"Diversity--the art of thinking independently together"--Malcolm Forbes (American entrepreneur and publisher of Forbes magazine) The top graph to your right shows the demographics of RJR for the 2016-2017 school year. The bottom graph shows the demographics for the WSFCS for that same time period. Benefits of attending a diverse school are found here: tcf.org/content/facts/the-benefits-of-socioeconomically-and-racially-integrated-schools-and-classrooms/ We see these benefits (Academic, Cognitive, Social-Emotional, Civic, and Economic) in the data and in the stories of our students. The picture above is a work of art by Io Tillett that is currently a part of the Dispatches exhibit at SECCA. The artist will be coming to Reynolds in February and will work with students. More than 1500 RJR students have attended this exhibit. | The first pillar of magnet schools is Diversity and Equity. Students from a wide array of backgrounds choose to attend magnet schools. At Reynolds, about 2/3 of our students live in the residential zone and 1/3 apply through the magnet application (open NOW through January 23 at 4 PM at assignment.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/public/magnet/) because they desire to attend our school (some for a specialized program, others for the tradition of excellence in Academics, Arts, and Athletics). With the exception of one year since becoming a Magnet School in 2007, we have had more applicants apply than spaces in the building and the district has held a lottery for entrance to the school. Magnet schools "promote higher level cognitive and social learning" and "make the extra effort to create a sense of classroom and school community". (Magnet Schools of America website) Parents are encouraged to fully participate in the school culture--from bringing career expertise into a classroom, to tutoring, to offering internships, to working box office or concession stands, to helping prepare students for college--all parents are welcomed into the school and are full partners in their student's education. Magnet Schools are integral components of the WSFCS diversity plan. By affording students the option of attending a magnet school rather than their residential high school, school choice is positively impacts the desegregation of schools. The demographics of Reynolds closely mirror those of the school district. A priority of the Arts Magnet program is to attract students from all backgrounds. Because the arts reach all learners, electives and extracurricular opportunities in these areas garner interest and involvement from a wide population. Students interact with others who do not share their upbringing and cultural backgrounds. This maximizes the positive impact of the school’s diversity. For example, rather than simply reading about the refugee crisis, students learn from their peers who are Karenni Refugees, or who fled Iraq for safety, or who came from war torn African countries. Additionally, our faculty represents a variety of ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. |
Learn more about the Reynolds Magnet Program and what makes school special here during the infomational session January 19th from 6:30-8 in the Arts Building. Already know you want to attend the only high school in NC to receive the MSA School of Excellence Award for 2016?
Apply here:https://assignment.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/public/magnet/
Apply here:https://assignment.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/public/magnet/
In this picture, Fareed Mostoufi, the Education Director of the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting based out of DC, speaks to a digital photography class about photojournalism and the intersection of News and Arts.
in 2016, we began a 5 year collaboration with the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, and will host 5 visiting artists/photojournalists for workshops with students on the intersection of News and Arts during this school year alone. Additionally, our students attend workshops at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Arts (SECCA) to see the Dispatches exhibit—a national exhibit of work around the themes of Ecological Justice, Social Activism, the US Presidential Election, Post 9-11 Realities, and Borders/Migration. Teachers use the Pulitzer Center educational materials and Lesson Builder to combine balanced literacy, real world experiences, art, and core standards. Digital Arts students create pieces using the techniques of Doug Ashford after attending a lecture and seeing his work during a field trip to SECCA. Dance students choreograph based on these themes and the visual art they experienced at SECCA. The dance concert January 20 will be an integrated explosion of music, dance, spoken word, and visual arts exploring the themes of the art exhibit. Students in all classes have the opportunity to write blogposts about their interaction with the Pultizer resources, the visiting artists, and the SECCA field trips, as well as to SKYPE with journalists all over the world.
Reynolds High School is one of the most diverse in the district and closely reflects the demographics of Forsyth County. Students come from all over the county--and from 18 different countries speaking 9 different languages (Nepal, Syria, Mexico, Honduras, Chad, Venezuela, Cuba, Thailand, Burma, Senegal, South Africa, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, El Salvador, Italy, Iraq, and Yeman speaking Nepali, Arabic, Spanish, French, Karenni, Thai, Burmese, Zulu, Italian, and English). Reynolds also has thriving Hearing Impaired, Visually Impaired, and Exceptional Children departments. There are many openly LGBQ and transgender students. Families from both the most rich and most impoverished neighborhoods in Forsyth County choose RJR for their high school. This fact alone is a point of pride among the student body and is a defining part of the RJR experience. We work toward increased family engagement from all families. Educationally, Economically, Geographically, Extracurricularly, Ethnically, Racially, etc.--in all ways, the RJR student body is diverse.
Diversity is embraced and celebrated through class discussions, spoken word performances, sign language performers and interpreters, art exhibits, musical selections, etc. The myriad of perspectives are celebrated and the staff is devoted to capitalizing on the strength of such diversity.
in 2016, we began a 5 year collaboration with the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, and will host 5 visiting artists/photojournalists for workshops with students on the intersection of News and Arts during this school year alone. Additionally, our students attend workshops at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Arts (SECCA) to see the Dispatches exhibit—a national exhibit of work around the themes of Ecological Justice, Social Activism, the US Presidential Election, Post 9-11 Realities, and Borders/Migration. Teachers use the Pulitzer Center educational materials and Lesson Builder to combine balanced literacy, real world experiences, art, and core standards. Digital Arts students create pieces using the techniques of Doug Ashford after attending a lecture and seeing his work during a field trip to SECCA. Dance students choreograph based on these themes and the visual art they experienced at SECCA. The dance concert January 20 will be an integrated explosion of music, dance, spoken word, and visual arts exploring the themes of the art exhibit. Students in all classes have the opportunity to write blogposts about their interaction with the Pultizer resources, the visiting artists, and the SECCA field trips, as well as to SKYPE with journalists all over the world.
Reynolds High School is one of the most diverse in the district and closely reflects the demographics of Forsyth County. Students come from all over the county--and from 18 different countries speaking 9 different languages (Nepal, Syria, Mexico, Honduras, Chad, Venezuela, Cuba, Thailand, Burma, Senegal, South Africa, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, El Salvador, Italy, Iraq, and Yeman speaking Nepali, Arabic, Spanish, French, Karenni, Thai, Burmese, Zulu, Italian, and English). Reynolds also has thriving Hearing Impaired, Visually Impaired, and Exceptional Children departments. There are many openly LGBQ and transgender students. Families from both the most rich and most impoverished neighborhoods in Forsyth County choose RJR for their high school. This fact alone is a point of pride among the student body and is a defining part of the RJR experience. We work toward increased family engagement from all families. Educationally, Economically, Geographically, Extracurricularly, Ethnically, Racially, etc.--in all ways, the RJR student body is diverse.
Diversity is embraced and celebrated through class discussions, spoken word performances, sign language performers and interpreters, art exhibits, musical selections, etc. The myriad of perspectives are celebrated and the staff is devoted to capitalizing on the strength of such diversity.
Students create projects that demonstrate content mastery in creative ways. They TALK about difference and celebrate similarities. They read, discuss, study, create in diverse environments. Students keep the same homeroom for 4 years (arranged alphabetically) and there is an intentional curriculum during monthly homeroom to build capacity for soft skills that all people need to be college and career ready. School hallways are currently decorated with student work including posters analyzing themes from Devil in the White City, body puppets demonstrating anatomy systems, geometry projects depicting real-life applications of mathematical concepts, digital art projects replicating famous album covers, 3D ceramic projects, Pythagorean spirals, and foreign language profile posters illustrating students' interests.
The outdoor stage provides space for a variety of performances during lunch on Fridays, including a Poetry Slam, Hip Hop performers, Celtic Fiddlers, local bands, and community theatre. Students ACTIVELY explore curricular topics of importance to them--through experiential learning, deep research, and interdisciplinary study.
The outdoor stage provides space for a variety of performances during lunch on Fridays, including a Poetry Slam, Hip Hop performers, Celtic Fiddlers, local bands, and community theatre. Students ACTIVELY explore curricular topics of importance to them--through experiential learning, deep research, and interdisciplinary study.
There are challenges that come when a school is diverse. At Reynolds, students are empowered to be a part of school leadership decisions--they sit on the School Improvement Team, they chair the Creative Leadership Team, the Student Council is active and meets regularly with administration, the InterClub Council meets monthly and provides student voices from the more than 50 student organizations to organize and implement school activities. We focus on Equity and ask hard questions--How to increase opportunity for all and to ensure that every student is making progress toward their goals? How to increase participation in extracurriculars? How to fully support students and families as they transition to college?
Each year, the Creative Leadership Team selects a focus. Summer reading selections, speakers, field trips, special assemblies, workshops, school-wide events, etc. are planned to explore that focus. The 2016-2017 focus is ACCESS. As such, we have been diving deep into data. Dr. Melissa Harris Perry delivered a though provoking keynote speech during our Thanksgiving Assembly, campus wide visual arts collaborations explored the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and students explored how those relate to their lives/topics of study, we enjoyed a Shadow Play of the Miracle Worker to experience American Sign Language and explore challenges that go along with differences.
Each year, the Creative Leadership Team selects a focus. Summer reading selections, speakers, field trips, special assemblies, workshops, school-wide events, etc. are planned to explore that focus. The 2016-2017 focus is ACCESS. As such, we have been diving deep into data. Dr. Melissa Harris Perry delivered a though provoking keynote speech during our Thanksgiving Assembly, campus wide visual arts collaborations explored the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and students explored how those relate to their lives/topics of study, we enjoyed a Shadow Play of the Miracle Worker to experience American Sign Language and explore challenges that go along with differences.