Senior Inquiry Syllabus

Senior Inquiry
Trillium Charter School 2008/9

Instructor: Ken Gadbow Phone: 503-348-9849 (mobile), 503-235-8307 (home)
Email: Ken@TrilliumCharterSchool.org Blog: http://ken-trillium.blogspot.com/

Credit available: Minimum .5 LA with .5 to be arranged depending on project focus.

Course Objectives:
Senior Inquiry is a required year-long class for all students graduating from Trillium in 2008. During this class, students will:
• Plan, develop, and carry out Senior Projects.
• Receive timely counseling to ensure satisfactory completion of graduation requirements.
• Prepare for the post high school experience: college, jobs, careers, and more.
• Plan for commencement in June.

Code of Conduct:
All students are expected to know and uphold the Rights and Responsibilities of the Trillium Constitution, and use the non-violent conflict resolution process.

Attendance Policy:
Every Tuesday, we will meet as a whole class to discuss progress on our projects and the college application process. Additionally, each student is required to meet one on one with Ken on a regular basis. It is imperative that students attend the senior class meetings as well as their individual sessions with Ken. Failure to communicate clearly with Ken will be a problem. If you absolutely cannot make a meeting, you must contact me beforehand. My contact information is above. Please use it.

Assignments and grading policies:
Students must satisfactorily complete a Senior Project in order to graduate from Trillium. This class is graded A or F. Those are your only two options. Your grade depends on satisfactory completion of the Senior Project. Students whose Project Review Committees approve their project, will be eligible to receive one full credit (1.0) for the year of Senior Inquiry after presenting the approved project to the Trillium community in the spring. Credit areas depend on project focus. At a minimum, any satisfactorily complete projected should warrant .5 credits of Language Arts and .5 credits of elective. Other credits are by arrangement.
SAT prep time and college application material are not ‘graded.’ I will help students budget time for them and lend support and resources. The reward for these endeavors, however, is securing your own future for yourself. If you dedicate the time and energy to this effort, you will reap your own reward. If you blow it off, you will suffer the consequences. No grade required.

Project Review Committees
The Project Review Committee (PRC) is a student-created board that guides, instructs, critiques, and ultimately decides the fate of the individual student’s project. Once a student decides on the subject of ze’s project, ze forms a PRC of at least four members, and arranges the first PRC meeting date. The PRC is required to meet at least three times, in the beginning, middle, and at the end of the project. The student will formally present ze’s project to the PRC on the final meeting, during which the student will defend ze’s work. The PRC then decides whether or not the student has (or has not) met expectations. Approved projects then must be presented to the broader community at Senior Project Night. More details can be found in the “Senior Project Proposal” form, attached.
Please note: Trillium staff members are encouraged to serve on no more than five PRC’s. We have many skilled faculty. Ask potential PRC members early in order to increase the chance of getting them on your committee.

Helpful Dates
• Every Tuesday: Senior Class Meeting in Ken’s Room.
• ASAP:
o Request College Information/Applications
o Decide on Senior Project Topic
o Form Project Review Committee and set first meeting date.
• September 9th: SAT registration deadline for October 4th exam.
• September 26th: SAT registration deadline for November 1st exam.
• October 4th: First SAT exam date
• November 1st: Second SAT exam date
• November 5th: SAT registration deadline for December 6th exam.
• November 14th: Deadline for First PRC Meeting
• December 6th: Third SAT exam date.
• Friday, December 26th: Halfway point for Senior Projects.
• January 1st: Free Application for Federal Student Aid begins accepting applications at 12:01 AM.
• January 15th: College Application Deadlines Begin
• January 23rd: Deadline for Second PRC Meeting
• February 16th - Oregon Student Assistance Commission scholarship application Early Bird deadline.
• March 2nd - Oregon Student Assistance Commission scholarship application Final deadline.
• March 6th: Ordering of Caps and Gowns, and Graduation Announcement (invitations)
• April 3rd: Deadline for professional publishing of Senior Project Papers.
• April 17th: Senior Project Due.
• April 17th – April 30th: Final PRC Meetings.
• Friday, May 1st: Senior Project Fair
• May 18-29: Commencement planning and preparation, including senior speech writing.
• Friday, June 5th: Seniors Last Required Day
• Saturday, June 6th: Trillium Charter School Class of 2009 Senior Commencement