Watershed was founded as a school based on the best research on learning and teaching, a commitment to focusing on our students’ future, and a dedication to serving the human and ecological communities within and beyond the walls of the school.
THIS IS WHY WE DESCRIBE OUR PROGRAM AS…
Recent High School
Expedition Courses:
Biotechnology and the Future of Medicine
Biodiversity: Ecological and Human Impact
Nuclear Science and Sustainability: Balancing Energy Needs and Environmental Concerns
Indigenous Lives: Past and Present
The US/Mexico Border Chemistry of the Elements: Air, Water, and Earth
Materials, Plastic, and Consumption:
Rise of the Anthropocene
Writing for Change
Vietnam: Colonization, Occupation, Globalization
Recent High School Skills Courses:
Painting and Perception
Chasing Down the Story
3D Graphic Design
Cinema Studies: Genres & Filmmaking Ceramics through the Ages Math
The Hero’s Journey: Storytelling, Archetypes, and Myth
Source of Sea Transformations of Thinking and Self
Belonging
Fire and Fuel
Recent Middle School
Skills Courses:
Digital Design
Math
Spanish
Studio Ceramics
Athletics, Leadership, and Mindfulness
Cinema Studies
Rhyme and Reason
academic philosophy
Our academic program is rooted in the understanding that we learn best when exploring topics that matter to us and are directly relevant to our lives and world. Our deepest learning happens from direct experiences, and our best work comes when we engage in projects that are truly meaningful.
At Watershed, we group academic courses into two categories: Skills courses and Expedition courses. This is purposeful and is linked to research on learning and teaching.
Skills Courses
Skills courses assist students in cultivating the necessary proficiency and aptitude to confront the world’s greatest challenges. These courses encompass a diverse range of competencies, such as research, communication, quantitative reasoning, craftsmanship, artistry, and leadership. These skills and abilities are outlined in our Portrait of a Graduate and are supported by research on achieving success in both college and future endeavors.
Expedition Courses
Expedition courses begin with big questions and challenges that are real in the world and alive in the hearts of our students. The content flows from there, ensuring that the material is responsive to the issue at hand. Expedition courses are categorized as science, social science, and English, depending on the bulk of the content. Expedition courses are natural places to engage students in Work that Matters beyond the walls of the school.
How do Skills and Expedition Courses Support Each Other?
Skills and Expedition courses are coequal aspects of a Watershed education. Courses focused solely on skills, without incorporating Expedition courses, may lead to students acquiring skills without a defined purpose. Expedition courses without Skills Courses would risk exposing students to the great challenges of the world without equipping them with the tools they need to truly address them. Of course, students will also develop skills during Expedition courses, and students will explore real-world ideas and challenges in Skills courses.
Work that Matters
At Watershed, we engage students in Work that Matters. We partner with organizations throughout the community, learning directly from experts and firsthand experiences. Our courses provide relevant and impactful ways for students to make a difference beyond the walls of the school — from gathering scientific research data for other organizations, to sharing their learning in town hall forums, to providing handmade mugs for new residents at a local nonprofit. We do this because it’s good for our community and good for our students. It fosters better engagement, better skill development, more enduring understandings, and a deeper commitment to the common good.
signature programs
Academic Year
Structure
Orientation
Trimester Courses
May Term Courses
Recent High School
May Term Courses:
Water in the West:
Paddling the Green River
Finding Places:
A Study of Kino Bay, Mexico
Exploring Ecuador:
Immersing in Culture and Exploring Biodiversity
Land of Ice and Fire: Field Science in Iceland
Development and Community Empowerment in Kenya
Recent Middle School
May Term Courses:
Preservation: History in Colorado
Preservation:
Public Lands in Colorado
8th Grade Passages in Pine Ridge
Hooked on Fishing Spirit of Creativity
Going Beyond the Expected
Watershed provides meaningful opportunities for students to dive deeply into academic, social, and cultural learning outside of regular course work. Uniquely Watershed, our Signature Programs include:
Advisory
All students are assigned an advisor who works with them throughout middle school or high school. Each advisory is a small group of 9-11 students across grades (6th-8th and 9th-12th) who get to know each other well. Advisory is a place to check in, ask for help, and get academic guidance. It’s also a place to play games, participate in activities off campus, and work jointly on projects that benefit the community.
Watershed students meet with their advisory a few times a week and with advisors one-on-one as needed. For parents, Watershed advisors are the first call to the school — a caring adult who’s keeping tabs on your student’s academic, extracurricular, social, and emotional progress.
Orientation
A strong community foundation is critical to long-term success. At Watershed, students can be true to themselves and develop strong connections with the people around them.
High school students begin the year with an eight-day backpacking trip with their advisory group. They learn valuable outdoor skills and take daily turns leading the group.
After a week on campus, middle school students head out on a four-day camping trip that offers an opportunity to connect with advisors and the middle school as a whole.
Students return feeling more confident, closer to their classmates and educators, and with a common understanding of what it means to be a person of character. Orientation offers an opportunity to learn about resilience, empathy, optimism, and collaboration.
May Term Courses
May Term is a month-long course that integrates in-depth study of a complex topic with overnight travel across the country (6th-8th grade) and the world (9th-12th grade).
Established in 2007 with the opening of our middle school, Passages is a unique May Term program specifically designed for eighth grade students. Through Passages, students prepare for the transition from middle school to high school and celebrate the symbolic passage from childhood to adolescence.
High School
Graduation Requirements
At Watershed School we help each student discover the joy of learning. We also prepare each student to be ready for life beyond high school. Our graduation requirements demand full participation in the educational program, as well as demonstrated proficiency in the areas of emphasis within our unique curriculum. A student who has successfully completed the required coursework at Watershed School will be wellprepared for college and for life. Every student must complete a minimum of 25 high school credits. In addition to Watershed School credits, this can include credits from prior transcripts and other registrar-approved coursework.
Minimum subject area requirements:
English 4 credits
academic assessment
Assessment
At Watershed School, we believe that assessment is a critical part of the learning process itself, rather than simply a way to judge success or failure. Its purposes are:
• to help students evaluate their own progress so they may celebrate their successes and identify the areas that still need work;
• to help educators assess the progress and needs of individual students in order to tailor instruction and experiences to meet those needs, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of their curricula and teaching techniques;
• to determine whether students have mastered specific skills and knowledge; and
• to document the learning that takes place at Watershed School for prospective colleges, for students and parents, and for other professionals in the field of education interested in improving the quality of education in their schools.
2 credits
Social Science 3 credits Science 3 credits Mathematics 3 credits World
Art/Technology 2 credits
Every student must be fully enrolled each term at Watershed.
Being fully enrolled might include student-directed learning opportunities, such as a class or course at a college or university, an independent study, or an internship where students receive Watershed or non-Watershed credits.
The academic year consists of 3 trimesters plus May Term. Students receive a maximum of 7 credits per year at Watershed. Throughout the year, each academic course offered is 0.5 credits per trimester. Students take 4 courses each trimester for a total of 2.0 credits per trimester. May Term stands alone with 1.0 credit course offering each year.
Proficiency Levels
Performance and progress are assessed using the concept of proficiency towards clearly stated learning targets in each course. The proficiency levels are Beginning, Developing (low and high), and Accomplished (low and high). Assessment occurs on an ongoing basis through project evaluations, public presentations of learning, and other evaluations of student learning and community involvement. These include self-reflections, educator assessments, and regular one-on-one meetings with advisors.
Progress Reporting
Parents can expect regular information on their student’s progress through the following types of assessment at Watershed School: At mid-trimester, we have student-led family/educator conferences to discuss student learning and growth. At the end of each trimester, educators share a narrative report as well as a proficiency level. In addition, we ask students to engage in more reflection on their own progress, and these are shared with parents. At the end of the trimester, students present their work during FAIR (Festival of the Arts and Intellectual Reflection) or RoLs (Reflections on Learning).
High School Transcript GPA
At the high school level, we convert proficiency levels to a GPA for ease of credit transfer and acceptance to higher education institutions that typically rely on GPAs for admission and scholarship qualifications. We do not rank students nor do we report a GPA as a regular part of student progress reports. Within our community, our conversations are about student learning and growth, which is too nuanced for any GPA to capture.
