Mr. Carter's THS Blog

Back to School Letter - Attachments sent to Email Addresses

2010-08-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

August 20, 2010

Dear Telluride High School Parents and Students;

It is hard to believe that we are only 4 days from the start of school! Where has the summer gone? I hope that each of you has found time to relax and rejuvenate as we head into the new year of growth and learning. I am excited to welcome students back to THS for this school year, one that I anticipate will be the best our school has ever had.

Attached to this e-mail is the Telluride High School Student Handbook and you have received other important back-to-school forms from the high school registrar and administrative assistant, Sharon Broady (sbroady@telluride.k12.co.us). It is important that both students and parents review these documents carefully, as they contain great information about school policies, rules, and systems. The back-to-school forms are due to Sharon Broady at the front desk on the first day of school.

Attached to this is the lunch menu for the first six weeks of school. We are thrilled that our food service director, Chef Michael Goller, is back with us to start the new school year. You’ll remember that Chef Goller made huge strides last year in revamping and updating our school food services program. He has great plans to continue to serve local, organic, from scratch food as often as possible to provide nutritious, delicious food to the students and teachers of Telluride School District. I ask parents to look for a day where the food sounds especially good to you and invite you to come to school, check in at the front desk to get a visitor badge, and join your son or daughter for lunch in our cafeteria. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the quality and taste of our food offerings at school. I know that Chef Goller and Executive Director Kurt Shugars would love to hear your feedback about our school lunch program.

We will end the month of August with school pictures on the 31st. School picture forms will be a little bit different in the high school this year as we are changing companies. Picture forms were included in your back-to-school packet. Students should bring the completed forms with them on picture day if you would like to receive school pictures this year.

The Telluride High School will host our Back-to-School Open House on Wednesday, September 1st. In response to feedback from parents and teachers from the past few years, we will be holding this Open House earlier in the day so there is still time to have dinner after the event. There will be a brief orientation in the Palm Theatre for our 9th grade parents from 4:30-5 PM, followed immediately by a general welcome and information session about this year’s ISPs in the Palm Theatre for ALL high school parents from 5 – 5:30 PM. This program will be immediately followed by a quick run-through of the daily schedule, with parents visiting each of their child’s classes for a quick 8 minute orientation from each of your child’s teachers. The evening will be all wrapped up before 7 PM, so there is still time for a late dinner that evening with your family.

In an effort to help all students in our building reach their highest academic potential, the faculty at Telluride High School is determined to help our students to use the “tutorial” period provided on Wednesdays more effectively. This year students are expected to remain in the high school engaged in appropriate learning activities during the entire tutorial period. We expect that every student will identify a faculty member or members from whom they need extra help and visit their class during this period, or visit the library for silent study. In the past, many students have opted to use this time as an “extended break”; however, we feel that this choice is unwise for even our most successful students. Thank you for your support in this important initiative.

Don’t forget that the fall athletic season is underway in all sports except for Competitive Cheer, which begins on August 24th. If you are interested in participating in any our sports programs, or if you simply want more information about extra-curricular activities here at Telluride High School, don’t hesitate to contact our highly esteemed and award-winning Director of Activities, Mr. Mike Hughes (mhughes@telluride.k12.co.us)

Also attached to this e-mail is the THS schedule for the first two weeks of school. Please review this so you know when school begins each day, what class periods will be meeting, and the “special event” we will be lucky to be a part of associated FilmFest.

I hope that each of you has a wonderful conclusion to your summer vacation. If you have any questions or concerns as we head into the new school year, please don’t hesitate to contact anyone at Telluride High School for assistance, including myself. My phone number is (970) 369-1211 and I can be reached at my school email (acarter@telluride.k12.co.us).

Wishing you a great weekend! Go Miners!

THS Now Has 16 Certified Wilderness First Responders...Thanks to the WFR ISP!

2010-05-02T05:56:00.000-07:00

ISP 3 - 2010 Up and Running!

2010-04-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

Intensive Study Periods: ISP3 is well under way. We are running 4 concurrent ISPs and the Intensive AP Review. The ISPs are:
a. The Art and Science of Cuisine: This ISP is in its 3rd iteration and is, as always, very popular. Students will be exposed to the elements of flavor, basic to advanced kitchen skills and techniques, and the development of a menu item for the Grand Banquet scheduled for next Thursday.
b. Rock and Roll Music ISP: This ISP introduces students to music theory, band development, song arrangement, and performance. Students with no experience through veteran, experienced rockers were welcomed into this ISP.
c. Service Learning “Poverty” ISP: This is the first of the ISPs that will meet the Service Learning requirement for graduation. The students will do an in-depth study of poverty and the cycle of poverty that exists locally, regionally, state, nationally, and world-wide. Students will work closely with several non-profits that work with people who live in poverty and then will design and implement their own service project to impact this condition.
d. Wilderness First Responder Certification: This is an incredible opportunity for our students to work with First Lead, LLC trainer Peter Muckerman. The students have been joined by four adult learners from the Telluride Ski Patrol in this course. At the end of the course the students will have the opportunity to qualify for a 3-year Wilderness First Responder Certification and a 1-year American Red Cross CPR certification.
e. Intensive AP Review: Students who are in 2 or more AP classes are spending these two weeks in intensive review in preparation for the national AP examinations in early May.

New ISP Promo - Check It Out!

2010-01-08T12:35:00.001-08:00

Winter ISPs in Full Swing!

2010-01-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all in the THS community!

The winter ISPs are in full swing! Our students are actively engaged in high-interest, student centered learning all over the school. I will soon post pictures of all ISPs in action, including the Cuisine ISP - Baking, the Film Production ISP, the Snow Science ISP, and the Fashion Design ISP. Also, our AP students are hard at work in their AP intensives.

Please ask our students about their ISP experiences and let us know what you think!

Go Miners!

Tutoring help available through the Wilkenson Library

2009-09-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by our totally cool Wilkinson Public Library.
Check it out, and tell your kids, students, friends, frenemies, etc….. This is an amazing resource.
Free Homework Help
Now Students can connect to Expert Tutors Online!

Free Help in Core Subjects
This free service allows students to connect to an expert tutor either from their home PC or Mac with a library card, every day 2pm - 9pm
Service En Español is available Sunday through Thursday 2pm - 8pm Live Homework Help is easy to use. Children and teens simply go to the library’s Web site, click on the Live Homework Help link and then enter their grade level and the subject in which they need help.
In just a few minutes, students are connected to a tutor in an Online Classroom for one-to-one help in math (elementary, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus), science (elementary, earth science, biology, chemistry, physics), social studies (American history, world history, political science), and English (spelling, grammar, essay writing, book reports).
Learn from Expert Tutors in an Online Classroom
Students and tutors can review specific homework questions, as well as subject-specific concepts using features such as controlled chat, an interactive white board and shared Web browsing in the Online Classroom. Tutors can type math equations using a special math tool, share educational Web sites and much more for a rewarding learning experience. All tutors are certified teachers, college professors, professional tutors, graduate, or under graduate school students from across the country. Tutor.com has more than 1,800 tutors available to work with kids when they need help most. Every tutor is certified by Tutor.com and has completed a third party background check.

http://www.telluridelibrary.org/livetutor.html

Back to School 2009-2010

2009-08-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

August 14, 2009

Dear Telluride High School Community,

I hope this message finds each and every one of you enjoying the final weeks of the summer. I have enjoyed seeing many of our students back at school on the soccer pitch or in the gym practicing digs, spikes, and blocks for the fall Volleyball season. I have even heard rumor that our cheerleaders are once again honing another outstanding routine that will help us reclaim the state title in Competition Cheer. I have talked with students who have returned from educational and inspiring internships in Central and South America, not to mention far away parts of our own nation. I know heralding in the end of summer is not always the most popular message to send, but let’s face it –Telluride High School is an incredible school and, deep down, you really are getting excited to come back for another great year of growth, learning, and fun at THS.

I want to take this opportunity to introduce a few people who you might already know, but now you will see more often in class. Firstly, I am excited to welcome Ms. Jennifer Manhoff, who will be taking over as our Spanish teacher for the coming year. Ms. Manhoff has taught Spanish the last four years at the Telluride Mountain School and comes to us with a great reputation and with great ideas to make our already excellent Spanish program even better. Second, I am happy to welcome Ms. Mariah Checketts officially to the THS faculty. You’ll remember Ms. Checketts as the teacher who worked closely with Ms. Moore in Health and Ms. Nelson in Spanish in the fall semester, 2008. She is coming on staff to work with our English language learners this year. Finally, for those of you who have been around for a while, we are happy to welcome Ms. Erica Heltner back to the THS faculty. This veteran teacher will be teaching our English 11 class and two Language Arts electives this year at THS. Please graciously welcome each of these new faculty to our community in the coming weeks.

The first day of school is, as you know, Monday, August 31st , 2009. Our teachers are going to “hit the ground running” that day – so come ready to learn. As we have in the past, we will have the Telluride Film Festival organizers in our building preparing for the festival that weekend. Please note that we will have a half-day on Friday, September 4th. High School students will be dismissed at 12:05 PM that day and there will be no lunch served. As a special treat for our students and faculty, the Telluride Film Festival organizers have offered to screen one of their best selections on Wednesday, September 2nd in an after-school show. The movie will begin promptly at 3:30 PM.

Posted on my page on the school website are several memos that I would like you to take a look at. The first is a memo reviewing our attendance policy for this school year. Although this policy is very similar to the one we used last year, I would like everyone to know that we have committed to be more vigilant and focused on this issue this year. The second memo explains our new policy regarding the Advanced Placement program at THS this year. Please review both of these memos, and if you have any questions please contact me directly to discuss them.

Again, I hope everyone is safe, happy, healthy, and re-energized. I can’t wait to see all of you as you return to THS for another great school year.

Best regards,
ABCarter
Alex Carter, Principal

Senior Survey Class of 2009

2009-06-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

Class of 2009 - Please take a few minutes to complete this survey.

Thanks for your time!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=MICWrt7Yq5Zc4_2bj4HC8Mzw_3d_3d

An Important Message from Principal Carter- PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

2009-05-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents;

One of the reasons so many of us think of Telluride High School as a special and different place (and better, too!) is because of the incredible opportunities presented to our students. Our school year is bookended by two special events – the Telluride Film Festival on Labor Day Weekend in September, and MountainFilm on Memorial Day Weekend in May. Because of the generosity of the festival planners and the great relationships that have been developed between these organizers and the school district, our students are offered exclusive opportunities to view great works and programs brought to our town for these events.

At the end of the school year, there are also many other important events that, although fun and important, can interrupt the instructional day. We decided that this year, we would combine these events into a single, active, exciting, and spirited day of recognition, special presentations, and celebration.

Tomorrow, Friday May 21, 2009, will be a busy and important day at THS. Students will report to school at the regular time (8:15 AM) and will go to their 2nd period classes for attendance. After that, we will all go to the gymnasium for the presentation of the Class Awards, where students will be celebrated for their excellence and hard work all year long. Following the Class Awards, our student council hopefuls will deliver their speeches to convince their peers that they are the best candidate for Student Council and Class leadership. Next, we head to the Palm Theater for an exclusive screening presented by MountainFilm. Finally, the day will conclude with a school picnic and field day, where we will all celebrate another great year of learning and development at THS.

I want you to know that I value this day of school. Each of these events has been deemed so important by our school’s faculty and students that we committed to sacrificing class time so they can be experienced. This is an experiment for our school - and I’ll admit that I am a little bit nervous about it. Some have suggested that students will convince their parents that it would be “okay” for them not to attend this day’s program. I want to disabuse you of that notion entirely. Not only would any frivolous absence be counted as unexcused, but I can assure you that if our students “vote with their feet” and don’t attend these programs en masse, special opportunities such as this will go away – not to be offered during the school day again. I value these unique opportunities and think that removing them from our program would be a shame. I assure you, however, that I will do just that if the students make it clear that they do not value these programs as well.

Please support the school and this special programming by insisting that your child attend school tomorrow and participate fully in all planned activities. It promises to be an exciting and fulfilling day for all of us, and I would hate to see your son or daughter miss out.

Best regards,

Alex Carter
Principal
Telluride High School
725 W. Colorado Ave.
Telluride, CO 81435
(970) 369-1211

ISP3 EXPO - Video

2009-05-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this quick look at what students have been working on in their 3rd ISP. The Cuisine ISP catered the EXPO, the Music ISP provided entertainment by performing, and the Sports Medicine ISP, the Architecture and Design ISP, and the Sustainability ISP demonstrated static display of their topic of study. Overall, it was a great day for all involved!

The 3rd ISP ~ April 20th - May 1st

2009-04-21T06:34:00.000-07:00

As we returned from our wonderful two-week respite, we launched directly into our 3rd ISP period. We began with a short pep talk in the Palm Theatre where I spoke to our students and framed the ISP period once again. Here are some of the highlights of that talk:

1) I wanted our students to realize how special and lucky they are to be in this school. Of all the schools in the USA, only very few are doing anything as innovative and as progressive as the ISP program. This program is completely student-centered and learner-focused. We are giving them access to local and regional experts int the field they have chosen to study. Whether it is sports medicine, architecture and design, cuisine, music theory and production, or sustainability, our students will be intensely immersed into this field of study. I hope they consider themselves fortunate to have this opportunity and take full advantage of the ISP program. I want them to "suck the marrow" out of life!

2) I wanted to remind them what an ISP should be:
a) It is designed to be a hands-on, interactive, real-world, engaging, student centered learning experience. They MUST be actively involved in the program to get the most out of it. Passive learning is frowned upon in the ISPs, and they will enjoy and benefit more if they participate fully in the offerings.
b) These ISPs are a vehicle for THS to help students have opportunities to learn and master the "21st Century Survival Skills" that they will need to be successful in their futures. These skills are (as defined by Tony Wagner in The Global Achievement Gap):
* Critical thinking and problem solving
* Collaboration (teamwork) and leadership
* Effective oral and written communication skills
* Agility and adaptability
* Initiative and entrepreneurialism
* Accessing and analyzing information
* Curiosity and imagination
Because these skills are not content and/or curriculum specific, we have found that the ISPs create a perfect "laboratory" for students to practice and master these 21st century skills. In fact, these lessons could easily be more important to their future success than any of the course content we teach in the regular classroom setting.

It is also important to note that our Advanced Placement students are taking this time to intensively prepare for their AP end-of-course exams with two weeks of review and preparation. We hope that this creates an opportunity for our students to succeed at very high levels on these very important and weighty tests.

If you have any questions or concerns about our program, don't hesitate to contact me.

Have a great spring!

Homecoming Week ~ Recapped!

2009-01-26T14:03:00.001-08:00

Week 2 of our new show, the THS sports wrap-up with Katie Mallard. Great job, Katie!

The New Grading and Reporting Model - Explained!

2009-01-17T10:56:00.000-08:00

Dear THS Community,

Several parents have called with questions about the new grading and reporting system. They asked questions like: “What is a hexter?”; “What is an “MNA?”; “What happened to D’s?; or “Why did we change anyway?” These are all great questions and I realized that while I covered these ideas at the information night, Back-to-School 2008, and in several newsletters and blog entries, I have never written down these ideas in one document that deals only with THS’ new grading and reporting system.

Let’s start with the question, “Why did we change?” This is a really good and valid question, and I totally understand why some are asking it. The system that we abandoned had been used by decades of US schools and did just fine, right? Well, in fact, that is very debatable. The system we are all used to (teachers award each student one grade to represent achievement in class, usually an A,B,C,D, or F) was created during the industrial age (1920s) and was designed to “sort and select” our students for their futures. “A” students, maybe the top 10% of the total, were those students that teachers decided were “university” material. These were the lucky few who were designated to become “professionals”. “B” students, maybe the next 20% of each class, were expected to become the “white collar” workers (factory managers, shop keepers, bank tellers, etc.) who would probably require some post-secondary training. Students below this line (the other 70%!) were not expected to pursue any further educational training and were designated to become the “blue collar” workers that would be the engine of our industrial economy. As you can see, the educators of our nation were expected to “sort and select” the best and brightest from the rest and it was perfectly acceptable for the majority of our nation’s students to either drop out of school before graduation to begin work, or at best to complete their schooling with a weak and incomplete education.

We no longer live in this industrial age. We are now in the information age, and there are fewer and fewer jobs available that require no post-secondary education. In fact, those of us in the educational field are being told by our state and national governments, as well as the leaders of the private sector, that we must strive to prepare each and every student (not just the top 30%) for post-secondary education or training. In other words, we have to strive to help every one of our pupils meet at least the level of basic mastery in each of his or her subjects. In order to achieve this, we are trying to use every weapon in our arsenal – including a new and improved grading and reporting system.

Research shows that grade reports are one of the most powerful tools a school can use to communicate individual learning and progress to students and parents. Unfortunately, the grades we have been issuing (in the traditional “A,B,C,D,F” model) sometimes gave a skewed picture of what was really going on in school. There were so many factors that teachers considered when compiling these grades (including things like test scores, participation, work completion, attitude, behavior, attendance, etc.) that the sum total really didn’t give any clear picture to the student or parent how much the student knew or how proficient the student was at the skills being taught. A student with poor knowledge, but a great work ethic and attitude might be awarded a “B”, while a student who know everything (as demonstrated on tests), but refused to turn in work and had a bad attitude might get a “D” or even an “F”. I’m not sure about you, but this isn’t what we call clear communication.

What we’ve decided to do at THS is divide the grade into two parts:

1) The Academic Grade, which reports the level of academic knowledge and skills, is designed to reflect the level of mastery the student has reached on each of the course content and skill standards assessed during that grading period. There are four levels of mastery that a student can earn. They are:

• A – Advanced Mastery = This student has shown that he or she understands both the content of the course and the skills being taught at advanced levels.
• B – Mastery = This student can demonstrate a solid understanding of the content of the course and the skills being taught as expected for their specific grade level.
• C – Basic Mastery = This student can demonstrate a basic understanding of the content of the course and has basic mastery of the skills being taught.
• MNA - Mastery Not Achieved = This student has not reached the basic level of understanding and skill development yet. He or she should continue to work on this material in order to be able to prove that he or she has indeed reached proficiency, and thus can be awarded credit for this class.

2) The Affective Grade, which reports how well the student is mastering those behaviors and attributes that lead to successful study, work habits, character, and civic responsibility, is the teacher’s way of communicating student mastery in these non-academic, yet very important, scholastic arenas. At THS, we use the 6 P’s as a model for assessing students’ affective skills. Following the same format as the academic evaluation, there are four levels of mastery that a student can earn. They are:

• A – Advanced Mastery = This student demonstrates mastery of this skill or attribute always.
• B – Mastery = This student demonstrates mastery of this skill or attribute most of the time.
• C – Basic Mastery = This student demonstrates mastery of this skill or attribute some of the time.
• MNA - Mastery Not Achieved = This student rarely demonstrates mastery of this skill or attribute.

You will notice that we have eliminated the “D” from our evaluations. The reason for that is that students who performed at the “D” level in the past generally fell below the level that would be considered “proficient” and had not yet reached “basic mastery”. It goes against the basic philosophy of a standards-based system to allow students to receive credit in a class and advance to the next class before they have at least reached “basic mastery” in the proceeding class. In essence, those D’s are an “educational lie” and a form of social promotion. We aren’t giving “D’s” anymore at THS.

It is important to understand that in high school, grades only “count” twice a year. That is to say, colleges and universities never see hexter grades on the transcript – they only see the semester summative grade. Therefore, the hexter reports are really just “progress reports” – a formalized communication between the teacher and the student & parent to communicate how the student stands at with relation to achieving credit at the end of the semester in that course. If you child receives an “A” at the end of the 1st hexter, for instance, the teacher is telling you that so far your child has demonstrated advanced mastery in the content and skills goals student are expected to learn in that course during that semester. If your child receives an MNA, the teacher is sending you a strong message that your child has not currently demonstrating that he or she is on track to achieve at least basic mastery in this course. This is the time to contact the teacher and set up a plan to get your student back on track – schedule help during tutorial periods, after school appointments – this is the time to do whatever it takes to get back on track towards earning credit in the class.

Finally, we have moved to a “hexter” model simply to increase the number of times that teachers formally communicate achievement and progress to students and their parents/guardians. Instead of the old “quarter” system, where students are provided with formal evaluation and feedback four times a year, we have moved to a “hexter” system where the students are evaluated and provided with feedback six times per year. This has been a great burden to our teachers, but many have expressed that the added feedback has given their student and their parents more time to react if things aren’t going well. I will say that the number of students who didn’t receive credit in the first semester has been greatly reduced.

I know this document was long, but I hoped to answer many of your questions in one effort. I hope that you now feel even more comfortable with the new grading and reporting model at THS. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call me (369-1211) or contact me by email (acarter@telluride.k12.co.us) anytime.

Best regards,
Alex Carter

Winter ISP Video - Check It Out!

2009-01-13T14:16:00.000-08:00

This video is a brief look at the exciting, hands-on, learner-centered instruction that is taking place at THS during this ISP period.

What you'll see: The Snow Science ISP is building igloos and working with the ski patrol to study avalanche. The Voc. Ed/Engineering ISP are building Go-Carts and learning about engines and vehicle design. The Performance Arts ISP are writing, planning, and rehearsing thier production (which will be open to the public on Friday, Jan. 16th at 10 AM in the Palm - BE THERE!). The Honors ISP students are focused, directed, and intensively researching topics of their choice in the hopes of earning a "honors" credit for their academic courses. Finally, the AP students are hard at work studying with their AP teachers in the mornings and taking advantage of the "mini-ISPs" in the afternoons.

The music you hear in the background is a bluegrass rendition of "Chalkdust Torture" by Phish. The song writer, Trey Anastasio, wrote this song about how boring his high school experience was with him feeling trapped in his chair as the world passed him by all the while tasting the tortuous "chalk dust on his tongue". I don't think any of our students would write a song like this after their recent experiences at THS.

Enjoy!

Alex Carter

2008-12-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

Telluride High School
Principal’s Report
December 11, 2008

I. Student Count: 169 students

II. HS Accountability:

This year’s HS Accountability committee is very interesting and compelling. Our discussions have touched upon the topics of 21st Century Learning, School Rules and Policies, Grading and Reporting, the ISP program, and most recently, the male/female achievement gap, that is both a national and local issue we need to face. This group’s contributions to my administration have been invaluable.

III. Semester Exams

We are in the final weeks of the semester and our teachers and students are gearing up for their final semester exams. These very important assessments will be instrumental in helping our teachers gauge whether or not our students have reached mastery in the content of each classroom. We will have an abridged day on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week. Wednesday is a Tutorial period for students who want to review with their teachers. Thursday and Friday will be the first SkiPe days. Students who have MNA (Mastery Not Achieved) in any of their classes may be assigned to a "credit recovery" program during the first two weeks after Winter Break. They will get support from some of the best teachers at THS to try to get the mastery they need to earn credit in these classes.

IV. ISP Program

The second ISP period is fast approaching. We are excited that in this second offering, the students had a much greater say in the development and expectations of the intensive. Our students were able to choose from among 3 “general” ISPs, which included: 1) Performing Arts; 2) Vocational/Engineering; and, 3) Winter Studies/Snow & Ice Science. Also, underclassmen were given the opportunity to challenge themselves and earn “Honors” credit in the Honors ISP. Finally, our students who have 2 or more AP classes are being offered 3 “mini” ISPs – in Strategic Games, Snowshoeing/”To Build A Fire”; and Self-Defense.

We are also pursuing grants from TEF and the Telluride Foundation to continue to be able to offer this amazing hands-on experiential education to our students. Keep you fingers crossed.

V. Winter Sports Season

The Miners Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams have begun their seasons, with our men taking part in a big early season tournament in Meeker Dec. 11-13. Our Competition Cheerleading squad had an amazing performance at states, but was eliminated from the finals for a technicality. This was certainly hugely disappointing to our girls, but they showed great class and dignity in their disappointment. The are the Regional Champs, and we couldn’t be more proud of these hardworking girls! Our competition skiers (racing, freestyle, and Nordic) are training for their individual sports. Finally, our Telluride Hockey clubs are on the ice now and are competing almost every weekend. I am so excited to see these kids start to play and compete for their clubs and teams. Go MINERS!

VI. Another Celebration for THS

Telluride High School has once again made US News and World Report's list of the top high schools in the United States. In the report released December 9, 2008, US News & World Report recognized only 29 high schools in Colorado (there are around 360 in the state). They determined that these special schools are doing the best job preparing students for college and life. Telluride was again among this elite group. Schools that are deemed to be among the top 100 schools in the nation are awarded the "Gold Medal", of which there were two in Colorado. Telluride High School was among eight schools in Colorado awarded a "Silver Medal" ranking. Our neighbor, Ridgeway Secondary, was awarded a "Bronze Medal." THS and Ridgeway were the only two schools on the West Slope to receive recognition. Congratulation to the entire THS Community!!!

Another Thing to Celebrate at THS!

2008-12-09T13:39:00.000-08:00

Telluride High School has once again made US News and World Report's list of the top high schools in the United States (http://www.usnews.com/listings/high-schools/colorado/telluride_high_school). In the report released today, US News & World Report recognized only 29 high schools in Colorado (there are around 360 in the state). They determined that these schools are doing the best job preparing students for college and life. Telluride was again among this elite group. Schools who are deemed to be among the top 100 schools in the nation are awarded the "Gold Medal." Telluride High School was among eight schools in Colorado awarded a "Silver Medal" ranking. Our neighbor, Ridgeway Secondary, was awarded a "Bronze Medal." We were the only two school on the West Slope to receive recognition. Congratulation to the entire THS Community!!!

The Winter ISPs

2008-11-20T19:41:00.000-08:00

Dear THS Community,

Today we met for the first time with students to discuss the Winter ISP offerings. This ISP period will be different than the last for several reasons. First, the students who take 2 or more Advanced Placement (AP) classes will have a "hybrid" ISP experience - 1/2 the day will be spent in intensive AP instruction and the other 1/2 will be spent in one of 3 "mini-ISP" offerings. Second, academically aggressive 9th and 10th grade students will be challenging the "Honors ISP", which is a chance to attempt to earn "honors" credit for their academic core classes by undertaking an in-depth study of a topic relating to those subjects and defending their work in front of their teachers and other experts. The rest of the school will opt to engage in intensive study of one of three general ISP options, including: (1) a Performing arts ISP that will culminate in a public production celebrating the arts; (2) a Winter Studies ISP that will engage our students with a hands on study of our winter environments and winter sporting culture; and (3) a Vocational/Technological Education ISP. where our students will study hands-on mechanical work and will compete to design the best machine to beat the challenges facing it. Our students seem more excited than ever to engage in this hands-on, active learning, 21st century education. Keep posted for more details on this exciting and innovative program.

If you have any questions, or want to contact me to find out how you can get involved or contribute to our ISP Program, don't hesitate to call me at 369-1211 or write me at acarter@telluride.k12.co.us.

Best regards,

Alex Carter, Principal

October 23rd Newsletter

2008-10-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

October 23. 2008

Dear THS Community;

It astounds me that we have already almost completed our second month of school! It seems that just yesterday our students were returning from summer vacations eager to see their friends and teachers and begin this new year of learning. Now we have completed the first grading period, finished our first ever ISP, and have jumped into the next all important stretch of learning for the 2008-2009 school year.

Why are the next weeks all important? Research has shown that the most profitable and productive period of learning are the ten weeks preceding winter break. Experts are not sure why this is true, but most suggest that: 1) teachers and students have had enough time to establish the class norms and expectations - both students and teachers alike know how the class is going to go – therefore there is little to distract from the learning; 2) students continue to benefit from the energy they saved up over their summer break, so they remain acutely focused on learning; and, 3) attendance rates during this period are historically the best of the year. For these reasons, I expect the next 2 months of learning to be high quality, intense, and productive at THS. Please send your student to school each day ready to maximize their learning during this crucial educational period.

I’d like to take a minute to reflect upon the innovative program we have just inaugurated at THS – the Intensive Study Period (ISP) program. The ISPs were overall an overwhelming success, with very high approval rates from the students, staff, and community members who were involved in them. In survey data students returned early this week, students reported:
· 68% said that the “learned a lot” in the ISP
· 79% enjoyed the experiences of the ISP
· 74% are excited for their next ISP
· 78% expressed their overall approval of the ISP program
For those of us in the business of education high school aged students, this type of feedback is really exciting. For a first-run program, these are outstanding approval rates. We are currently in the process of forming a new student group, called the THS2.1 committee, which will serve as the student voice in guiding our 21st century programs. This group will be instrumental in the development, planning, and implementation of future ISP offerings.

I am also excited to introduce our first hexter grade reports. This new format is designed to better inform students and parents regarding student academic achievement in class and student’s affective grade, which reflect the student’s progress towards mastering the 6 P’s, the all important interpersonal skills and attributes that we all know are so important not only to success in school, but also in life. Please remember that this hexter grade report is a progress report. No grades are final until the Semester Final Grades, which will go on each student’s official transcript. If you are concerned about your student’s performance, do not hesitate to contact the teacher to create a plan to address your child academic or affective progress.

Once again, I am as happy as ever to be the principal of this great school. Our students, teachers, and community are second to none in the state of Colorado. I look forward to continuing our progress towards being the best educational program we can be for the kids of the Telluride region.

Best regards,
Alex Carter, Principal
Telluride High School

Cuisine Survey

2008-10-17T13:42:00.001-07:00

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=R8ZE_2f4Ro_2bgCmDx7YSzvg5Q_3d_3d

ISP Informational Letter

2008-09-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

September 16, 2008

Dear THS Community,

As we near the debut of our new Intensive Study Period program, I find that I am even more excited than I was when these ideas were first being discussed last fall. I can’t wait to see our students immersing themselves into high-interest, rigorous, and varied fields of study. We believe that the ISP offerings will not only increase our students’ knowledge of the subject areas being explored, but will also help our students develop and master the 21st century “survival skills” so important to their future success. The skills covered will include critical thinking and problem solving; oral and written communication; teamwork and leadership; creativity and agility –these are just a few of the areas that will be focused on in your student’s ISP program.

Each student will earn 1/3 of a credit when he/she meets the expectations for an ISP. This means that each year that a student completes all three ISP offerings, he/she will earn one additional “interdisciplinary credit” toward graduation. Therefore, a student at THS will now have the ability to earn seven credits per year, rather than six, as in years past. This additional credit is required (as is reflected in the newly adopted revised graduation requirements policy). In other words, ISPs are not optional! We consider these learning opportunities to be vitally important elements of our instructional program.

Members of the THS faculty have spent a great deal of time putting together the fall ISP offerings and we are confident that our students are going to be blown away by them. To peak your interest, I am enclosing the course descriptions for this October’s ISP offerings. As we continue to offer more and more diverse curricula in the ISP program, we will be welcoming input and participation from the community - especially if you have relevant expertise and experience. We are always seeking assistance – people, supplies, facilities, and money - to help us to continue to grow and nurture this program. If are able to support us in any way, please indicate this by filling out the volunteer/donations form that is enclosed.

In order for your child to participate in the ISP program, we are asking that each THS student submit a one time annual student activity fee of $100. This money will help us cover the costs of transportation, housing, facilities, supplies, expert instruction, equipment rental, and other expenses associated with the experiential components of the ISP program. Along with the activity fee, each student will need to complete and submit an ISP Permission, Medical and Payment Form (enclosed) by September 26th. There are scholarships available, so you may indicate interest in financial aid on this form.

I hope you are as excited as I am for your student to begin this new chapter in his/her educational journey. If you have any questions or concerns about the ISP program, don’t hesitate to contact me by phone (369-1211) or by email (acarter@telluride.k12.co.us).

Best regards,

Alex Carter, Principal

Questions on the TSD Bond Question???

2008-09-11T10:38:00.001-07:00

Visit the TSDBondQuestion08 blog at http://tsdbondquestion08.blogspot.com/

BBQ Bash - Friday 9/12 after the Varsity Soccer Game

2008-09-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

Don't miss the BBQ Bash being hosted by THS Student Council! This Friday, Sept 12, on the Soccer Field immediately following the first home game for our Varsity Soccer team.

Free Food!

Music!

School and Community Spirit!

See you there!!!

THS Community Newsletter

2008-09-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

September 9, 2008

Dear THS Community,

I would like to thank each and every one of you for an absolutely great opening to the 2008-2009 school year. On Sept. 2, students poured into our halls excited for another great year of learning at THS. This year promises to be one of the most exciting, most memorable, and most important in our school’s history. As we embark on the path to the delivery of a 21st century education at THS, we will be asking more of our students than ever before…but the payoffs will be worth it!

In less than a month, students will be engaged in our first Intensive Study Period session. This two week period will see Telluride High School students riding high in the San Juan mountains learning about “wilderness and survival” in an alpine setting; traveling to Moab to investigate how businesses are capitalizing on the connection between “mind and body”; working with local world-class chefs to explore the “art and science of cuisine”; digging in Crow Canyon in an effort to discover the secrets of the ancient Puebloan people through “southwestern archaeology”; and exploring the power of “protest and social change” through an interactive study of film, music, art, and literature. These unique, interactive, hands-on experiences promise to raise our students’ appreciation and love for learning to new levels.

I am going to take this opportunity to remind you of a few housekeeping issues that are important to the effective administration of our building and the success of our programs:

· Attendance – please remember to communicate directly with the office if your student is absent from school. Your student can either bring in an excuse note to Candice at the front desk, or you can call Candice at 728-4377. Also, should your student need an early dismissal, please notify Candice by note or phone call in advance of your student’s departure.
· Students in AP Classes – please remember that when your student enrolls in an AP class, your family will be asked to help shoulder the added costs associated with these college level courses. Look for bills to help cover the costs of the AP books and test fees.
· Cost of lunch – as rising gas prices affect all of us, the costs of producing lunches for our students has also increased. Thus, students are being asked to pay $3 for hot lunches this year.
· Student Activity Fee – In order to help offset the costs associated with the new Intensive Study Period program, we are asking all students to contribute $100 in a student activity fee. We are accepting these checks now, but would like all of them to be paid no later than September 29, 2008, a week prior to the first ISP.
In addition to the new academic programs being implemented this year, THS has embraced the value of teaching the “affective skills and attributes” each of our students will need to experience success in a 21st century workplace. During the first week of instruction, we focused intensely on the THS model of the “6 P’s”, which include the virtues of Politeness, Punctuality, Preparedness, actively Participating, having a Positive Mental Attitude, and Perseverance. In order to reinforce our belief that these 6 P’s are extremely important life skills that must be practiced and valued, our teachers will be assessing our students’ progress towards mastery of these skills and attributes every reporting period. Our students’ performance in demonstrating these expectations will be included in their final grade, and thus will have an impact on their overall grade point averages. Please take a minute to review the 6P’s handout (enclosed) and our expectations for student behavior and engagement.

I am looking for parent representatives to serve on the High School Accountability committee. Our first meeting of the school year will be held on Tuesday, September 16th from 3:30-5:00 PM. If you are interested, please contact me and I’ll put you on the distribution list.

If you have any questions or concerns about anything you find in this packet or anything else that is going on in the life of your THS student, please don’t hesitate to contact me either by email at acarter@telluride.k12.co.us or by phone at 369-1211.

I hope that the beginning of this school year has been as positive an experience for your family as it has been for mine. I wish you all the best of luck for a great 2008-2009 school year.

And, oh yeah….GO MINERS!

Best regards,

Alex Carter, Principal

Big Sports Weekend

2008-09-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

Big sporting weekend for the Miners. Our Lady Miners volleyball team will travel to Mancos tonight for their first match of the season. I would love to see a HUGE crowd cheering our girls on for their first home match tomorrow, Saturday 9/6 here in T'ride! JV begins play at 10 AM and Varsity will follow at 11 AM. Also, good luck to our Mens Soccer teams, who travel to Crested Butte tomorrow for their first league games.

GO MINERS!!!

High School Back To School Night - Thurs. Sept 18

2008-09-03T17:41:00.001-07:00

Attention THS Community:

I had previously announced that we would have 2 "grade level" back to school nights. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts have prevented us from being able to host both events. Therefore, we will have one 9-12 grade Back-to-School nights on Thursday, Sept. 18. I will host a meet and greet in the Palm Lobby from 5:30-6:15. A brief overview of the TSD School Bond question, which will be on the November ballot, will be presented from 6:15 -6:30. From 6:30 until 6:55, I will present a brief presentation highlighting some of the exciting changes we are debuting at THS this year, including the ISP Program and the new grading and reporting model. Beginning at 7 PM, you will be invited to visit your student's classrooms to meet the teachers and hear about the curricula and program you student will follow. Immediately following the class visits, we will hold a brief Senior Parent Information session, hosted by David & Karen Lavender and Lisa Andrews.

I look forward to seeing the entire THS community at this important event.

2008-08-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

ISP - October 6-17

2008-08-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

Don't forget - Our 1st Intesive Study Period (ISP) will begin on Monday, Oct. 6 and will last two weeks, concluding Oct. 17.
Contact Mr. Carter for information.

Welcome Back Letter 2008

2008-08-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

August 22, 2008

Dear Telluride High School Community,

I hope this letter finds you happy, healthy, and enjoying a wonderful summer break. If you have had half as much fun as I have, I know you’ll be refreshed, energized, and excited to make the coming year at Telluride High School the best one ever! This year students will work harder, learn more, and feel better about school than they ever have before. THS is committed to implementing innovative and exciting programs that will change the way your high school educational program looks and feels.

I can assure you that the faculty of Telluride High School, while also enjoying a break from their professional labors, have been busy thinking about and preparing for innovative new approaches to teaching and learning for the coming school year. Teachers have met to outline their programs for this fall’s Intensive Study Periods (ISPs). Many have attended 21st century learning conferences and other staff development opportunities to better prepare themselves to lead the learning in their classrooms. Teachers spent time collaborating to develop rubrics and expectations to inform our new grading and reporting model. Teachers have continued to prepare engaging and exciting lessons in their ongoing efforts to uncover their subject content while providing the opportunity for students to master the essential survival skills for success in school and life in the 21st century.

An article by Mike Petrilli in a recent educational magazine suggests that the unique offering of extra and co-curricular programs to students in our nation’s schools could be one of the reasons the U.S. worker and economy has enjoyed so much success over the last 75 years. Petrilli says, “Our athletic programs, student councils, debate clubs, school newspapers, orchestras, theater troupes …and the rest of the panoply of after-school activities might be boosting America’s economic output. While Asian kids are cramming at ‘exam cram schools’ and European youngsters are smoking in sidewalk cafes, our students are engaged in activities that give them the confidence to achieve in myriad ways – a taste of achievement they then carry into the world of work.” I encourage each student at THS to consider getting involved in and extra or co-curricular program at THS. Please contact Mike Hughes, our Director of Student Activities, for information on school sports and co-curricular programs.

Again, I am proud and honored to welcome you to the 2008-2009 school year and hope that each of you is ready to have the best year ever at Telluride High School. Go MINERS!

Best regards,

Alex Carter, Principal