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
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