trevordayschool

ere is an ongoing debate concerning the issue of depth versus breadth in relation to learning strategies in high school education. "Drilling down" is a term often repeated by educators and curriculum coordinators across the country, but seldom accomplished. Most educational systems do not have the capability to offer in-depth studies of specific areas of interest for students. Teachers are perpetually pressured to cover a wide range of material and teach to the test. At Trevor, the faculty, administration, and board choose to challenge the norm of standard educational expectations to make deeper and self-directed learning available. It is well documented that students thrive when their interests are tapped and when they can learn in a self-directed manner. At Trevor, we see this deeper learning across the disciplines and grade levels, as it is an integral element in inquiry-based learning. In high school, Trevor offers its own versions of "drilled-down learning," with its Senior Bridge Project and its Independent Study Program, which both allow students to attain great depth and breadth in their chosen field. For the past five years, Trevor has offered the Indepen- dent Study Program—a unique opportunity for juniors and seniors who aim to take a segment of their education to the next level. e Independent Study experience further enriches Trevor's curricular offerings. e program gives them an opportunity to design their own area of study and develop coursework, reading materials, and outcomes to support their learning. Independent studies are spearheaded by self-motivated students, and thoughtfully designed in collaboration with advisors, the college guidance team, faculty members, and the senior administration. e Independent Study Program mirrors the mission of Trevor, as it puts students at the center of their learning and supports their efforts to achieve academic and personal excellence in an inquiry-driven, idea-rich community. At the end of his junior year, Alexander McNicholl '16, approached Grades 6–12 Video Arts Teacher, Micah Schaffer, about studying the art of animated film. Knowing he would be graduating the following year, Alexander wanted to take full advantage of the many resources Trevor offers before moving on to college. He wrote a proposal stating the purpose, goals, resources, and expectations for his independent study. He then worked with Mr. Schaffer and Stephanie Knowles, Grades 9–12 Fine Arts Teacher, to design a formal syllabus. After receiving approval from his advisor, the college guidance team, and Daniel Feigin, Assistant Head of School and Director of High School, Alexander began his research on animated film. He studied the art of animation, wrote his own stories, and began drawing characters. Soon, he was developing his own material through storyboards with the goal of giving them animated life on screen. 1 0 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 – 2 0 1 6 Ms. Knowles noted that this program attracts a particular type of student. In her eight years at Trevor, she has worked with a half dozen self-motivated and highly curious students on independent studies. She emphasized that each student had taken the opportunity very seriously: "ese students, by nature, are going to be really engaged in what they're doing—that's a great person to teach." T R E V O R T R A N S L AT E S : high school independent studies

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