Week 5 Update (4/27-5/1)

Here is this week's update video, where I just might have learned a Tik Tok dance and recruited a guest AHS teacher for a cameo...

(But seriously, I'd love more student involvement with these so if you want to send me a contribution for next week's update, go crazy and create something to make your classmates laugh, or provide them with some inspiration. Email me the file by noon on this Thursday!)

Written Update
I know this week may have brought another round of roller coaster emotions as you received the board's decision to continue "home-based learning" (shout out to Libby for that phrase) through the rest of the school year. Many of you likely saw that coming, but even so, it is a tough pill to swallow. I'm holding you all in my heart and mind as we move through this school year together, apart. I know we'll find a way to celebrate you all in true Osprey fashion and I can't wait to do so at the end of May, seeing the culmination of a semester (four years, really) of hard work in your TED Talks, final action projects, and the moment you all walk across that stage, in whatever form that stage will ultimately take.

Alright, before I get all teary eyed and fry my keyboard and tick Dusty off, here's this week's update, which is 95% a repeat of last week's!

1. Send me a photo of you working on your action project! And, if you want to contribute to next week's video update, see my note above.
 
2. Thesis Refinements: For those of you who still have time, remember that thesis re-submissions are due 1 week after you receive an email with  your rubric and comments from your Humanities teacher. Remember, the thesis is 50% of your overall Humanities grade and thus has a big impact! 

3. See pages 1-3 of this document for a senior project calendar for April and May-- it includes action project and TED Talk dates

4. Action Project

•  Each Monday, you should review your milestones, adjust them as necessary and set specific goals for the week.  Then, you should create a schedule for yourself for the week. See the 2020 Senior Project Calendar and Weekly Schedule for an example as well as a calendar for April and May(followed by weekly assignment updates)
• Cohort Crew Conferences and Advisor Conferences: These should be happening each week!  Please show up to these prepared and ready to contribute
• Action Project Deadline: Generally, you should aim to complete your action project by Tuesday, May 5th as we begin TED Talk prep on Wed. May 6th.  Technically, you COULD keep working on your action plan until TED Talks begin (Friday, May 15th) BUT just know that you'll be juggling both action projects and TED Talk prep. You'll need to speak  and show evidence about BOTH your thesis research and your action project work in your TED Talk.

5. TED Talks
The senior teaching team met on Tuesday, 4/21 to discuss TED Talk format.  We will continue working together this week to dial in our expectations for a virtual TED Talk format and work on preparing lessons for you all to help you succeed. We'll communicate all that out in next week's Update but if you have any thoughts/suggestions about TED Talk format and how best to teach/prepare you all for them, please reach out to me asap!

TED Talk prep will start Wed., May 6th and run through Thursday, May 14th.  Presentations will likely run between Friday, May 15th and Friday, May 22nd.  Again, more specifics to come next week. 

Keep crushing it, Class of 2020!