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

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.

Feb 22 School Board, 3:45 p.m.

Mar 1 Finance Committee meeting, 3:45 p.m.
Mar 9 Charter School Day
Mar 16 Info Night, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Mar 29 – April 2 Spring Break

ADMIN NOTES
–Phil Grant, Administrator

Enrollment
For next year, 2010-2011, open spots are now on a first come, first serve basis. We have limited space in all grades 9-12.

For the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year, we have limited space in grades 9 and 11 only. There is a waiting list for grade 10.

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. Our next Info Nights are March 16 and April 13.

Music at Watershed • New programs!
Our partnership with West Bank School of Music continues to grow. It looks like 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. If interested, please call Phil at 612-871-4363 before contacting WBSM.

First Annual Garage Sale
We’re planning to make Watershed’s First Annual Garage Sale in May a major fundraiser for our school. That’s particularly needed in this difficult economy. To make the event a success, we need your help with donations and the event itself.
• Acceptance of Garage Sale items has begun and continues 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. Those of you who’ve worked other Watershed events know how enjoyable it is to meet other members of the community. Don’t miss this chance!

Special thanks. I want to recognize senior Terrance D. for his extra help after our recent Medieval Feast. He stayed to the absolute end of the unpacking late Saturday night. Great job and many, many thanks, Terrance!

Charter School Day is Tuesday, March 9. This is a day the Minnesota charter public school community, including Watershed, visits our legislators at the capitol. Call Phil at 612-871-4363 for more info.

NEWS FROM THE FACULTY CHAIR
–Matt McElrath

Athletics
The Waves eked out a nail-biting overtime victory against Groves Academy on Wednesday, February 3. The Waves were behind the entire game, but with a patient approach to their offense and an aggressive approach to defense they slowly recovered ground during the second quarter. With a couple minutes left in the game, the Waves took the lead for the first time in the game and almost held out, but Groves surged to a tie in the remaining seconds of regulation play. The Waves dominated the overtime period and came away with a victory. The Waves are looking to close their season with a scrimmage against Na-Way-Ee Center School next week. Athletes will likely be released early from school for the scrimmage to accommodate Center School’s available court time.

Schedule and Electives
We spent several days last week modifying schedules to ensure students are in both appropriate and engaging courses. Many students have elected to pursue independent study projects and service learning. These students should be bringing home the outline of their independent study for parents to review and sign. We also started our Friday elective offerings last week with the following options:

Two-Hour Electives
- Driver’s Ed with Silver Lake Driving School
- Watershed Beautification with Kristin
- Movies that Matter with Matt
- Cooking with Rachel
- Home Repair with Mark

3rd Hour Electives
- Algebra with Linda
- Japanese with Becky

4th Hour Electives
- Gardening with Emily and Rachel
- Art Studio and Costume Making with Maggie
- Locker Design with Linda

A Look Back at J Term
–Maggie Rozycki

My two favorite quotes from students who went to the Philadelphia Farm for J-term:

“We became a family.”

“I learned to appreciate dirt!”

We worked in the greenhouse at the farm sifting dirt. (It was mostly compost and manure.) As students ran their fingers through the dirt, many commented on the pleasure of the experience.

We discussed bio-dynamic farming with Roland. This form of sustainable farming was created by Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian philosopher responsible for the educational philosophy behind Waldorf education.

Due to student interest these gardening practices will be used on the Watershed garden this spring. Dennis Deitzel, a parent who practices biodynamic gardening, has agreed to volunteer some time and teach us how to do this.

“Taking students to the farm for J-term was a wonderful experience for me, too,” commented Maggie. “There is something about being out in the country surrounded by the beauty of land, trees, and space, being around animals and dirt, living together, and gathering around a fire in the evening instead of a TV, which is truly transformative.”

Feb 15 Presidents’ Day, NO SCHOOL
Feb 22 School Board, 3:45 p.m.

Mar 9 Charter School Day
Mar 16 Info Night, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

ADMIN NOTES
–Phil Grant, Administrator

Congratulations!
What an excellent Medieval Feast we had last weekend! Congratulations to director Kristin Aitchison and her troupe for a marvelous production of A Night in Elsinore. I heard many, many compliments from parents and other members of the community. It was also great to see so many Watershed supporters in the audience.

Congratulations also to chief chef LeAnne Mfaligundi and her crew for a delicious meal—truly a feast! Thanks to them and all who made it another great Feast, especially lead volunteers Marsha Burgeson, Nell Ubbelohde and Ann Goehner, along with all the other parents, staff, students and alumni who helped.

Enrollment
For 2010-2011, open spots are now on a first come, first serve basis. We have limited space in all grades 9-12. Current students who have not yet reserved a spot risk losing it. They should return their signed enrollment form to Rachel as soon as possible.

For the remainder of 2009-2010, this school year, we have limited space in grades nine and eleven only. There is a waiting list for grade ten.

For more information, call Rachel, our enrollment coordinator, at 612-871-4363 ex. 219, or email her at rkoniar (at) watershedhs.org. Interested students are welcome to shadow by prior arrangement. Families are invited to any Info Night. Our next Info Nights are March 16 and April 13.

Music at Watershed • New program!
The Composer-Performer Orchestra (CPO) has begun rehearsing at Watershed. This is a program for musicians who are interested in writing and performing their own instrumental music, led by Stefan Kaz. The CPO is a program offered by the West Bank School of Music (WBSM), one of Watershed’s partners in the arts. There is a cost, but scholarships are available.

Coming soon: after school music lessons provided by West Bank instructors here at Watershed. While there is a cost, scholarships are available. There’s also a volunteer possibility on Monday evenings, working the Watershed front desk on behalf of West Bank. Ask Phil for details.

Donation wanted: portable keyboard with weighted action, to be used for music lessons and classes here.

For more information about WBSM, call them at (612) 333-6651 or visit their website at www.westbankmusic.org. For info on the CPO in particular, go to www.stefankac.com/WbsmCpo.html.

School Board News
The Watershed School Board has moved its regular monthly meeting to the 4th Monday in each month. The next meeting is Monday, February 22, at 3:45 p.m. All meetings are open to the public.

NEWS FROM THE FACULTY CHAIR
–Matt McElrath

Second Semester Begins
After gathering briefly Tuesday morning to recount J-Term stories and introduce new students, students met by class to discuss scheduling options for the second semester. Nearly all students were offered a full schedule of classes for the second semester. We’re also offering greater opportunities for Resource Room support and Independent study than in the past. Students may modify their schedules over the next two weeks as they develop proposals for independent study that fit their graduation requirements.

Additionally, students began sign-ups for their Friday Electives. We will begin Friday electives this week; however, we will have shortened classes as students plan and prepare for the semester. After two 30 minute elective classes this Friday, students will be released at 1:20 p.m. Driver’s Ed students, however, will be released at 2:20.

New Driver’s Ed Teacher
This semester, our driver’s ed course will be taught by Mr. Matt Maki of Silver Lake Driving School. Students complete 30 hours of classroom instruction, followed by six hours behind the wheel. Through a special arrangement with Silver Lake, the entire course will cost participating students only $150. (The school will contribute half of the total cost of $300. This is less than last year, so we’re sharing the savings with families.) Students must pay at least $50 to begin class this Friday. Make checks payable to Silver Lake Driving School. The balance may be paid over time.

For more info on Silver Lake, visit www.silverlakedrivingschool.com

Website Redesign Needs Your Input
–Miriam Block

We are redesigning Watershed’s website. We want your input to make the site a more valuable resource for parents of Watershed students and for providing information to prospective students. Please take a few minutes to answer the questions below and email your answers to miriam (at) blockinteractive.com.

Before enrolling your child(ren) at Watershed:
1. How did you hear about Watershed and find the website?
2. What were the top three pieces of information you wanted to know?
3. Was there anything on the website that convinced you that Watershed would be a good choice for your child(ren)?
4. What did you like/not like about the site?
5. Were there other school sites you saw that you thought were really great? Which ones?

After enrolling your child(ren) at Watershed:
1. Do you go to the website? If so, for what reasons? If not, why not?
2. What do you like/dislike about the current website?
3. If you could change one thing about the site, what would that be?
4. What types of information or interaction would be valuable to you on the site?
5. Please provide any other thoughts you have about the site or other sites
that you think work well.

J-Term Quilting
–Rachel Koniar
Rachel’s Quilting class learned the age old skill of creating something of beauty from old scraps. Students took cloth fragments, and old cloths and designed quilts using traditional and new patterns. Patterns included: around the world, pinwheel, four square, nine square, and star burst.

Feb 3 Last day to reserve Medieval Feast tickets
Feb 5-6 Medieval Feast, 6:00 p.m.; Doors open at 5:00 p.m.
Feb 8 Teacher workday, NO SCHOOL
Feb 9 Begin Semester 2, Main Lesson 5
Feb 9 Info Night, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Feb 15 Presidents’ Day, NO SCHOOL
Feb 22 School Board, 3:45 p.m.

Mar 9 Charter School Day
Mar 16 Info Night, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

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, or email her at rkoniar (at) watershedhs.org. Students are welcome to shadow by prior arrangement. Families are invited to any Info Night. Our next Info Nights are February 9 and March 16.

Medieval Feast 2010
The best reason to leave the house is only a couple of days away! It’s Watershed’s 14th Annual Medieval Feast! A popular Watershed tradition, the Medieval Feast is this Friday, February 5 and Saturday, February 6, at Calvary Baptist Church, 2608 Blaisdell Avenue South in Minneapolis. (This is the same location as last year’s Feast.) Time: Friday and Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. This year’s play is A Night in Elsinore: A Parody of Hamlet, by Richard Nathan, directed by Kristin Aitchison.

Reservations are required. No Medieval Feast tickets are sold at the door. You can pay by PayPal on the school’s website through midnight tonight; use the Make a Donation button and indicate which performance. Or, bring your check to the performance.
Tickets must be reserved today: Adult $25, Student $15, Children 12 & under $10. Call 612-871-4363 x160 or mburgeson (at) usfamily.net to make your reservation.

2nd Semester - Tuesday, February 9th
Students and faculty will gather in the Commons on second floor at 9:00 a.m. to begin our second semester. All parents and guardians–especially if you’re new–are invited to attend. Stop in, have some coffee, meet other families and learn more about your school! No RSVP necessary. Following a brief all-school meeting, students will meet with class sponsors to establish their schedules for the second semester.

Music at Watershed • New program!
The Composer-Performer Orchestra (CPO) has begun rehearsing at Watershed. This is a program for musicians who are interested in writing and performing their own instrumental music, led by Stefan Kaz. The CPO is a program offered by the West Bank School of Music (WBSM), one of Watershed’s partners in the arts. There is a cost, but scholarships are available. For more information, call WBSM at (612) 333-6651 or visit their website at www.westbankmusic.org. For info on the CPO in particular, go to www.stefankac.com/WbsmCpo.html.

School Board News
The Watershed School Board has moved its regular monthly meeting to the 4th Monday in each month. The next meeting is Monday, February 22, at 3:45 p.m. All meetings are open to the public.

Many thanks to all who helped with our most recent mailing: Sam W., Gerald A., Kevin G., Ashley D., Katie D., Ally S., and Steve A.

NEWS FROM THE FACULTY CHAIR
–Matt McElrath

Athletics
The Watershed Waves close their basketball season this week with games on Wednesday and Thursday. The Waves return to Groves Academy in St. Louis Park on Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. Thursday night, the team has a rematch with Minnetonka Christian Academy in Minnetonka at 5:00 p.m.

More Info on Second Semester
As a result of shifting enrollment and in an effort to best meet the needs of our students, while striving to serve the creative mission of the school, the Pedagogy Committee has been working steadfastly to develop an appropriate schedule for the second semester. We will schedule fewer Main Lesson and Track classes compared to the fall; however, we will have faculty teaching in a Resource Room and an Independent Study Lab during each hour of the day. Students will work with their sponsors to determine a personal schedule based on the student’s progress toward graduation, their interests and their academic needs. We encourage freshman and sophomores to pursue Main Lesson and Track classes, while suggesting that juniors and seniors pursue a variety of alternatives that include PSEO, service and volunteer learning, and independent study.

Website Redesign Needs Your Input
–Miriam Block

We are redesigning Watershed’s website. We want your input to make the site a more valuable resource for parents of Watershed students and
for providing information to prospective students. Please take a few minutes to answer the questions below and email your answers to miriam (at) blockinteractive.com.

Before enrolling your child(ren) at Watershed:
1. How did you hear about Watershed and find the website?
2. What were the top three pieces of information you wanted to know?
3. Was there anything on the website that convinced you that Watershed would be a good choice for your child(ren)?
4. What did you like/not like about the site?
5. Were there other school sites you saw that you thought were really great? Which ones?

After enrolling your child(ren) at Watershed:
1. Do you go to the website? If so, for what reasons? If not, why not?
2. What do you like/dislike about the current website?
3. If you could change one thing about the site, what would that be?
4. What types of information or interaction would be valuable to you on the site?
5. Please provide any other thoughts you have about the site or other sites
that you think work well.

J-Term Farm Trip
–Maggie Rozycki

The J-Term Farm Trip students are having a wonderful time. They are bonding and building community. One student says he did not expect to have such a good time. He says he has widened his circle of friends. Other comments are, “Watershed will never be the same now that we all know each other so well!” “This is like the real world, not like MTV.” “We are all sitting around talking to each other, no tension in the room.” “It’s so quiet. There are no sirens or cars.”

We are staying at Lily Lake, the new Utne Retreat Center, making art and doing community service at Philadelphia Community Farm (PCF). We are the first group to stay at Lily Lake and they generously lowered their fee to make it possible for our group to be here. In exchange, we are doing extra cleaning, and clearing brush from a field for a garden plot or an animal pen.

PCF is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) non-profit organization serving educational and civic groups as well as living and working alongside people with special needs. The farm is located on the St. Croix River in Osceola, WI. So far, we have worked in the greenhouse planting seeds, moved fire wood indoors, gathered eggs, met the cows and the burro, brushed and fed them and had discussions with staff. We discussed food politics featuring Monsanto and bio-dynamic farming. PCF generously waived their fee to make these staff-led experiences possible for us. Some students are interested in pursuing these practices in our own garden plots at Watershed. In the art-making workshop, we made power figures from sticks from the land, fabric, and sculpy. They represent each student’s fears and strengths. In addition to art making and community service, students prepare food, do dishes, clean, do daily journaling, hike on the numerous trails at Lily Lake, build bon fires, build outdoor furniture, and of course, enjoy s’mores around the campfire. Watch for photos to be posted to the school website.

Jan 29 Enrollment deadline
Jan 29 Medieval Feast discount ticket deadline

Feb 3 Last day to reserve Medieval Feast tickets
Feb 5-6 Medieval Feast
Feb 8 Teacher workday, NO SCHOOL
Feb 9 Begin Semester 2, Main Lesson 5
Feb 9 Info Night, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Feb 15 Presidents’ Day, NO SCHOOL
Feb 22 School Board, 3:45 p.m.

ADMIN NOTES
–Phil Grant, Administrator

Enrollment 2010-2011
Watershed’s priority enrollment deadline for 2010-2011 is January 29. That means that returning students must commit and new students may apply by then. If that total is more than our space allows, our lottery is February 3. After the lottery, open spots are first come, first serve.

Volunteers needed
The Medieval Feast is in its fourteenth year. This treasured tradition can only be successful through the help of many volunteers. In the next few days you will receive a request to help with this much anticipated event. Please be prepared to say “Yes! How can I help?” With your help we can make this year’s event a huge success.

We’re also looking for additional front desk volunteers. Contact Marsha Burgeson at mburgeson (at) usfamily.net to volunteer.

Medieval Feast 2010
What’s the cure for the mid-winter doldrums? Watershed’s 14th Annual Medieval Feast! A popular Watershed tradition, the Medieval Feast will take place Friday, February 5 and Saturday, February 6, at Calvary Baptist Church, 2608 Blaisdell Avenue South in Minneapolis. (This is the same location as last year’s Feast.) Time: Friday and Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. (There will be no matinee this year.) Doors open at 5:00 p.m. This dinner theater experience features a Medieval-themed play performed by Watershed students. Courses of a delicious meal are served before and between acts, giving guests ample time to dine and socialize.

This year’s play is A Night in Elsinore: A Parody of Hamlet, by Richard Nathan, directed by Kristin Aitchison.

Reservations are required. No Medieval Feast tickets will be sold at the door. For reduced price tickets, order by January 29th: Adult $15, Student $10, Children 12 & under $5. We give a significant discount to advance tickets because it makes food prep easier. Take advantage of this great pricing and make your reservations today. Payment must be made by January 29th. You can pay by PayPal on the school’s website; use the Make a Donation button.

Regular price tickets (January 30-February 3) must be reserved by February 3rd: Adult $25, Student $15, Children 12 & under $10.

How to Order: Call 612-871-4363 x160 or mburgeson (at) usfamily.net to make your reservation. We do NOT accept credit cards (though you can use them through PayPal).

Music at Watershed • New program!
Beginning this Monday, Feb. 1, the Composer-Performer Orchestra (CPO) will begin rehearsing at Watershed. This is a program for musicians of all ages who are interested in writing and performing their own instrumental music, led by Stefan Kaz. The CPO is a program offered by the West Bank School of Music (WBSM), one of Watershed’s partners in the arts. There is a cost, but scholarships are available. For more information, call WBSM at (612) 333-6651 or visit their website at www.westbankmusic.org. For info on the CPO in particular, go to www.stefankac.com/WbsmCpo.html

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.

First Annual Watershed Garage Sale
Will you be doing your spring cleaning soon? Wishing to clear some space in the garage? Getting ready to move? Watershed can help. We will be having a garage sale in May and are currently accepting donated items. A room is designated for donation drop-offs on the first floor. We are accepting clothing, house wares, tools, antiques, furniture, toys, small appliances, electronics, etc. Tax receipts are available for all donated items. If you need to schedule a pick up, want to volunteer to be on the Garage Sale Team, or if you have questions, contact Ann Goehner at anngoehner (at) msn.com.

School Board News
The Watershed School Board has moved its regular monthly meeting to the 4th Monday in each month. The next meeting is Monday, February 22, at 3:45 p.m. All meetings are open to the public.

Questions, concerns, ideas? Give Phil a call at 612-871-4363, or email him at pgrant (at) watershedhs.org.

NEWS FROM THE FACULTY CHAIR
–Matt McElrath

J-Term - Second Edition
After four days of J-Term, we are surrounded with happy and relaxed teachers and students. J-Term is again proving to be a nice break between the semesters and a successful way to allow a dedicated group of students to prepare for the Medieval Feast. Despite the winter weather, the theme for this J-Term has been excursions. Nearly all classes have been on at least one field trip. The Language in the Ctiy and Wilderness Outdoor survival classes have been on excursions nearly everyday. We have seen the creation of two outdoor survival quinzhee huts. The quilting class is designing and making quilts. The Medieval Feast troupe is now over at the Calvary Church on Blaisdell and 26th preparing for the upcoming performance. The Interior Design class went to IKEA today getting a Swedish perspective on decorating and the Movies that Matter class just finished a discussion analyzing the anti-war protest theme of Godzilla. Thanks to everyone for making J-Term a success again. Check back next week for more updates.

J-Term Observations
–Betty Edwards, Registrar

Right now, out my window, I see nine students and a teacher building fires in the snow. They’ve built a “quinzhee” or snow shelter in our side yard and another, larger quinzhee on the other side of the building. In spite of the cold and hard work, I can tell they are having fun.

Upstairs, a class is quietly and industriously cutting out squares of fabric for the quilts they are designing and constructing.

Another class is focused on their future homes, learning about space, perspective, and design. They’re cutting out shapes and diagramming their dreams.

Science class spent the last two class sessions generating ideas to explore in their How Stuff Works course. They came up with some unique ideas from metallurgy to biological weapons.

In the hallway you can hear the theatre group playing warm up games, and going over their script for the Medieval Feast. A lot of laughter is coming from that room.

Afternoon classes yesterday were equally engaged: Urban Cultural Exploration, Home Repair Jobs, Deaf Culture, and Movies That Matter.

And then there are the students who are at The Farm to help with farm chores, community meal prep and journal reflections. Everything I see and hear let’s me know J-term really is an extraordinary experience for our students!