Monday, December 10, 2012

Cesar Chavez Leadership Conference

Here
Event: Friday, March 8, 2013

Student Leaders Program

Bank of America Student Leaders Program here
Due: ?

Video Contest

Young Employees Safety Video Contest here.

Due: February 1, 2013

Management, Trades, and Construction Career Day

January 15, 2013 - here

Captain Planet Grant

Here
Due: February 28, 2013

2013 Iraqi Young Leader Exchange Program

From the World Affairs Council.
Deadline: January 6, 2013
Check it out here.

Many many opportunities!

Hi all,

Following this post, please find many AMAZING opportunities for high school students - experiences, grants, scholarships - terrific experiences, and great items for transcripts and resumes.

Best,
Ken

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Spring Camping Letter

September 20, 2012

Dear families,

We have an exciting change to our fall camping trip routine this year.  In an effort to further strengthen the essential skills of clear communication and self-confidence, and to support the high school core values of self-awareness, citizenry, and preparedness, we are pleased to announce that the entire Trillium high school will be taking part in a professionally facilitated challenge course at Camp Collins on Monday, October 8th.  

Challenge courses are proven to foster team building, experiential learning, and self development in a safe, engaging environment suitable to persons of all ages and abilities.  Supported by a trained facilitator, students will work together in small groups to overcome obstacles and challenges.   In the high school this year, we have stressed our commitment to stepping outside of our usual comfort zone to embrace opportunities that can help stretch our ideas about ourselves and what we can accomplish.  We high school advisors believe this challenge course is a perfect opportunity to put that to the test!

After our day at Camp Collins, we will head over to our group camping site at Oxbow Park where we will spend one night before returning to Trillium on Tuesday afternoon.  We are also working with the folks at Oxbow and SOLV to potentially arrange a service opportunity for Tuesday morning.  Please note that this represents a change in date from what was originally on the school calendar.  Our apologies to inconveniences this might cause.  

Synergo, the organization that is running the challenge course, will need to have each student fill out forms before we go on the trip.  Expect those to be coming home with your student in about two weeks.  More information about Synergo can be found on their website at http://www.teamsynergo.com/.

We need drivers!  Due to the expense of enrolling the entire high school in a challenge course, we do not have funds to hire vans or busses.  Our ability to make this happen relies on parents being able to drive students to and from the camp.  Camp Collins is only 45 minutes from Trillium, just east of town, which we hope will allow many parents to be able to help in this way.  Please email Jess@trilliumcharterschool.org if you might be able to drive.  Only parents who have completed background checks with Trillium are eligible to drive.

The cost of the trip is covered entirely by the student activity fee.

The Basics:

  • What: Fall high school camping trip
  • Where: Oxbow State Park
  • When: October 8-9, arrive at school by 8:30 on Monday; return at 3:00 on Tuesday

A list of suggested supplies for your student is below.  If you need to borrow any one of these items, please ask; we have lots of extras!  Email Ken@trilliumcharterschool with any supply concerns or questions:
  • Tent w/ground cloth and rain fly
  • Sleeping bag or blanket/sheet bedroll
  • Sleeping pad
  • Flashlight/headlamp
  • Toiletries
  • Towel
  • Water bottle
  • Change of clothes
  • Sleepwear
  • An extra pair of sneakers
  • Warm clothing for potentially cool nights (A sweatshirt, or light jacket, long pants and socks)
  • Light clothing for potentially warm days,

All students on the trip are expected to share in cooking and cleaning duties. Drugs and alcohol are, of course, strictly prohibited on the trip. Game systems and loud music are requested to stay at home, while we encourage students to bring cards, board games, and musical instruments and a great attitude.  For students receiving medication, please contact Ken@triiliumcharterschool.org to make sure we have the legally required permissions, instructions, and labeled medications.

We are excited to engage in this new opportunity.  We hope to realize many benefits from the experience and look forward to trying something new for our community.  We look forward to another great high school campout. Please let your student’s advisor know if you have any questions.

Warm Regards,
The High School Team


High School Core Values
In every interaction, space, and environment, Trillium High School students and staff seek to foster the developmentally appropriate principles of:

Self Awareness: Encouraging self discovery, self acceptance, and self leadership as means to personal growth, and self accountability.

Citizenry: Fostering responsibility as integrous community members and global citizens.  Supporting an environment that is informed, culturally sensitive, and just.  Creating a caring community that comes together in joy and gratitude.

Preparedness: Developing academic, social, artistic, and personal tools and strategies for living fulfilling, and productive lives.  

The High School Team encourages and supports our core values through:
  • Advisor-Student-Parent Relationships
  • Engaging, relevant, meaningful, and challenging class work and programs
  • Democracy: Class, High School, and All School Meetings
  • Service Learning
  • Playing together, during flexible times, Campouts, and Advising
  • Flexible, independent learning opportunities
  • Choice: Consistent opportunities to use unique passions and interests in the demonstration of learning.

Sunday, September 09, 2012

Mayoral Candidate Forum

From Deyalo Bennette, Trillium class of 2011, PSU student, and Human Rights Commissioner:


Community Partner,
  
The City of Portland Human Rights Commission (HRC) in partnership with the United Nations Association of the USA– Portland and the City of Portland Commission on Disabilitywould like to cordially invite you to an upcoming City Candidate Forum on Wednesday, September 19, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m
 
Please join us and our moderator for the evening, Dr. Jim Moore, Director of the Tom McCall Center for Policy Innovation at Pacific University, as candidates for Mayor and City Commissioner address questions and issues regarding human rights in our great city of Portland!
 
This forum is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.
 
 
The forum will be held at the:
 
Community Music Center center site
3350 SE Francis
(1 block south of Powell Blvd. at 33rd Place) map
Portland, OR 97202
  • The location is near the 9 and the 75 bus lines
  • There will be Spanish translation services
 
The candidates present will be:
 
Portland Mayoral Candidates  Charlie Hales and Jefferson Smith
City Commissioner, Position 1 Candidates   Amanda Fritz and Mary Nolan
 
 
Please consider attending and feel free to pass this invitation on to your networks, and any interested community members - including those that may not hear about this forum through traditional channels.
 
In addition, feel free to pass this invitation on to  your Facebook friends through the Candidate Forum Facebook Event Page
 
To help ensure equal access to City programs, services and activities, the City of Portland will reasonably modify policies/procedures and provide auxiliary aids/services to persons with disabilities. To make a request please contactPatrick Philpott at 503.823.4432 or patrick.philpott@portlandoregon.gov no less than five (5) business days prior to the event.


Thursday, August 23, 2012

Beginning of Year Letter

Dear Students and Families,
 
Happy shorter days of summer to you.  I hope this letter finds each of you in good spirits, enjoying time with family and friends and looking forward to the school year.  My summer has been a full one, spending time with my kids, gardening, and visiting family.

I am pleased and honored to serve as your Advisor.  For those of you new to high school at Trillium, I offer a special welcome.  I am here throughout your High School experience to offer support and guidance for all things academic.  As a group, advising embodies the heart of Trillium's democratic community - small, committed groups working through issues and ideas to nurture the growth of our school.  But, like all families, we will sometimes be at odds with one another!  The tools of peaceful conflict resolution, mediation, and one-on-one conferencing empower us to address problems, reflect on ourselves, deepen our understanding of each other, and develop our communication skills.   


We begin our school experience this year with the Annual Trillium Welcome Fair on Thursday, August 30th from 1pm – 7pm. Come fill out the needed paperwork for the new school year, meet teachers and Kieran Connoly, Executive Director, and connect with your school community. There will be presentations at 3pm and 6pm. If you are not able to attend the welcome fair, you can come to school to fill out paperwork, where packets will be available.

In the days following the Welcome Fair, we will host advisor-student-parent conferences to further discuss your academic path, review your transcript and assess your progress towards meeting graduation requirements.  We also discuss learning interests and goals and collaboratively sign-up for a Semester 1 schedule designed to best meet your needs, if we have not already done so at the Welcome Fair. 

I will be scheduling 30-minute classroom conferences from 9am to 4pm on Friday, August 31st and Monday, September 3rd.  You can sign up for a spot by entering your name in this Google document.  If you have any trouble doing so, please contact me so we can work out a time that best meets your needs.  

Please note that the first day of school is Wednesday, September 5th.  Class starts at 8:30am. 

I look forward to meeting with each of you soon to discuss all of the things that are going to make this year one of tremendous creativity, community, growth, and learning.  Enjoy the last days of summer! 

Peace.
Ken Gadbow
High School Advisor, Social Studies Teacher, and Senior Project Facilitator
Ken@TrilliumCharterSchool.org, 503-348-9849 (mobile)

This, and all future communications, are available on my blog (http://ken-trillium.blogspot.com/).

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Senior Updates

May 27, 2012


Dear Families of the Class of 2012,

Happy spring!  Let us celebrate all the hard work that seniors have put in to get them to this moment.  Here are the last minute logistics for this week:

  • This coming week may be the last week for your senior, depending on his/her/their course load and agreements with individual teachers.  While Friday, June 1st is booked as Last Day for Seniors, many graduates will have class work to complete beyond this date, possibly until the last day of school on June 13th.  Please be sure that your student is clear on his/her/their specific expectations.
  • Commencement will be held at the Moriarty Arts and Humanities Building at Portland Community College Cascade Campus on Saturday, June 2nd. Exercises begin at 2 o’clock.  Seniors should arrive at 12:00.  Families are admitted beginning at 1:35.  Seating at the venue is limited.  Students are encouraged to bring a a maximum of ten guests, unless they arrange with another senior to use his/her/their unused seats.
  • Graduation announcements were beautifully designed and printed by Dawn Liljenquist and comrades.  There are still a few left to pick up in Ken’s room if your student needs an extra (or has not gotten any at all!)
  • Caps and gowns are cleaned and pressed and ready to go.  A few students elected to take them home already, but the majority remain safely at school from where I will personally transport them to commencement on Saturday, along with tassels and caps.  Please make sure your student returns the gown and cap after commencement; students may keep the tassels.  In the event that your student has not already done so, the $25 payment for cap and gown rental may be made at the front desk.
  • A photo slide show will run as commencement begins of childhood and baby photos of seniors. Students should supply Jess Brooks (Jess@Trilliumcharterschool.org) with 3 or fewer photos to include in the presentation; emailing digital versions of photos is strongly preferred.
  • Students should be preparing their 2½-minute commencement speeches.  Each student will be spoken about by an adult they have already selected, and will then deliver their own speech.  Students generally choose to speak about their educational experiences, plans for the future, important people/moments in the their lives, or choose to reflect personally on the significance of the moment.  Please remind/encourage your student to put some thought and effort into their 2½ minutes.  It is the centerpiece of our graduation exercise, and is a powerful and moving experience when the time is used wisely.
  • Class of 2012 parent Errol Cox generously donated his amazing photography skills in photographing Senior Portraits.  If you have not yet seen your student’s portrait, would like more copies, or just want to thank Errol, let Ken know and he’ll be happy to pass along his contact information.

This is an exciting time of year and of life. I would be happy to help with any questions you might have around your graduates’ experience.


Best,
Ken Gadbow

Ken@TrilliumCharterSchool.org
503-348-9849

Thursday, May 03, 2012

Senior-iously, folks

Hey Class of 2012,

Fill this out.  Like, now.  We need it for the senior project night program.

Now, if you wanna show off your sweet mug, courtesy of Errol Cox, look here.

XOXO,
Ken


Monday, April 30, 2012

Senior Class of 2012 Parent Letter

April 30, 2012 Dear Parents of the Class of 2012, Happy spring to you all. We have made it through the most amazing batch of senior projects yet presented at Trillium! Students’ dedication and perseverance were clearly evident during last week’s Final Project Review Committee meetings.

Below please find a few important items that might be helpful to keep track of as we move toward graduation. Each and every candidate for graduation held their final Project Review Committee (PRC) meeting last week. PRC’s made one of four determinations for each candidate: Fully Approved; Approved with Minor; Approved with Major; Rejected. Unless your student’s project was Fully Approved, there is work yet to be done! Please support and encourage your student to tie up any loose ends before Senior Project Night, Friday, May 11th.

 Class of 2012 Commencement will be held Saturday, June 2nd at the Moriarty Arts and Humanities building at PCC-Cascade. Doors open to families at 1:35. Members of the Class of 2012 are to arrive at 12:00.

Caps and gowns have arrived and are black. We use a cap and gown company that rents us high quality robes and caps. Rental cost is $25. Students will be able to keep the tassles. Checks should be made payable to Trillium Charter School, and given to the front desk by this Wednesday, May 2nd. Scholarships are available to those for whom this fee presents significant economic hardship. Please include the form at the bottom of the paper version of this letter when paying for your cap and gown.

Graduation announcements have been professionally designed and are being printed. Class of 2012 parent, and professional photo-wizard Dawn Liljenquist has volunteered her superb skills and those of her community to create our own unique invites. Donations are being accepted to help cover the printing costs. Please let Ken know as soon as possible how many you would like. Images if the announcements will be posted soon on this blog.

Senior Project Night is a wonderful showcase of students' work and will take place on Friday, May 11th. Students will each have one 30-45 minute slot to present their work to parents, family members, and friends. The event takes place at Trillium. Please tell family and friends to mark their calendars as this event is amazing and should not be missed!

This information, as well as a the senior calendar, and other senior resources, are available right here on this blog.

I would be happy to help with any questions you might have around your graduates’ experience. Again, it is a blessing to work with this group of students. Thank you, parents for creating such amazing people.

Best,
Ken Gadbow
Ken@TrilliumCharterSchool.org

Friday, April 13, 2012

Final PRC schedule

You can find it here!

Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Senior Laptop Scholarship

This scholarship from the Portland Odd Fellows Lodge #128 gives away 6 laptops based on community service. Fill it out and give it to your Advisor!

Seniors, fill this out!

Click here for the spreadsheet, and enter in your goodness.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Spring Advising Update

March 21, 2012

Dear HS Families,

Happy spring! Our week-long Spring Break is now upon us. The high school advisors would like to let you know what is coming up in the future.

Senior Projects
Senior projects are due April 16th. Their Project Review Committee (PRC’s) will take place the week of April 23rd, during the school day at Trillium. Following approval of their projects, students will be presenting at Senior Project Night on Friday May 11th, starting at 6:30 pm.

TFT/ Science Fund Raiser
TFT has graciously offered to run a Berry and Plant sale to help raise funds for the science program at Trillium. We are asking for your support in this endeavor so that we are able to offer the high school students a well-rounded education in science. This can not be done without support from the community. The Berry sale will take place in April and the Plant sale will take place in mid-May. More information to follow soon. Thank you for your support.

Weekly Goals Sheet
This semester, we have adopted a new accountability system to help ensure the productive use of advising time. At the beginning of each week, students complete a weekly goal sheet indicating their plans, needs, and goals during advising each day. Please remind your student of the importance of completing these forms and submitting them on a weekly basis.

State Testing
The high school is currently going through the second round of state testing. Testing started last week and will continue through this week, and possibly after Spring Break. Currently, the high school scores look great!

Conferences
Mid-term semster point is Thursday, April 12th. The following week, we will be hosting Parent-Student-Teacher conferences. In order that students and families have access to as many of their teachers as possible, we will be experimenting with a round-robin style conference format, in which all of the Upper School Advisors are in the MPR at the same time and available for brief 10-minute check-ins with students and families. We will host these conferences on Thursday, April 19th from 4 to 8 and in the afternoon on Friday, April 20th from 12:30-2:30. Students and families requiring longer one on one sessions with Advisors are encouraged to contact them to set that up.

Campout
Spring Campout will May 23rd through 25th. The destination is Cove Palisades, OR. As the campout approaches we will be sending a list of equipment needed, chaperon help, and other information. Gear is available for any student that doesn’t have a sleeping bag, flashlight, and tents. This package is available for free through check-out with their advisor. For beginning campers, we will also offer a training workshop sometime in the days leading up to campout, covering the basics of supplies, pitching a tent, preparation, safety, etc.

There will be two field trips coming up for students who are currently enrolled in Earth Systems. Coast field trip on April 27th, and Mt. St. Helens on May 18th.

Best wishes for a safe and healthy spring break!

Warmly,
The high school advisors.
Christina, Steve, Ken, Jess

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Important Re-enrollment Information Important Re-enrollment Information

March 14, 2012
Is your K-12 student returning to Trillium next school year 2012-13? Preschool readers, please check with your preschool teachers for information on re-enrollment.

In order to hold your child's slot for the 2012-13 school year, you must return the re-enrollment form to Trillium by April 2, 2012.

After re-enrollment forms are processed, all open enrollment slots will be assigned to new families during the admissions lottery. Be sure to include any siblings that you hope to enroll as well.

In addition to the form linked to here, paper re-enrollment forms will be available at the front desk, and handed out by advisors to your child.

Please return completed form to your child's advisor by no later than Monday, April 2, 2012.

Thank you!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Q&A with Executive Director Candidate

Hello Readers,

We have a candidate for you to meet tomorrow! His name is Kieran
Connolly, We will have his application packet for your review at the
Q&A session, or if you receive this and would like me to email it to
you I would be glad to.

We're very excited about the skills and energy he brings to the
position, but we will not move forward without your feedback and
feedback from staff and students. Staff Q&A will be tomorrow at 4pm at
the end of the staff meeting. Parents, you all are invited invited to
meet with him at 5pm tomorrow (in the MPR or the Art Room depending on
turn out), and students on Thursday morning at 8:30 (working out the
details of the student visit).

We wanted to be able to offer you all several candidates to meet and
weigh in on, but after our search and interview process it was clear
that we had found the combination of experience, interest in
democratic education, enthusiasm for Trillium, and collaborative
approach that we're looking for to support Trillium's future in this
candidate. We did not want to create a disingenuous process of having
candidates come in we felt strongly were not a fit. I won't offer to
eat any shoes or other objects if you don't like him, but I feel
confident we're doing right by Trillium in bringing him to you.

I'll be at the parent meeting with feedback forms for you to fill out,
and to answer any questions you may have for the personnel committee,
please come with any questions for Kieran.

I have not arranged childcare for the Q&A session. I will see what I
can do this evening for setting something up and send out a post if I
can get taken care of.

Thank you and see you tomorrow!

Heather

Monday, March 12, 2012

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Cool Mercy Corps Events!

Interested in a career in international development? Or life overseas in a hardship post?

Please join us on International Women’s day, Thursday, March 8th at 7pm when Lorina McAdam, former Mercy Corps Country Director in the Congo will reflect on her 13-year career in international development and the current situation of Congolese women. This is a FREE event, please RSVP here.

Next, we welcome you to a talk by novelist and journalist, Maaza Mengiste on Wednesday, March 21st at 7pm. Mengiste's will weave a personal account of her experience as an Ethiopian refugee with the current events in the region. Her debut novel, Beneath the Lion’s Gaze is a historical fiction account of the 1974 youth revolution in Ethiopia. This is a ticketed event. Regular tickets $15; Student tickets $10. Purchase tickets on Brown Paper Tickets.

For more information, please visit our Events page or see the attached PDF flier. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you and your students at our upcoming events.


Thank you,

Kirsten Anderson

FOUR GREAT opportunities for youth!

#1 2012 Jennifer Beegle Youth Involvement Award

Do you know a young person that is involved in their community? The Multnomah Youth Commission and the Citizen Involvement Committee of Multnomah County want to hear from you. The County will recognize outstanding volunteers at a ceremony on April 18th in the Multnomah County Board Room, Multnomah Building. This award will highlight the positive impacts youth have on their community, in memory of Jennifer Beegle, a former member of the Youth Commission who died in a car accident when she was 17.

This award is focused on youth who volunteer in community based agencies, local governments, and places of worship but NOT school involvement (i.e. Drama Club, student government.)

Nominations are DUE March 21st, 2012.

CLICK HERE: http://web.multco.us/news/2012-jennifer-beegle-youth-involvement-award



#2 Mayoral and City Council Youth Candidate Forum

There are several candidate races coming up for the City of Portland, including the Mayoral race. The MYC is hosting a youth forum at David Douglas High School on April 11, 2012 at 4:30 pm. The forum will be facilitated by youth to give young people an opportunity to engage their candidates, ask questions regarding youth issues and make their own decisions of who they would vote for if of age. The event will also provide an opportunity for youth to register to vote if of age.

If you know youth who are interested in attending please contact the MYC email for further information.

CLICK HERE: multnomahyouth@gmail.com


#3 Rob Ingram Youth Summit Against Violence

This is a summit for youth by youth
We established the Youth Against Violence Committee (YAV) in response to the growing violence directed towards young people in the forms of gang, anti-gay and gender, bullying, and sexual violence. We are working with youth and adults throughout our community to change the way violence is viewed and dealt with. We are hosting the Rob Ingram Youth Summit Against Violence on April 21, 2012 at the Highland Christian Center (7600 NE Glisan Ave, Portland OR) from 10:00am -4:00pm (Lunch and snacks will provided.) This is the first summit of its kind created by youth for youth.

The first part of the summit is for youth only to caucus, build community, and consider youth driven policy recommendations. Invited elected officials and community leaders are welcome between 2:15 and 3:45pm to listen to youth’s stories of violence and engage young people in dialogue around how youth and adults can take steps to reduce violence in the community.

IF you know of a YOUNG PERSON (NOT ADULT) who might be interested have them register here.

CLICK HERE: http://rob_ingram_youth summit_against_violence_2012.eventbrite.com



#4 Multnomah Youth Commission: Applications Now Available

The Board of County Commissioners, Portland City Council & the Commission on Children, Families & Community are happy to announce recruitment for the 2012-13 Multnomah Youth Commission. Please encourage any young person you know who will be between the ages of 13-21 (on August 1, 2012) to apply by April 30th.

Youth Commissioners serve a one year term and commit up to 15 hours per month to help advise the County & City on issues that impact the lives of their peers. Youth Commissioners are also in charge of implementing "Our Bill of Rights: Children + Youth," the nation's first Bill of Rights written by and for young people. The Youth Commission gets things done! One young person said it this way,
“I can honestly say I have never seen a group so action- driven. I've seen talk-driven, but never action-driven...The group makes me want to do more. Really! It makes me want to get out into the world, get my hands dirty, and make a difference!" -Ameneh Yasrebi

Youth interested in policy, activism, community organizing, or making the community better can apply to be Youth Commissioners. Here is a current look at the Youth Commission’s five committees and their impacts on the community.

EDUCATION
The Education committee is designed to provide youth voice to all
things that impact education. Currently we are participating in the
Cradle to Career efforts, SUN Coordinating Council, Tuition Equity,
and the Future Connect program to name a few.

HEALTH & WELLNESS
Designed to provide youth voice in all things regarding health &
wellness. We play a large role in the support and advocacy of School
Based Health Centers and the Youth Advisory Councils within them. This
year we are tackling Sexuality Education Policy and implementation in
our Multnomah County schools.

SUSTAINABLILITY
We worked closely with TriMet, Portland Publish Schools and the
City of Portland to keep YouthPass running through the end of the
school year. We are looking for ways to extend into the future as well as expand the program to other School districts in east county served by TriMet.

YOUTH VOICE
YouthVOICE is currently working with partners throughout the city and
county to gather information about Measure 11 and its effects on young
people. Specifically, we plan to work to reduce the massive inequities
within the measure and to fight for a more just system for everyone.

YOUTH AGAINST VIOLENCE
This committee was created during the summer of 2011 due to the
increased anti-gay and gang violence directed towards youth in our
community. Even though we focus heavily on these two types of
violence, we are also addressing the many types of violence youth face
everyday. We are currently planning a Youth Against Violence Summit
for April 21, 2012.
All applications are DUE April 30, 2012

CLICK HERE: https://web.multco.us/ccfc/multnomah-youth-commission-application


If you have any further questions or comments feel free to contact me anytime.

Thank you,

Marc Fernandes

Marc Fernandes

Youth Development Coordinator, Multnomah Youth Commission

Multnomah County Commission on Children, Families, and Community

421 SW Oak St. Suite 200

Portland, OR 97204

Ph: 503.793.1691 NEW NUMBER!!!

Fax: 503.988.5538

marc.fernandes@multco.us

Host a Visiting South American Youth Ambassador!

The World Affairs Council is currently seeking host families for Chilean and Argentinean teen leaders from March 30th to April 10th.

As part of the Youth Ambassadors Program, ten high school students from Argentina and Chile will be in Oregon for a 12 day leadership program focusing on Multiculturalism and Civic Activism. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the program aims to build a network of young leaders from different ethnic, religious, and national groups willing to promote mutual understanding and community engagement.

Homestay host families provide a bed, breakfast and dinner, transportation to and from the Council’s downtown office during program days, and an American home experience. Weekdays the visitors will visit youth groups, meet with civic leaders, attend workshops, and complete a community service project. To ensure visitors learn about American teen life throughout their time here, we ask that host families also have a high school-age host sibling. Host siblings are invited to attend weekend and evening activities. Participants are English speaking, 15-18 years old, and are selected based on academic performance and community involvement.

Hosting is a wonderful opportunity to share what you love about Oregon and learn how young people are making a difference around the world. Feel free to pass this information on to your students, friends and family who may be interested in hosting!

Hosting applications can be downloaded HERE. For more information, please contact Andrew Neal at (503) 306-5216.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Iraqi Youth Leaders Exchange Program!

The World Affairs Council of Oregon’s
Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program
APPLICATION DEADLINE FEBRUARY 29TH

Recruiting Oregon High School Students for Summer Leadership Programs in Vermont and Washington DC

The World Affairs Council of Oregon is currently recruiting Oregon high school students to participate in this summer's Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program. Three Oregon students will be selected to participate alongside Iraqi and American teens in a four week leadership program taking place in Vermont, Washington DC, and cities across the US from July 14 to August 9. Sponsored by the US Department of State, the program aims to develop a network of young adults in Iraq and the United States who have a strong sense of civic responsibility, an awareness of global issues, interpersonal leadership skills, and a willingness to promote mutual understanding between the United States and Iraq.

Students will begin their program in Vermont at the SIT Graduate Institute, spend two weeks with host families in Portland’s partner communities in Chicago, Bozeman and Louisville, and conclude their program with a civic education week in Washington, DC. Participants will focus on the program themes through experiential learning activities, leadership trainings, meetings with community leaders, volunteering, cultural events and recreational activities. The program is FREE for all participants and covers air travel, lodging, meals, cultural activities, and program expenses.

FINAL WEEK TO APPLY!
All Oregon students that will be 15-17 year old at the start of the program and with a graduation year of 2013 or later are eligible to apply. More information can be found on the attached flyer, or on our website. We want to give as many students as possible the opportunity to participate in this amazing program so please pass this information on to students and colleagues. Eligible students can APPLY HERE! Applications are due February 29th.

Host Families Needed
The World Affairs Council is also recruiting Portland-area families with high school students of any age to host participants for IYLEP and other youth exchanges. For students who can’t participate in the full program this is a great opportunity meet teen leaders from abroad and learn how young people can make a difference in their community.

Upcoming groups needing hosting:
Youth Ambassadors Program with Chile and Argentina: March 30 – April 10, 2012

Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program: July 22 – August 4, 2012


For more information on World Affairs Council youth exchanges contact Andrew Neal at (503) 306-5216.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Auction Update and more!

Another winning message from Heather:

Hello Trillium!

I'm writing to you today because I love Trillium. I'm crazy about this school: its teachers, the educational philosophy, and the possibilities for its future. In a few short days we will hold our annual auction. A night devoted to showing up and loving Trillium by fundraising our hearts out.

You might be asking yourself why we're having an auction before everyone gets their taxes back, before the sun comes back, and before we know if we're getting our charter renewed? I have the answer.

Because we gotta. We are (not special here) an under-funded non-profit. The numbers don't add up. We are funded at 80% of a "regular" public school, and we must support our own building and maintenance which is costing us a bundle. $22k a month bond payment in round numbers, and we have debt. Our teachers, students, programs, facility, and future are on the line.

In response, we are continuing to develop our capacity for fundraising to ensure our survivability. We now have in place a sustaining donation program in 99 Flowers, a Board/TFT/Admin Fundraising Committee collaborating on grants and projects, and our auction team is bringing us an opportunity in the form of a fantastic party with super auction items to show our extended families and community what our kids' school is all about, and why it's worth supporting.

As you all know our 10th year charter renewal is upon us. And it ain't a walk in the park. It's a marathon. Again (nothing special here) like any organization in its 10th year we are at a point of transformation due to the inevitable maturation process and growth. We have had to become more accountable to many aspects of our operations, and as a publicly funded organization we must report on this process, our progress, and our plans to a group who will decide our fate: the PPS board.

We must stand in front of them at a hearing (we will tell you when it is and invite you to come speak up for Trillium) and account for our past, present, and articulate our future. It's a good thing. Reflecting and revising is as it should be and Trillium is learning a lot.

Personally, I'm bad at parties. I'm awkward and I tend to make it worse by talking about how weird I feel. As anyone knows who has this bad habit, it's no conversation starter, it backfires, big time. Let's hope this is the last time I mention it. For Trillium, I wouldn't miss this party. I'll be the one trying way too hard, wearing an earnest, if ill-chosen, frock, and feeling really grateful for the massive effort that has gone into giving me the chance to support my kids' school.

I beseech you to join me. Reach out to your families and community in the spirit of possibility for our school and on behalf of your student(s) and each and every student and teacher who make it great.

With you for Trillium,

Heather Blackbird
Parent Volunteer, Board Chair, Trillium News Editor, Party Blunderer, Pleader to the great parents of Trillium

Front gate feedback

From Heather Blackbird, our amazing Chair of the Board of Directors:

Greetings!

Parent volunteer and welder on mission, Fred Thompson, has donating his time to get the front gate functional and secure. We both noticed that you all are still using the orange traffic things to prop the gate open and closed and were wanting to hear from you that use it at recess what you need in order to abandon the traffic things in favor of the gate mechanisms in place.

If you can tell me the issues you're having with the gate (positive and negative welcome) or ideas you have for it, we will be able to figure out how to really get it functional.

He also fixed the wooden door gate on the front!

See you all soon,

Heather

Monday, January 23, 2012

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Advising Update

January 19, 2012

Dear students and families,

Happy winter time and welcome to the end of semester two. Please find below a number of useful dates and of events of which to be aware.
High School Exhibition day is next Friday, January 27th from 9:30 to 12:00. This is a wonderful opportunity to come see what high school students have been working on this semester. Family and community members are warmly encouraged to attend. Students will be spending time in Advising this week planning their 8 minute presentations.
The Snowdays Foundation has generously offered once again to take a group of high school students on a free snowboarding outing this Saturday, January 21st. Students who have sign-up will be receiving the necessary forms today or tomorrow.
Last night’s College Financial Aid planning workshop presented useful information about paying for college. Thanks to college counselor Kerry Cohen for making her expertise available to the Trillium community.
End of the semester is upon us. Last day of the term is Wednesday, February 1st. There are no classes that Thursday or Friday; those are teacher in-service days. Final exams/presentations will run on a modified schedule that short week: Monday (All classes meet); Tuesday (Finals for Block A, D1, D2); and Wednesday (Finals for Block B, D3, D5).
Trillium will be hosting observers from the School District during finals’ week as a routine part of the charter renewal process.
Second semester begins Monday, February 6. Students have begun signing up for classes. Course sign up sheets may be found on-line on Ken’s blog (http://ken-trillium.blogspot.com/).
Many updates specific to the Class of 2012 went home this week in an additional letter to parents. This is also available on Ken’s blog.
We are proud to introduce Steve Otis as our new long-term sub for Advising and Language Arts teaching in the high school. Steve will be covering for Miranda while she is on leave. We look forward to working with this energetic and dynamic teacher and welcome him to our community.
May 23-25 Spring Camping Trip planning is in the works. As has been the tradition for the past several years, the spring camping trip is planned by students. Expect more information about location soon. Be assured that we will need help driving and chaperoning the event. Please contact your student’s advisor if you might be available to help.


Best wishes for a healthy and happy winter. Please feel free to contact your student’s Advisor with any questions or comments you might have.

Warmly,
Christina, Jess, Ken, and Steve
High School Advisors

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Class of 2012 Parent Letter

January 17, 2012

Dear Parents of the Class of 2012,

Happy snowy days of winter to you all. It is my sincere privilege to be working with this year’s graduates. The Class of 2012 is an amazing group of human beings, and I am proud that Trillium has gotten to work with, and help support, such creative, fun, and generous people.

This is a full and exciting time of year for our future graduates. I have included a few important items below that might be helpful to keep track of as we move toward graduation.
Trillium is hosting a College Financial Aid Workshop this Wednesday, January 18th from 6:15 to 7:30.
Students should now be meeting regularly (at least every two weeks for at least 15 minutes) with their Project Consultant to check in with progress and problem solve any issues they might have. As students are responsible for these meetings, there is sometimes a tendency to overlook them, but in my experience it is extremely helpful for a student’s organization and overall progress to maintain this schedule diligently.
Your student should be well under way with his/her senior project. We have just now passed the half-way point for projects. Final Project Review Committee (PRC) meetings happen during the week of April 22nd. Projects are due to all PRC members sufficiently in advance of the final PRC meeting to allow PRC members to look over the work ahead of time. Those final weeks can be a stressful time for many seniors as the Monday April 16th deadline for projects approaches.
Class of 2012 Commencement will be held Saturday, June 2nd at the Moriarty Arts and Humanities building at PCC-Cascade.
Caps and gowns have been ordered, and will be black. We use a cap and gown company that rents us high quality robes and caps. Rental cost is $25. Students will be able to keep the tassles. Checks should be made payable to Trillium Charter School, and given to the front desk.
We currently do not have a printer selected for graduation announcements. Historically, we have used a local printer to create simple, yet beautiful announcements and the cost runs about $1 each. I will gladly facilitate this happening if there is sufficient interest from families. Please let me know by Thursday, March 1st if you are interested in ordering announcements, and how many you would like.
Senior Project Night is a wonderful showcase of students' work and will take place on Friday, May 11th. Students will each have one 30-45 minute slot to present their work to parents, family members, and friends. The event takes place at Trillium. Please tell family and friends to mark their calendars as this event is amazing and should not be missed!
This information, as well as a the senior calendar, and other senior resources, are available on my blog (http://ken-trillium.blogspot.com).



I would be happy to help with any questions you might have around your graduates’ experience. Again, it is a blessing to work with this group of students. Thank you, parents for creating such amazing people.

Best,

Ken Gadbow
Ken@TrilliumCharterSchool.org

Sunday, January 08, 2012

Financial Aid Night at Trillium

Planning to attend college in 2012-13?

You are invited!
College Financial Aid Workshop

Who?
Experienced High School & College Counselor, Kerry Cohen
Trillium Students Planning on College 2012-13 & Their Parents

What?
Presentation (National Association of Financial Aid): How financial aid is determined; Where & how to apply; Additional scholarships

How? Overview of Financial Aid (FAFSA), FAFSA Forms available onsite, Question/Answer Session

When? January 18, 2012; 6:15- 7:30 PM

Where? Trillium Charter School