WHS Currents for June 10, 2010
Posted Thursday, Jun 10, 2010 by
pgrant
Watershed Happenings
Jun 10 Open Mic, 7:00 p.m.
Jun 11 Last day of school, early dismissal
Jun 12 Graduation, 11:00 a.m.
Jun 14 Finance Committee, 3:45 p.m.
Jun 15 Summer School begins
Jun 15-16 Teacher Workshops
Jun 19 Open House, 10:00 a.m.
Jun 22 Open House, 7:00 p.m.
Jun 28 Board Meeting, 3:45 p.m.
A Special Word From the Finance Committee
–Ann Moore, Finance Chair
Last week, I wrote about Watershed’s finances. As a follow up, and to help us balance our budget by June 30, we sent out a Watershed Spring Appeal last week. An end of the school year donation to Watershed would be a wonderful way to celebrate the many achievements of this year, thank faculty and staff, and set the stage for a successful 2010-2011 school year. Thank you for your support.
ADMIN NOTES
–Phil Grant, Administrator
This is it—the last days of this school year. Congratulations to everyone for a successful year! I hope everyone has a wonderful summer. Note that Currents will continue to publish throughout the summer, but on a less frequent schedule.
Yearbooks
2009-2010 Watershed yearbooks will be available for sale beginning Friday, June 11th. They are $20.00 each; make checks out to Watershed High School or pay with cash. Congratulations and thanks to this year’s yearbook crew, headed up by Toni Kerans.
New Watershed T-shirts
The first annual Watershed T-shirt design competition was won by Marco Grell with his narwhal, voted for by students during their class meetings a few weeks ago. The design has been silkscreened onto organic cotton teeshirts by our staff and students, and they are available for sale at the school for $10.00, cash or check (payable to Watershed High School). Please send in the money with your student Thursday or Friday if they wish to purchase one. This design is a limited edition; when it is gone, it is gone. Currently we have all sizes available, small up to XXL (they are preshrunk).
Last Day of School
Friday, June 11th, is Watershed’s last day of school for this year. Students will meet with their classes at 9:00 a.m. to wrap up loose ends, clean out lockers and sign yearbooks. Students will also be working with faculty to clean classrooms for the summer. At 11:00 a.m., students will gather in our gardens for a senior send off ceremony and ice cream. Students will be dismissed after the ceremony, around 11:30 a.m.
Graduation
Watershed honors its class of 2010 on June 12 at 11:00 a.m. at the Walker Community United Methodist Church, on the corner of 31st Street and 16th Avenue. Reception follows at the same location.
Enrollment
We continue to accept students for the fall, though space varies by grade. Our next Open Houses are Saturday, June 19, at 10:00 a.m., and Tuesday, June 22, at 7:00 p.m. For more information, call Rachel, our enrollment coordinator, at 612-871-4363 x219, or email her at rkoniar (at) watershedhs.org.
Job Opening
Watershed seeks a qualified person to serve as Academic Director for the 2010-2011 school year. Duties include program and curricular leadership, supervision and support of faculty, and dean of students. The qualified candidate will possess a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in education and three years teaching experience. Administrative licensure preferred, though outstanding candidates in a licensure program will be considered.
Possible additional duties could include athletic director and technology support.
This position has been created by consolidating the duties previously carried out by teachers, some of whom are moving on. Accordingly, the board charged a task force to examine school governance and structure. This new position is a result of that task force’s work.
For more information, or to apply, contact Ann Moore, search committee chair:
amoore (at) watershedhs.org
Summer Calendar
• June 14-18, Teacher workshops and meetings. School office will be open.
• June 21-July 15, open for business and for summer school except Fridays and July 5.
• July 19-August 6, limited hours, to be announced.
• August 9-12, open for business and summer school.
• Check here for calendar updates throughout the summer.
Tentative class schedules for fall
Students recently received tentative schedules for fall classes. The goal was to give them preliminary information about what they can look forward to. I expect changes between now and September, simply because our actual enrollment at that time will dictate how many classes we can offer. If you have questions about the tentative schedule, please call Betty at 612-871-4363.
Successful Spring Play
Congratulations to everyone involved in this spring’s play last weekend, The Importance of Being Earnest. I enjoyed the Friday night performance and heard that Saturday night was even better. Way to go, theater program!
WATERSHED RECRUITMENT
–Nell Ubbelohde
June 5th, Neighborhood Festival
A huge thank you goes to those loyal students and faculty who comprised the Watershed parade section for the FRNNG neighborhood parade on Saturday June 5th. Facing grey skies, rain, cold and a tiny turnout from the rest of the neighborhood (the parade was us and a peewee baseball team), several students involved with the Spring play, Kristin, and Betty represented Watershed in the brief parade, inviting our neighborhood to attend the Saturday evening performance of the Spring play. We also had a table at McRae Park for a few hours during the festivities, talking to our neighbors about the school, and trying to stay dry during a rainy afternoon.
Please call the school at 612-871-4363 (ext.120) or email me if you want to help recruit new students. Nellmorningstar (at) yahoo.com
Board Notes
For more information, or for any questions about the board, contact chair, Leanne Mfaligundi (at) mfali001@umn.edu. The next board meeting is Monday, June 21, at 3:45 p.m.
Volunteer Request
Does anyone know how to fix washing machines? We have one that needs some attention. If so, leave a message for Jeff Tornio at 612-871-4363 x130. Thanks!
Book Launch Party
Marianne Dietzel, parent of present (Soren ‘11) and former (Kevin ‘99) Watershed students, is holding a party to launch her book, Laughing in a Waterfall: A Mother’s Memoir. All are welcome to attend on Sunday, July 18, 3-6 PM at the Minnesota Waldorf School (MWS). Presentation is between 4:00 and 5:00; refreshments and book-signing before and after.
Minnesota Waldorf School
70 East County Road B
Maplewood, MN 55117
(Near Hwy. 36 & Rice Street)
Laughing in a Waterfall is a mother’s story of her daughter’s life and death and their continuing relationship. At age five, Nina met her friend Kirsten at the MWS. Thirteen years later, both girls were killed in a car accident. Nina’s foundation for life was formed by the five years her family spent living in Camphill Village Minnesota, a rural intentional community including adults with development disabilities, and by her education using the Waldorf approach. In letters exchanged with her friends, and in excerpts from her journal, Nina’s own words reveal her rich inner life and become a source of wonder for her parents.
After the accident in New York State, where Nina and Kirsten were attending a Waldorf high school, the support of the community in holding a home vigil for the girls gave Marianne courage to face her unfathomable loss. Back in Minnesota, with a teenager and young child still at home, and a dying mother 500 miles away, Marianne’s own spiritual resources came to her aid in transcending her grief.
This poignant memoir offers insights into how to create a new culture around the sacred threshold of death and keep a living connection to those on the other side.
For more information, please see www.mariannedietzel.com
SUMMER SCHOOL 2010
See below or click whs-summer-school-info.pdf for information on summer school at Watershed this June, July and August. To register, students fill out a form available at whs-summer-registration.pdf or at school. We ask parents & guardians to sign as well, to acknowledge summer schedules. (Turn forms into Betty.) Note that summer school at Watershed also enters students into our new Learning Year Program (LYP), designed to accelerate students’ progress through high school.
Many summer classes have minimum and maximum sizes, generally five to 18 students. They’re filling up; enroll now to confirm your place!
Watershed is proud to offer its first ever summer school as part of our new Learning Year Program.
• Open to all students who want to accelerate their learning—up to and including early graduation!
• Participation is optional. Those students who participate will develop a continual learning plan (CLP) in conjunction with parents and teachers.
• Take special classes not offered during the regular school year.
• Earn up to nine Watershed credits over and above what you earn during the regular school year.
• Free tuition!
• Ninth graders entering Watershed in the fall may take courses this summer.
• Students from other schools may transfer to Watershed at the start of the summer session.
• Classes normally meet in the morning, Monday-Thursday. Monday, July 5, is a holiday. There is no school that day.
• A great opportunity to learn with friends and pick up a few extra credits over the summer!
• Special ed services are available as needed.
• The first step in Watershed’s plan to offer year-round ways to accelerate learning for those who want to.
• Note: no lunch program this summer. Eat breakfast and bring a snack for the morning break.
The Natural Foods Summit and Nature Writing, Emily Hanrahan. A language arts course centered on the Natural Foods Summit in Northern Minnesota. Students will participate in the weekend summit, eventually producing and workshopping creative nature writing. The class will also include instruction on methods of journalism to report on the summit. Three Watershed credits. REGISTRATION CLOSED.
June 15-19, Consecutive day course with overnights. Requires a $50 fee to cover camping and food. See Emily for complete details.
Film Studies, Steve Andrews. An art and social studies class. The course will analyze both film production and composition, as well as discuss social and cultural themes. 2.5 credits.
June 21-July 1, 9:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Material Science, David Kimori. A blend of chemistry and physics. The course will include several lab experiments deconstructing various plastics, with emphasize on recycling and the composition of consumer materials. 2.5 credits.
- July 6-15, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Bookbinding, Rachel Koniar. Multiple techniques in binding, exploring various papers, making journals and art books. Students will create two art books and one hard cover journal to take home. (These are useful for Main Lesson Books—one of the central tools of assessment during Watershed’s morning curriculum throughout the year.) 2.5 credits. Supply cost of $30. See Rachel for possible rescheduling to accommodate more students.
- July 6-15, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Mathematics, Linda Gavanda. Three short, focused classes with topics ranging from Reality Math to Architecture & Landscapes to Amusement Parks, using math skills from Algebra through Pre-Calc. These small classes allow students to accelerate their math development. Each week is a separate course.
- July 6-8, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., 1 credit
- July 12-15 and/or August 9–12 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., 1.5 credits each week.
Printmaking, Rachel Koniar. Topics include printmaking techniques, reduction prints, blended rollers, multi color prints. Students will create three original projects, with multiple prints from each to bring home. 1.5 credits. Supply cost of $30. REGISTRATION CLOSES JULY 9.
- August 9-12, 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
If you are interested in registering for summer school classes, please call the school at 612-871-4363. Courses may be cancelled due to insufficient registration.
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