Senior Spotlight

Hey Seniors,

This is the form to fill out.  Click it now.

Class of 2014 Update

April 2014

Dear Parents of the Class of 2014,

Happy spring to you all.  We are entering into the home stretch for senior projects (2 weeks and counting!) and there are some important events to keep in mind as we move toward graduation.

• Senior Projects are due to all Project Review Committee (PRC) members on Monday, April 21st.  Seniors must submit a copy of their written portion (and sensory portion as appropriate) to each of the members of their PRC on that day.  Failure to do so significantly inconveniences the very people who will be grading the work - students should turn it in on time!
• Senior Portraits will be taken by professional photographer and proud parent of a Trillium alumni, Errol Cox on Monday, April 7th during senior project class.  Photographs will be included in the yearbook at no cost to Trillium.  Students and families wishing to purchase a series of posed shots may do so by contacting Errol through Facebook.  He takes beautiful photographs, offers packages at very reasonable prices, and is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.
• Candidates for graduation will professionally present and defend their projects at a Final PRC Meeting between Wednesday, May 7th, and Friday May 9th.  Meetings are 80 minutes in length and will take place during the school day.  After presentation and deliberation, Project Review Committee members will make one of four determinations: Fully Approved, Approved with Minor, Approved with Major, or Rejected.  Any determination short of Fully Approved indicates that the candidate must make adjustments to his/her/their project in order to be considered satisfactory for graduation.
• Senior Project Night is a wonderful showcase of students' work and will take place on Friday, May 16th.  We are pleased to communicate changes made to the traditional flow of senior project night in order to make it more accessible to more members of the community and to support the feeling of celebration seniors so richly deserve.  As in the past, students will each have one 30-minute slot to present their work to parents, family members, and friends.  In addition, this year will feature two whole group performances, and will conclude with a potluck dinner graciously organized by Trillium’s parent-teacher organization, Together for Trillium (for more information on the food side of things, contact James Rohl, TFT president, at James@togetherfortrillium.org).  The event takes place at Trillium and beings at 3:00 PM.  Dinner will be at 7:15.  This will not be a regular school day for high school students.  In fact, senior project night is the school day.  All seniors are expected to attend for the duration of the event, and their families and friends are encouraged to do so as well. Mark your calendars as this event is amazing and should not be missed!
• Senior Dinner will be held on Friday, June 6th at 7:00 PM.  This event is for the class of 2014 and their teachers only.  Expect further information soon.
• Graduation announcements are professionally designed and will be delivered May 1st.  Andrew Bean, lawyer, graphic designer, and husband of high school science teacher Christina Aucutt has volunteered his superb skills to create our own unique invites.  We have budgeted 15 invites per student, but will gladly produce more if need be.  Indicate on the Senior Package form below (due by Monday, April 15th) if you would like to order additional announcements.
• Class of 2014 Commencement will be held Saturday, June 7th at the Moriarty Arts and Humanities building room 104 at PCC-Cascade from 2:00 to 4:30.  Doors open to families at 1:35.  Members of the Class of 2014 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.  Students will be able to keep the tassels.
• The Senior Package includes:

1. Rental of cap and gown
2. Purchase of Tassel
3. 15 graduation announcements (cost is $1 each for additional)
4. Senior Dinner
5. Total cost is $48.00.

Checks should be made payable to Trillium Charter School, and given to the front desk by Monday, April 15th.  Scholarships are available to those for whom this fee presents significant economic hardship.  Please include the attached form when paying.  

I would be happy to help with any questions you might have around your graduates’ experience. 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

Senior Graduation Package

Student Name: ___________ HS Advisor: ________

Parent/Guardian Name: __________ Phone:_________

Item	Cost	Quantity	Total Payment
Senior Package: (Cap and gown rental, tassel purchase, 15 graduation announcements, senior dinner.)	$48.00
Additional Graduation announcements	$1.00 each
Scholarship fund contribution. Any voluntary contribution will be used to help students with economic challenges obtain a senior package. This donation is tax deductible.
		Total =

* Scholarship available: Please provide a brief description of your financial circumstances below if this cost presents an inordinate financial hardship.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

February Senior Project Survey

Hi senior project folks,

Please fill out this survey.

Enjoy!

Evergreen College Visit this Friday

14 November 2014

Dear Families,

On Friday, November 22nd, Trillium high school students will have the opportunity to participate in a college visit to Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.  Evergreen is a progressive, public liberal arts and sciences college in which students work closely with instructors, design their own course of study, and receive in-depth narrative evaluations in place of letter grades.  

All students earnestly interested in exploring Evergreen as a post-high school choice are encouraged to attend, though students must commit to attending the trip by Tuesday, November 19th.  Please contact Ken via email (Ken@trilliumcharterschool.org) or in person to reserve a spot for your student.

The cost of this trip is covered by the Activity Fee, as it is one of our community building enterprises.  It is only through the collection of Activity Fees from families that events like this are possible.  Currently, the Activity Fee balance is too low for us to offer as many experiences to students as we have planned for the year.  If you wish to make an additional contribution to the Activity Fee, please see Sharon Mabaet, receptionist, or Debra Lazzeratti, operations manager.

The basics:

• College visit to Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington
• Friday, November 22nd.
• Leaving Trillium at 8:00 AM and returning at 3:00 PM (Please note that students will need to arrive to school early for this trip).
• Bring: a lunch, or money to purchase one on campus in Olympia.

High school Advisors would be happy to answer any questions or hear any celebrations or concerns about this college trip.

Best,

The High School Team

School Climate Questionnaire

Younger student climate questionnaire is here.
Questionnaire for older students and adults is here .

Middle School Health Class Presentation Prep

High school health class folks,
Fill in this spreadsheet with the questions.

Senior Spotlight Survey, Part I

Click it right here, my friends.

Senior Parent Update

April 3, 2013

Dear Parents of the Class of 2013,

Happy spring to you all.  We are entering into the home stretch for senior projects (20 days and counting!) and there are some important events to keep in mind as we move toward graduation.

• Senior Projects are due to all Project Review Committee (PRC) members on Monday, April 22nd.  Seniors must submit a copy of their written portion (and sensory portion as appropriate) to each of the members of their PRC on that day.  Failure to do so significantly inconveniences the very people who will be grading the work - students should turn it in on time!
• Senior Portraits will be taken by professional photographer and proud parent of a Trillium alumni, Errol Cox on Thursday, April 4th during senior project class.  Photographs will be included in the yearbook at no cost to Trillium.  Students and families wishing to purchase a series of posed shots may do so by contacting Errol through Facebook.  He takes beautiful photographs, offers packages at very reasonable prices, and is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.
• Candidates for graduation will professionally present and defend their projects at a Final PRC Meeting between Tuesday, April 30th, and Friday May 3rd.  Meetings are 80 minutes in length and will take place during the school day.  After presentation and deliberation, Project Review Committee members will make one of four determinations: Fully Approved, Approved with Minor, Approved with Major, or Rejected.  Any determination short of Fully Approved indicates that the candidate must make adjustments to his/her/their project in order to be considered satisfactory for graduation.
• Senior Project Night is a wonderful showcase of students' work and will take place on Friday, May 10th.  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.  All seniors are expected to attend for the duration of the event, and their families and friends are encouraged to do so as well. Mark your calendars as this event is amazing and should not be missed!
• Senior Dinner will be held at La Prima Dolce on the corner of North Denver and North Killingsworth on Thursday, June 6th at 7:00 PM.  This event is for the class of 2013 and their teachers only.
• Graduation announcements are professionally designed and will be delivered May 1st.  Andrew Bean, lawyer, graphic designer, and husband of high school science teacher Christina Aucutt has volunteered his superb skills to create our own unique invites.  We have budgeted 15 invites per student, but will gladly produce more if need be.  Indicate on the Senior Package form below (due by Monday, April 15th) if you would like to order additional announcements.
• Class of 2013 Commencement will be held Saturday, June 8th at the Moriarty Arts and Humanities building room 104 at PCC-Cascade from 2:00 to 4:30.  Doors open to families at 1:35.  Members of the Class of 2012 are to arrive at 12:00.  Each student will be allotted 15 tickets; families are welcome to trade tickets to meet their particular circumstances.
• Caps and gowns have arrived and are black.  We use a cap and gown company that rents us high quality robes and caps.  Students will be able to keep the tassels.
• The Senior Package includes:

1. Rental of cap and gown
2. Purchase of Tassel
3. 15 graduation announcements (cost is $1 each for additional)
4. Senior Dinner at La Prima Dolce
5. Total cost is $48.00.

Checks should be made payable to Trillium Charter School, and given to the front desk by Monday, April 15th.  Scholarships are available to those for whom this fee presents significant economic hardship.  Please include the attached form when paying.  

I would be happy to help with any questions you might have around your graduates’ experience. 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

End of Term Assessment

Click here for the survey
Or here, for senior project class.

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

Register for college fair.

By clicking here.

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.

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.

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/).