More Senior News

Howdy and bless your working hearts Class of 2010,

For some of you this information is more pressing than others. Here it is:

Ken dearly needs to know how many graduation announcements you would like and how many people will be attending commencement. Check your email for a message from him AND RESPOND TO IT pretty please.

Time is of the essence, as you all know. Your PRC members are running out of it, just like you are. You must schedule your final PRC meeting TODAY, if you have not already done so.

You MUST have a PRC meeting prior to presenting at Senior Project Night (SPN). Your PRC must approve you to present there, which they might do even if your project is not totally complete. Students not approved to present at SPN still have a chance of passing their project, but it gets considerably more difficult to do so. In these extremely rare cases, arrangements are made with the PRC, the entire high school team, the director, the student, and his/her parents to determine precisely what the student would need to do in order to satisfactorily fulfill the requirements of the Project. This is not a pretty scenario. Avoid it at all costs. But, if you find yourself there, know that there is still hope, and that you have work to do.

Senior Information

May 6, 2010

Dear Parents of the Class of 2010,

Happy spring and welcome to the home stretch. This is a very busy time for seniors as we move toward graduation. Here are a few important things you'll want to keep track of:

Your student should be done, or very nearly done, with his/her senior project. Projects are due to Project Review Committee Members before the final PRC meeting, which must be completed prior to Senior Project Night.

SENIOR PROJECT NIGHT will take place Friday, May 21st at six o'clock. The event will be held at Trillium. There will be multiple projects presented throughout the building at any one time, with each senior having 25 minutes to present his/her work. Seniors are expected to attend for the entirety of the evening, regardless of the time of their presentation slot. This is a wonderful event for families and friends to honor the hard work and persistence of Class of 2010. Please come celebrate with us.

Commencement will be held at the Moriarty Arts and Humanities Building at Portland Community College Cascade Campus on Saturday, June 12th. Exercises begin at 2 o’clock.

Graduation announcements are being printed, and we need to know how many you each family would like. Please make sure Ken knows exactly how many you would like for your student (call or email him ASAP at the contact information below). Announcements are printed on beautiful, one hundred percent post consumer material with soy based ink, come in envelopes, and will cost one dollar each.

Students have selected that this year's caps and gowns be black and that tassles be dark green. They will be delivered in the end of May and cost about $30 each. We use a cap and gown company that rents us high quality robes that we then return to them.

Senior Prom is June 4th and tickets are on sale now. The theme is "Living Dead Romance."
Class of 2010 member James McKinley's final work, the Peace and Love Concert will take place the following Saturday, June 5th at Trillium.

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

Trillium Finances, Increasing Enrollment

Click here to read a letter from Board of Directors Chair James Hindes on the state of Trillium's budget and what we can do about it.

$20,000 for Trillium

Hello parents,

As I hope your student has told you, or you have seen in the front lobby, Trillium is putting on our one and only big fundraiser of the year right now, the Trillium in Bloom Raffle. There is over $8000 worth of great stuff in four different collections: Gardening, Alternative Transportation, Best of Portland, and Cooking and Kitchen. Tickets are only $5 a piece and the number of tickets sold for each collection is limited to 1000, so your odds are pretty good. Better yet, the money directly supports our great school.

Most students in our advising have elected to take tickets home to sell. Please ask your student about them, or stop by the table just inside the front door before or after school to make your purchase.

Historically the high school has the lowest parent buy-in for fundraisers, and we want to change that. Our advising has challenged Jess's advising to see who can sell the most tickets in the one week remaining before the raffle closes. Please consider helping us beat Jess's group, change the reputation of high school involvement, and raise up tp $20,000 for Trillium.

Details about the raffle can be found by clicking here.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this event.

Best,
Ken

Senior Meeting: Project Night Date Change

Hello seniors and advocates,

Responding to student request to push the date of Senior Project Night back, the high school team met to debate the idea, and the entire Trillium staff was been given the opportunity to weigh in on this decision. The greatest reservation on behalf of staff was how to best respect the hard work and commitment that students have put into getting their work ready for the May 7th Project Night. While moving the date may come as a great relief to some, it might be seen as an insult to the work of others.

Ultimately, we made the decision to move Senior Project Night to Friday, May 21st.

I invite any and all seniors to voice any opinion, concern, or appreciation about this decision to come to a Senior Class Meeting tomorrow, Monday, April 26th during senior project class. I specifically would like to hear suggestions on how to best to honor the hard work of students who have, or will, meet the original deadline.

Best,
Ken

Jess's Advising is Going Down

The following was sent via email to Jess just moments ago:

Dearest Jess,
Your advising said my advising could decide what the next competition was for our friendly rivalry.

We have chosen.

On Monday, Mary Drinkhouse will be visiting my room at the beginning of advising. She will have with her all of the supplies to get us started selling raffle tickets. You should be there too. With your advising.

And, you should prepare for a battle. We are ready to bury your advising in a mountains of raffle tickets. They will be so thick about your face, neck, chest, and head that you will scarcely be able to call for help.

You will be pleased to know that your suffering will not be long lived: ticket sales end Friday. In the interest of fairness, we will not begin our selling onslaught until Monday.

It is so.

UPDATE: Jess has accepted the challenge. It is on.

Trillium's Front Yard

Hello Trillium Community

What better way to celebrate May Day than with a chance to do some real work for your community! On May 1st, from 1 pm until 4 we will be meeting in the multipurpose room.

Come join us as we work to finalize plans for the converting of Trillium's front space into a beautiful FRONT YARD.
( I have included a small drawing to give everyone the "feel" of the front yard with a cob wall and gated entrance way.)

I encourage you all to come a join us. Everyone in the community is invited. This is your chance to be part of something that will have a major impact on the look and feel of Trillium.

Here is a list of the work we will be accomplishing:

1. For the artist and design types we will be creating a scale clay model of the cob wall we want to build, including benches, windows, kiosks, and magical spaces for kids to play. Bring your creativity!

2. For those with welding skills we are forming a group of welders to design and plan the 12 foot still fence that we want to create as the main entrance to the school. Don't have welding experience but have ideas for the gate or want to learn from some pros, we'd love to have you.

3. For those who want to reach out to the community we will be working to organize volunteers for the upcoming work parties and finding ways to encourage local businesses to participate in our effort.

4. For those with construction interest and experience we will be planning the foundation of the cob wall that will need to be in place by the time of the Village Building Convergence (when all the cobbing will take place) on the 28th of May.

Please let me know if you have any questions, ideas or suggestions.

Rob

--
Rob van Nood
Trillium Charter School
Intermediate Advisor (8-11 year olds)

High School Campout

The Spring High School Campout will take place Wednesday May 26 through Friday May 28 at Eagle Creek Overlook in the Columbia Gorge. Click here for more information about the location. Please mark your calendars, and let your student's advisor know if you may be able to help drive or chaperon the trip.
As the date approaches, students will bring home more information, and it will be posted here.

High School Meeting Notes

These are the meeting notes.

Big Mural Survey

We are making a mural and we need your opinion. Please take this survey to provide information and feedback. To do the survey go to:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GSGG95T

Thank you,
Lyndsey's, Jeremy's and Jenny's advising teams

Free Money: Youth Action Grants

The Youth Planning Program are excited to announce that money is now available directly to youth to improve their communities!

2010 YOUTH ACTION GRANTS PROGRAM

Click here to view the grants guidelines & sample application

A pool of $7,000 is available for community-based projects initiated, designed, and run by youth 21 and under. The Youth Action Grants Program will provide grants of up to $1,000 to youth or youth groups who want to take action that makes Our Bill of Rights: Children + Youth and Portland's community vision a reality.

Upcoming YOUTH ACTION GRANT Workshops

The City/County Youth Programs are also pleased to offer three free grant workshops designed FOR YOUTH to answer their grant-related questions. You must attend at least one workshop to apply for a grant.

Email Pam Phan to sign up for a workshop!

　　　
YOUTH ACTION GRANTS APPLICATION FORM

Apply Now! to view and download application!

Applications and all supporting materials must be submitted to Pam Phan, Youth Planning Program c/o Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, 1900 SW 4th Avenue, Suite 7100, Portland, OR 97201 by 8PM on Thursday, May 6th.

Please contact Pam Phan at (503) 823-9912 or pam.phan@portlandoregon.gov with any questions about the YOUTH ACTION GRANTS Program or to RSVP for a YOUTH grant workshop.

An Opportunity from Planned Parenthood

This from Bianca Taveras, Community Education Coordinator for Planned Parenthood Columbia, Willamette:

Hello all,

I hope this email finds you all well. As some of you know it’s that time of year when we recruit for our new Teen Council members for 2010-11. We will be collecting applications until mid-May and then conducting interviews before the end of the school year for next year’s Teen Council. If you know some amazing youth ages 14-18 who think would love to be a part of a peer-education team and learn about sexual health, then this is the activity for them!

Here is the link to print off an application;

Just have them send it to; Bianca Ryan Taveras, 3727 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland, Or 97217

Thanks,
Bianca
Bianca Ryan Taveras
Community Education Coordinator
Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette
3727 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97212
p: 503.775.4931 x 3252
f: 503.280.6151
c:503.250.3819
bianca.taveras@ppcw.org www.ppcw.org

visit www.takecaredownthere.org

The Planned Parenthood Promise:
Creating hope for humanity: The freedom to dream, to make choices, and to live in peace with our planet.

La Promesa de Planned Parenthood
Creando esperanza para la humanidad: La libertad de soñar, tener opciones, y vivir en paz con nuestro planeta.

Campout Consolidation Proposal

Hi all,

Click here to see a HS meeting proposal which will be discussed in Advising Meetings then voted on in High School Meeting this Friday. There is also another proposal from the campout committee advocating that the event take place at Eagle Creek Lookout in the Gorge.



Best,
Ken

Planned Parenthood Prep

This is the assignment.

Progress Reports and Spring Conferences

Hi Parents and Students,

Mid-Semester Progress reports went home with students on Tuesday and should be arriving in the mail to homes by the end of the week.

Spring parent-student-teacher conferences start next week. Please sign up here as soon as you are able.

Best,
Ken

Meditation and Tai Chi Weekly Observation Survey

Click here to fill this out.

Health Care Law Resources

Here are but a few links on the new health care law:

President Obama speaking in Iowa after health care bill passed.

White House - What will health reform mean for you?
What and When? - Washington Post
What it means to me - Washington Post
New York Times Health Care Reform Coverage
American Association for Retired Persons - Health Care Explained
CBS News health care reform summary

Here is the list of health care scenarios.

Snowdays Trip POSTPONED (and the forms)

Due to a paperwork mess up somewhere between Timberline, Trillium, and Snowdays, our trip has been rescheduled for NEXT Saturday the 10th. We will again have 10 spots available, and will most likely do a drawing to determine eligibility once students can confirm their ability to attend.

The trip will leave Trillium at 7:30 Saturday morning and return about 5:00 that afternoon. Snowdays provides EVERYTHING one could possibly need for a trip up and down the mountain (board and boots, jacket, snow pants, goggles, gloves, lunch, instruction, transportation, snack, oh my!). Find out more about Snowdays here

For those of us lucky enough to get to go, here are the forms that must be filled out ahead of time:
Snowdays Form
Timberline Release Form
Timberline Rental Form

If you are going, please also make sure the information on this form is correct. If it is not, email me (Ken@TrilliumCharterSchool.org) to make changes.

Teen Weekend Meditation Course Next Fall

There is a weekend meditation course for teens (age 12-17) at Dhamma Kunja, the Northwest Vipassana Center, in Onalaska, Washington November 19-21, 2010. Here is the application packet which has more information. This organization is non-sectarian and non-religious.

Video Story Telling Workshop

Here is a cool weekend opportunity from Mercy Corps. It starts soon, and runs through April. Click here for additional information.