Q3 and more

Well, I haven't posted in a while so here is a lot of information for you all!

1. We are into a new quarter and report cards should be arriving at your door at any moment from Q2.

2. We have been testing, and are still in the midst of it...scores have been the best ever this year for MS.

3. ALL-SCHOOL project fair is coming up on March 20th (6:30 pm). It is a mandatory part of all students' curriculum to create work for this exhibition.

4. Middle school dance on Friday, February 22nd.

5. This is a short quarter. It ends on March 21st and then spring break begins (two weeks off). So academic concern notifications are being produced this week.

6. NEW advising grade breakdown is attached below. Students have been increasingly disengaged. Part of this is the time of year, and it is cyclical. I thought that a % breakdown might help...


Thanks! More soon,
Kirk

NOTE: Advising is a block class that has three distinct sections. Clear examples and grading percentages have been assigned so that students and their families can see that time must be spent with thoughtfulness and respectful engagement.

There is rarely, if ever, a time when a student has nothing to do. All of the below listed items are happening each week. The % also allows for a pass/no pass policy to be more clearly defined (70% and above is passing).


Attendance & Participation: 50%
• On-time to class/announcements (very important)
• Current event discussions
• Buddies
• MS meeting
• Class meeting/duties

Projects, PLP work: 30%
• Fairs and exhibitions
• Choices designed by students
• Projects worked on in-class

Assigned Work: 20%
• Fridays
• Circle of Friends
• Service
• Lit. Circle
• Read Aloud
• Literacy

Happy New Year

Hope this year finds you healthy and happy. Here are some updates:

End of Q2 is February 1st.
In advising this week:
1) we will start book groups (which were assigned before break).
2) writing workshop will continue and I will be working on getting a writing sample from every one of my students
3) testing preparations begin
4) current events discussions will begin each day
5) PLP work will deepen and continue toward an end of the quarter presentation

ALL classes have due dates for material coming up soon e.g. drama has lines due at the end of the month, philosophy class has projects beginning this week and journals on-going, musicianship has a collaborative piece to present and a fund-raising performance to prepare for in the first week of February.

LOTS going on!!

If you did not get a conference and feel that you would like one, I can still meet during the day on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:45. More soon!

SPECIAL THANKS to my advising class, Valerie and John, Jim Bernard and all who helped this year. The drum set is awesome and I hope to see the classes, the school, the kids and whole community grow in friendship like the middle school has this year. Thanks again,

Kirk

Winter Break is coming!

Well...
\
...just this week left before break. Lots going on! We had a good trip to the archery range last week. This Friday is a trip with Nick's class to the Food Bank.

Also, academic concern notifications are going out by the end of the week (it is already mid-quarter).

Writing workshop is happening on Mondays, and more lit. circle will be in place for the second half of Q2. Conferences will last this week, and some of the feedback has been more reading and writing...which pleases me!

Watch for snow closures too! It is that time of year - we follow Portland Public Schools on that issue...
And we are coming back from vacation on Monday, January 7th (a little later than usual since we don't start our break until noon on the 21st).

Any questions? Feel free to email: kirk@trilliumcharterschool.org
...and you can check the syllabi below.

Kirk