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Apologies for any confusion--the original version of this email had the wrong date for tomorrow's online community meeting. It will happen at 5pm this Thursday, 12/1.
Dear Osprey Students and Families,
As we approach the end of semester, we want to be sure everyone has the information they need about Presentations of Learning (POLs), end of semester schedules and other events. Next Wednesday is the final day of regularly scheduled classes and all students will complete POLs before the end of the semester. Student schedules from Thursday 12/9 through Thursday 12/15 will vary depending on grade-level expectations and when a student is scheduled to present and/or panel.
Friday 12/16 is set aside for our move to the new campus at Fort Lewis College. Please plan to join us this Thursday, 12/1 at 5pm for an online community meeting via meet.google.com/ivj-junq-yyv to hear more about the move. Dr. Jenni Trujillo, Dean of the FLC School of Education will join Rebecca to share important information about our partnership, how we hope to collaborate and how we can move forward in a way that makes sure we are excellent neighbors to the college community.
Presentations of Learning are formal presentations given by students to a panel comprised of peers, community members, teachers and/or parents. The format for POLs varies from grade to grade, but generally speaking, students use digital portfolios, samples of work and other evidence to demonstrate learning and growth and articulate goals. POLs can be powerful and transformational experiences for Animas students and we encourage everyone to take full advantage of the opportunities they create. Much like final exams at other schools, POLs are not optional; all students are required to successfully complete a POL in order to continue on with 2nd semester at AHS.
POLs require professional dress, which means that students must wear:
- a button-down shirt and tie, shirt with finished neck, sweater or blouse;
- a nice pair of slacks (no jeans), skirt or dress;
- dark socks to match trousers and dress shoes (no sneakers, no excessively high heels).
Unlike SLCs, if a student arrives for POL without professional dress, it will mean automatically rescheduling the POL for a different time. Please communicate with an adult at school if procuring professional dress clothing is cost-prohibitive; we have extra clothes and will find a way to help!
It’s worth noting that it is not unusual for students to need to do POLs more than once before they successfully meet expectations, and that being asked to redo a POL certainly does not mean a student cannot succeed. Students should head into POLs with a growth mindset and recognize that when we hold them to high standards of excellence it’s because we know they are capable of meeting them. We ask that if families are traveling for Winter Break, they do not plan early departures, as students may need to redo POLs on Thursday 12/15.
POLs will be scheduled in grade-level core classes and students are responsible for communicating home about when their POL will take place. While students are not required to be on campus when they are not presenting or paneling, they are certainly welcome; that said, there will not be classes or activities planned for them these days.
9th Grade POLs
Students will present POLs before a panel of classmates and teachers, highlighting work from classes using DPs and reflecting on their first semester of high school. Core teachers will help students prepare for POLs beginning next week. Students are on campus for the entire day of their POL so they can both present and serve on a panel for classmates. Students are not required to be on campus for the days that they are not presenting/paneling. Those who do not meet expectations for POLs or paneling will be asked to refine and return again. Students are welcome to invite family members and friends to attend their POL if they choose to. Please talk at home about what would be best for your student; it’s important that students feel as comfortable, confident and supported as possible. For some, this means presenting without the additional pressure of parents in the room, for others, a parent in the audience can help inspire excellence
- POL Prep begins in core classes on Wednesday 12/7 and continues for the full day on Thursday and Friday, with POL Dress Rehearsal on Friday
- POLs are Monday 12/12, Tuesday 12/13 and Wednesday 12/14
- Make-up POLs are scheduled for Thursday 12/15
10th Grade POLs
POLs for sophomores take the form of a brief presentation focused on a specific topic chosen by the 10th grade team, followed by an in-depth interview with a panel of teachers and students. All students will present and will panel for their peers. Individual schedules will vary and students need only be at school on those days at the time of their individual POL, and the times they are scheduled to panel. Parents are welcome, though not required, to attend. Please talk at home about what would be best for your family; it’s important that students feel as comfortable, confident and supported as possible. For some students, this means presenting without the additional pressure of parents in the room, for others, a parent in the audience can help inspire excellence.Those who do not meet expectations for POLs the first time will be asked to refine and present again. Those who successfully complete POLs the first time will not be required to attend days after they have finished presenting unless they are scheduled to panel.
- POL Prep in core classes Tuesday 12/6 through Friday 12/9
- POLs are Monday 12/12, Tuesday 12/13 and Wednesday 12/14
- Make-up POLs are Thursday 12/15
11th Grade POLs
Junior POLs take the form of individual job interviews that prepare them for LINK Internships. They will interview with a pair of teachers and, in most cases, one peer. In order to best simulate an interview there will not be any additional audience members, including peers and parents, in the room. Individual schedules will vary and students need only be at school at the time of their POL and the time they are acting as an interviewer. Those who do not meet expectations for POLs the first time will be asked to refine documents and/or interview again. Those who successfully complete POLs the first time will not be required to attend days after they have finished presenting.
- Core classes will continue to meet in the morning Thursday 12/8 and Friday 12/9
- POL Prep begins in the afternoon on Thursday 12/8 and continues on Friday 12/9 and Monday 12/12
- POLs are Tuesday 12/13 and Wednesday 12/14
- Make-up POLs are Wednesday 12/14 in the afternoon and Thursday 12/15
12th Grade POLs
Seniors will use POLs as a way to pitch their Senior Project ideas, and families of seniors are strongly encouraged to attend, as it will provide an opportunity for parents to help with the critique. Seniors are also encouraged to invite community members beyond their parents to sit on their panel for extra credit. All seniors will panel twice for peers in addition to presenting their own POL; paneling and presenting will happen on three separate days for seniors. They will not need to attend school on days when they are neither presenting or paneling. Seniors are expected to continue to attend elective classes through Tuesdady 12/6, when these classes end.
- POL Prep will begin on Tuesday, 11/29 and will continue through Wednesday 12/7 in core classes
- POLs are Wednesday 12/7 through Thursday 12/15
- Make-up POLs are scheduled as needed
Please take time to check in at home about the end of the semester, when stress levels can run high. Reflective work like this can be challenging, but it can also be deeply rewarding. As always, we’re here to address any questions or concerns you might have and we appreciate working in partnership with families to help Ospreys finish the semester strong.
We look forward to seeing many of you tomorrow evening on campus for the 9th and 10th Grade Humanities Exhibition, or online Thursday evening for the community meeting about our move.
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