Advisory
Advisory provides a time for a small group of students to meet with their advisor for academic
guidance, social support, development of academic portfolios and self-directed learning
challenges, and for fun. One of the goals of the advisory is for an adult to know each Watershed
student well, academically and socially, and across all learning experiences.
All School Meeting
Monthly gatherings of the entire school led by an advisory group. The purpose is to connect as
a whole community with a moment of silence, announcements, an activity, and pass the pulse.
Assessment
Assessment occurs on an ongoing basis through review of portfolio entries and reflections,
project evaluations, public presentations of learning, and other evaluations of students’ learning
and community involvement. These include self-reflections and educator assessments, regular
one-on-one meetings with advisors, and feedback from community mentors.
Craftsmanship
At Watershed, our vision of academic excellence is one in which we take pride in our work,
pay careful attention to detail, and are responsive to the feedback of others. This approach is
described as craftsmanship.
Community Meeting
A weekly time for activities that build and strengthen the community.
Expedition
Learning Expeditions are interdisciplinary courses that involve a project-based approach to
learning, and connect students to the community context in which they are studying, whether
global or the local Boulder Creek Watershed community. Learning Expeditions serve as the
focal point of each term at Watershed. Spring and Fall Term Expeditions meet 4-5 days per
week for a total of 11-16 hours per week. May Term Expeditions meet 5-7 days per week in an
immersion context that have students engaged in one experience 40 hours or more per week.
Learning Expeditions have strong academic content such as applied physics, topics of
chemistry, U.S. and world history, and language arts and literacy. They incorporate community
resources, involve service work and environmental stewardship, often include overnight
excursions, focus on developing “products of meaning,” and conclude with public “Presentations
of Learning.” Learning Expeditions may immerse our students in wilderness, into other cultures,
or may be focused on the local context.
Expedition Behavior
Expedition Behavior is behavior and thinking—a mindset and an “action-set”—that maximizes
your personal responsibility for yourself and your belongings, and benefits the group. The
elements of Expedition Behavior are:
- Managing yourself (examples: being on time to school,
eating well, getting adequate sleep, being alert and attentive, making life-affirming personal
choices) - Managing your belongings (examples: keeping your
locker clean and organized, checking that you have what you need for school each morning,
cleaning up after yourself throughout the day) - Managing your responsibilities (examples: doing your
homework, maintaining stewardship responsibilities)
When a person manages one’s self, one’s belongings and one’s responsibilities effectively,
he or she is more likely to have the mental and physical energy available to maximize one’s
contribution to the group by asking: Who could use my help now? What does my group need
now? What are the opportunities for me to do more than my share?
Explore Classes
Electives provide enrichment opportunities for all students, and include Arts, Academics,
Wellness and Leadership. Electives typically meet one time per week for an extended meeting
of approximately 45-105 minutes.
FAIR
Festival of the Arts and Intellectual Reflection. The festival of the arts and intellectual reflection
is a public celebration of learning that allows students to reflect, analyze and synthesize the
course they are completing. Possible formats range from poster galleries to whole group,
multimedia presentations to dramatic interpretations. The entire community is invited, along
with family, friends and interested guests at the end of each term to the event.
FAIR Prep Week
The week prior to FAIR students and teachers engage in preparations for the festival. This
includes creating and rehearsing group performances, installing work around the school, and
generally helping one another to polish and present our accomplishments as learners for the
term.
Fieldwork
In contrast to field trips, Watershed School students engage with direct experiences in the
community. Fieldwork may entail interviews with experts, service work, or data collection.
Gathering
A time to come together in the mornings to share announcements, stories or sharing for the
community’s benefit, along with things we are grateful for and appreciations of other members
of the group.
Go to the Source
Students who have interpersonal conflict are, first and foremost, expected to “go to the source”
when possible, using constructive approaches to resolve the conflict. This means that students
are expected to seek to resolve the conflict by talking to the person with whom they are having
the conflict rather than talking to others about the person. Staff and peer mediators will be
available to assist in this process and students are encouraged to seek support should they find
themselves in a conflict situation.
ICE
Integrity, Craftsmanship and Expeditionary behavior are the standards set for students to work
together academically and socially.
Indy POLs
Individual presentations of earning that each student prepares for and presents to a group of
students, parents and staff.
Integrity
To act with integrity requires consistency between our words and our behavior. Integrity calls
us to treat others and ourselves with respect and dignity. A deeper meaning of integrity is
to be whole, so living with integrity also challenges us develop our whole selves – mentally,
physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Leadership Retreats
Periodic excursions designed to empower students to take leadership roles in their lives.
Learning Lunch
A weekly event that features a member of the broader community who visits the school to share
his or her story of living a life of meaning and purpose.
Narratives
A broad sweep of a student’s overall demeanor and engagement as a member of the
Watershed School community. In addition, the advisor narrative describes specific information
about how a student is doing academically and socially, how well the student is upholding their
commitment to Integrity, Craftsmanship and Expeditionary behavior (ICE), and what areas a
student is particularly strong in or challenged by.
Pass the Pulse
A silent passing of a hand squeeze by the entire group to end a gathering or all school meeting.
Passages
Activities, courses and conversations to help mark students’ passage into a new phase of their
lives – into adolescence, into young adulthood, and leaving high school.
POLs
Public presentations of learning by groups of students that occur at the end of each term at
FAIR.
Portfolios
Students compile and reflect on their best work from their learning expeditions, classes and
electives.
Progress Reports
Quarterly reports that provide a snapshot of individual progress in academic coursework.
Proficiency Levels
In the absence of grades, performance and progress are assessed using the concept of
proficiency. Satisfactory proficiency means that the student has a basic understanding of
the major concepts, skills and experiences of the course. The four proficiency levels are
Unsatisfactory, Satisfactory, Proficient and Distinguished. Proficiency levels do not correspond
to traditional letter grades.
School Trips
Extended academic trips that also provide opportunities for students to live and work closely
together as a team.
Skills Classes
Classes that focus on grade level content in math, Spanish, music and art.
Stewardship
Frequent opportunities for students to share in the maintenance and support of the functioning
of the school.
Student Led Parent Conferences
Students lead a discussion of their academic progress and involvement in community
curriculum.
Tools of Learning
In each of our courses and in advisory, we ask students to practice the following “tools of
learning” that lead to success in any endeavor. Promptness, Preparedness, Participation,
Communication, Collaboration, Community, Craftsmanship. Students are assessed and
coached in each of these areas on a continuing and frequent basis.
Way of Council
A regular opportunity for students to speak and listen from their hearts in a safe and sacred
space.
Wilderness Orientation
Overnight camping and backpacking trip to help establish connections to the community, the
curriculum, and the norms of the school.