in the annual School Calendar and share the signups for the conference slots via SchoolCues.

Additionally, twice a year, at our Elementary and Middle School levels (Junior High), we also have student-led Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences (SPTC). The students, parents, and teachers meet in person for this conference.

The school is closed for regular instruction and childcare during the two conference days in November and June. We provide childcare only for the duration of the conference time (45 minutes) for each parent.

Each classroom teaching team shares a weekly class update with parents via email. The updates include special topics the class is learning, books they are reading, and upcoming events. Room Parents also share important information via email with the classroom parents. 

If your child is late, absent, or sick, please  -

1. Emailing healthyTRIS@therenaissanceschool.org (our school group that monitors health-related absences),
2. Emailing your child's teaching team, and
3. Completing the appropriate Permissions Forms located on the SchoolCues App as follows:

• Absentee Form: To report a student's absence for one or more days (including vacations).
• Gold Communication Form: To provide information on a student's pick up/ drop off by someone other than the parent.
• Tardy Form: To report if the student was or will be late on any given day