A Day at ARS
Wondering what school looks like at ARS?
At Athens Renaissance School, no two days are exactly alike, and that's by design! Our students learn through a dynamic blend of hands-on experiences, and real-world connections that bring learning to life. Whether your student is diving into a history simulation, collaborating on a STEAM project, or exploring their community through a walking excursion, every day is built around curiosity, growth, and purpose.
We're glad you're here. Take a look at what a typical day might hold.
Elementary: Kindergarten - 5th Grade
Our Kindergarten-5th Grade Blended Pathway is built around intentional daily routines that foster academic growth, creativity, collaboration, and student engagement. Each day begins with a quick yet interactive Morning Meeting that encourages social connection, communication, and community building through both single-grade and multi-grade experiences. Our learning spaces are shared to foster collaboration and multi-grade experiences. Students participate in daily Number Talks and Number Sense Routines to strengthen mathematical thinking and confidence.
Learning will continue to be experienced at your student's specific grade-level through STEM activities, science experiments, teacher-guided stations and the use of manipulatives in both in Math and Literacy lessons. At Renaissance we value engaging, hands-on and minds-on learning opportunities.
Students have a scheduled lunch and break time during the pathway day. Lunch is available for ordering or students are welcome to bring a packed lunch from home.
Students will conclude their day with a cross-curricular, multi-grade level project-based learning experience. The PBL experience consists of multiple weeks-long phases focusing on specific aspects of an overarching theme or solution to a problem.
Middle School: 6th - 8th Grade
A typical Pathway day with ARMS starts with a whole group morning meeting. 6th-8th graders have time to mingle and chat while teachers take attendance and manage day-to-day logistics. This meeting typically transitions into team building and/or collaboration practice in mixed grade level groups to prime students brains for the real "bread and butter" of the Renaissance student experience -- Project Based Learning (PBL).
To that end, ARMS students spend the majority of pathway time working in their PBL groups toward a shared goal related to the PBL theme/problem for the year/unit. These groups are mixed grade level and determined based on student interests and strengths. This PBL time manifests in a number of ways including but not limited to: group strategy meetings, building and creating, acting and rehearsing, experimenting and revising, or even exploring a local landmark. During this portion of pathway, students have access to tools and spaces to support learning. Our campus features a number of meeting spaces, maker spaces, and physical and digital tools designed to enhance the modern public school learning experience. Teachers guide and monitor students through their PBL journey and other tasks by moving through different stations, groups, structured activities, etc. as needed, and the day ends with a final whole group meeting before students are dismissed from pathway.
The possible PBL classroom approaches of a given day at ARMS are limitless, but the goal of each day at ARMS is the same---work toward a common goal using the research-based PBL model that is integral to the Renaissance student experience.
High School: 9th - 12th Grade
A typical high school Pathway day begins with grade-level Homeroom, where students meet with their class advisor to go over attendance, catch up on announcements, and connect with classmates. Homeroom also includes dedicated time for the Renaissance Reflection, a self-check routine where students review their grades and progress across their courses and reach out to teachers for support as needed. It is a simple but powerful habit that keeps students informed and in the driver's seat of their own learning.
From there, the day shifts into the heart of the high school experience: cross-curricular, cross-grade level Project-Based Learning. Students work together across grade levels in groups shaped by interest and driven by student initiative, tackling real questions and working towards meaningful outcomes. The structure of PBL time varies depending on where students are in the process, but the expectation of ownership, collaboration, and purposeful progress is consistent every day.
Students also have a scheduled lunch and break built into the day, giving them time to recharge and socialize with classmates before finishing out the afternoon.