The Renaissance certificates were awarded to many students, and they all contained a Mister Softee gift card that students may use on the days Mister Softee comes to VHS. Photo by: Brody Daw

Renaissance returns to VHS for the first time since before COVID-19 

During the week of March 18 to March 22, call slips were sent out to students regarding the revived Renaissance program at VHS. The Renaissance status is rewarded to students who have made a 0.5 or more increase in their GPA in a semester. This program is meant to incentivize students who may not be considered for Honor Roll, but are still showing academic improvement. 

“Even if a student has gone from a 0.5 GPA to a 1.0 GPA, we will give them a Renaissance sticker. We want kids to keep being better students. Then our Honor Roll students are also Renaissance, so they get to be part of the program too, so we are kind of killing two birds with one stone,” said VHS School Support Secretary of Instruction and Curriculum, Erin Shean. 

In order to encourage kids to improve academically and qualify for Renaissance status, VHS created incentives and perks for Renaissance students. One incentive is that Renaissance students will be offered their own lunch line, as a way to wait a shorter amount of time to get into the cafeteria during lunch. There will also be days where students with a Renaissance stamp may leave class five minutes early for an extended lunch. “[Incentives will] probably be more food-based than leaving early, but we will try to throw that in,” said Shean. 

The Renaissance program is observed district wide. Shean said, “It is really just based on what is best for your campus, [some schools] go crazy, right now we are not quite there, but may be in the future.” 

Around half of the VHS student population qualifies for Renaissance. This includes students with a 3.5 GPA or higher, who also qualify for Honor Roll, as well as the students who have made a 0.5 jump in their GPA. 

Aelo Curtis ‘26 said, “I think it is really nice that they are doing the honor roll again. I have a 4.0 [GPA] and it’s good that they are recognizing all kinds of students.”

“[It’s] just a way to recognize our students for doing the hard work because you guys are working really hard, and we want you guys to know that we are proud of you,” said Shean.