Currents

Watershed Happenings

Mar 9 Charter School Day
Mar 15 Finance Committee, 3:45 p.m.
Mar 16 Info Night, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Mar 22 Board Meeting, 3:45 p.m.
Mar 29 – April 2 Spring Break—NO SCHOOL

Apr 5 School Resumes
Apr 13 Info Night, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Apr 14 Teacher Workday, NO SCHOOL

ADMIN NOTES
–Phil Grant, Administrator

Best Kept Secret in Town!
We don’t want to be the best kept secret in Minneapolis! Watershed is a place with unique students and staff, and a place with a unique approach to education. Let’s get the word out about how special we are! In order to do this effectively, and to help us increase enrollment, we have brought on a marketing company, Education Innovators, with extensive experience in charter public schools. They have identified three focal areas. These emphases are:
1. A targeted mass mailing to this year’s 7th, 8th and 9th graders in specific zip codes across the area to be done in March.
2. Bring on a Recruitment Coordinator to lead the charge.
3. Form a Recruitment Team of parents, students, alumni and staff to assist the Recruitment Coordinator.

We need people interested in staffing booths for upcoming events, making phone calls to prospective students and parents, going to artsy and creative institutions around the area to speak about Watershed, and more. If you are interested in spreading the word about what a great place Watershed is, please give Phil a call today at 612-871-4363. Let’s not continue to be a well kept secret. Let’s get the word out that Watershed is awesome!

Info Nights
Our next Info Nights are March 16 and April 13. They provide an excellent opportunity for current families to introduce friends and neighbors to Watershed. Visitors will meet Rachel, Phil and several other teachers and hear about the type of educational experience available only at Watershed. They will view a wonderfully informative video (recently completed by Rachel), have a tour of the facility and receive enrollment forms. Potential students will also be encouraged to visit during a school day. So, contact your friends and neighbors today with an invitation to attend an Info Night on March 16 or April 13. Better yet, don’t just invite them, come with them! For more information, call Rachel, our enrollment coordinator, at 612-871-4363 x219, or email her at rkoniar (at) watershedhs.org.

Painter Robert Bleehert visits WHS
A touring artist treated Watershed students to a special visit on March 2. Seattle –based painter Robert Bleehert was in town and visited two drawing and painting classes. Robert has painted professionally in the Twin Cities and in Seattle for more than twenty years. He is known for portraiture, landscape, and most famously in the Twin Cities for doing posters of noted Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings players and this year, four posters of Timberwolves players. Bleehert grew up in St. Paul and had returned home to sign posters at Target Center. Robert is a personal friend of Special Education teacher, Steve Andrews. They have been friends many years through playing football and softball on Saturdays. Steve had given Rob a standing invitation to visit Watershed, and the timing turned out right this week.

Rob had never been to a charter school and was happily surprised at the small class size and at the friendly and outgoing students and staff. He expected a high school of several hundred students. He remarked on how interested the students were in learning about color and shape and his technique. He also enjoyed meeting the staff and working with Maggie. A few students left with signed posters, including the famous Adrian Peterson Vikings poster given out two seasons ago. Judging from the reactions of everyone involved, Robert will be returning next time he is in town.

Beautification Class
The Beautification Class would love your extra paint and bed sheets. We are ready to beautify the walls and do something about the overhead lighting. We’ll accept paint of any color and plain colored bed sheets of any size. Drop off items in the lobby or give directly to Kristin. Our eyes thank you!

First Annual Garage Sale
The big event will take place in May. We are still in the process of locking the dates in, but expect to do this by the next issue of Currents. In the meantime, please continue to bring your garage sale items to the school. We are accepting toys, games, clothing, small appliances, household items, knick-knacks, furniture, tools, etc. Donations may be dropped off during school hours. Please see the front desk for a tax deductible donation receipt. Pick up for larger items can be arranged.

We will also need plastic bags and paper bags of all shapes and sizes. These may be dropped of in the school offices as well. Thank you to all who already donated items. We are well on the way to making this a successful event! Please email Ann Goehner at anngoehner (at) msn.com for more information, to volunteer or to arrange for pick up.

Reminder - Lunch Invoices Due
If you have any questions or concerns about your Lunch bill, please contact Kristin at kaa321 (at) gmail.com. By the end of the school year, all outstanding bills must be paid. This is especially important for graduating seniors as well as students who may wish to transfer. Diplomas, transcripts and grades cannot be released until all outstanding invoices have been paid.

Music at Watershed • New program!
Watershed partners with West Bank School of Music (WBSM) to offer music education right here on campus. Current offerings are on Monday after school and in the evening. If you’re interested in learning music, WBSM is a great program. Their brochures are now available in the school office. If you’re interested in their programs, pick one up, call them at (612) 333-6651 or go to www.westbankmusic.org.

Calendar Notes
Can you believe that Spring Break is around the corner? This year, it’s March 29 through April 2. There are no classes that week, but the school office will be open on a limited basis.

April 13 marks the end of Main Lesson 6 and Quarter 3. There will be NO SCHOOL on Wednesday, April 14. It is a teacher workday. Teachers use it to evaluate work and plan for the final quarter of school.

Charter School Day, March 9, school board member Nell Ubbelohde and I will visit the state capitol to tell our charter school story to legislators. Look for a report next week.

Kitchen and other space available
We have a great kitchen and several office/studio spaces that we don’t need this year. Know anyone who’d like to use a good kitchen for baking or other food prep? Need a meeting room or other space for events, projects, crafts? Space is available for short or longer term needs. Give Phil a call for more information.

Comments? Questions? Call Phil at 612-871-4363 x130 or email pgrant (at) watershedhs.org

Watershed Happenings

Mar 1 Finance Committee Mtg, 3:45
Mar 16 Info Night, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Mar 29 – April 2 Spring Break

A NOTE FROM OUR TREASURER
–Ann Moore

Two factors have combined to present Watershed with difficult financial challenges this year. First, the governor decided to delay paying an additional 17% of school funding until the following school year. Second, our enrollment, which determines the amount of funding Watershed receives from the state, was lower than we had anticipated. This left Watershed in the same fix as many of our families and businesses currently find ourselves – working to do the most we can with resources more limited than we’d expected.

I’d like to thank the Watershed staff, who have worked extraordinarily hard to address these concerns, considering a variety of options before shaping a course that best meets our students’ needs. In addition to hours of time spent on these issues, all staff have taken pay cuts. Their dedication and flexibility have laid the foundation for an excellent educational experience for our current students and for those who join us in the fall. I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with professionals who are so committed to ensuring an enriching and creative educational opportunity for our kids!

Additional financial updates are available on the school’s website at http://watershedhs.org/currents/lyceum/financial

ADMIN NOTES
–Phil Grant, Administrator

Enrollment 2010-2011
Open spots are now on a first come, first serve basis. We have limited space in all grades. For more information, call Rachel, our enrollment coordinator, at 612-871-4363 x219, or email her at rkoniar (at) watershedhs.org. Interested students are welcome to shadow by prior arrangement. Families are invited to our upcoming Info Nights or to call for a tour. Our next Info Nights are March 16 and April 13.

Lunch Invoices
Lunch invoices have been sent and are due March 1st. If you have any questions or concerns about your bill, please contact Kristin at kaa321 (at) gmail.com; otherwise, payments are expected by March 1st.

By the end of the year, all outstanding bills must be paid. This is especially important for graduating seniors as well as students who may wish to transfer. Diplomas, transcripts and grades are not released until all outstanding invoices have been paid. Thank you so much.

Music at Watershed • New programs!
Our partnership with West Bank School of Music continues to grow. WBSM will be offering drums, voice and guitar lessons on Monday afternoon and evening, as well as the Composer-Performer Orchestra. Scholarship assistance is available; check directly with WBSM. Older students (juniors on up) may apply to volunteer during WBSM hours, in return for discounts on lessons. Call WBSM at 612-333-6651 or visit www.wbsm.org for more information.

Kudos to Our Chemistry Teacher
David Kimori, our chemistry teacher, serves on the Content Advisory Committee for the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations (MTLE). MTLE is a statewide panel developing materials for entry level chemistry teachers. David received a special “Thank you!” from the MTLE for contributing his time and expertise to this important professional activity.

Beautification Class
The Beautification Class would love your extra paint and bed sheets. We are ready to beautify the walls and do something about the overhead lighting. We’ll accept paint of any color and plain colored bed sheets of any size. Drop off items in the lobby or give directly to Kristin. Our eyes thank you!

NEWS FROM THE FACULTY CHAIR
–Matt McElrath

Athletics
The Waves completed their season by adding a third victory to their winning streak. The Waves beat the Na-Way-Ee Center School on Tuesday afternoon after trailing by one point at half-time. Congratulations to the Waves!!

After the snow melts, Watershed’s athletes will make the transition back outside for golf and ultimate Frisbee. Both teams will have organizational meetings in early March.

Independent Study
Several dozen students are pursuing Independent Study projects this spring. Students have had the last three weeks to develop proposals for Independent Study. Students must submit their proposal form this Friday, with the approval of their sponsor, parents/guardians, supervising teacher and credit-granting teacher. Students are allowed to pursue certain projects off-campus with parent and school permission. After this Friday’s deadline, all Independent Study projects will be scheduled to start at the beginning of new blocks or quarters.

IN OTHER NEWS

First Annual Garage Sale
Coming up in May, Watershed’s First Annual Garage Sale will be a major fundraiser for the school. That’s so important in this difficult economy. To make the event a success, we need your help with donations and the event itself.

We’ve begun accepting items and will continue through mid-May. We are accepting toys, games, clothing, small appliances, household items, knick-knacks, furniture, tools, etc. Donations may be dropped off during school hours. Please see the front desk for a tax deductible donation receipt. Pick up for larger items can be arranged. Thanks to those who’ve already brought items in!

The week before the sale, sorting of the donated items begins. Volunteers are needed to work morning, afternoon and evening shifts.

Pricing will take place the Monday before the event. Much of the merchandise will be generically priced. Volunteers are needed for morning, afternoon and evening shifts.

The day before the event, volunteers, students, and faculty will place items into the appropriate classrooms during afternoon and evening shifts.

The Garage Sale will be conducted on a Wednesday in late-May, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Volunteers are needed to work the floor with students and faculty, monitoring sale activity and straightening up as needed. Teams are also needed for check-out and bagging.

A clean-up crew will begin packing up immediately after the sale. Any unsold items will be donated to a local thrift store.

Please email Ann Goehner at anngoehner (at) msn.com for more information, to volunteer or to arrange for pick up.