Students

Student Handbook
A. Extended Class

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For extended class credit, there are two options for teachers: 1.) If the class is doing PE during extended class time (10:30-12:00) then the credit for extended class is 1.5 for the year. 2.) If the class is doing PE outside of extended class time then the credit for extended class is 2.0 for the year. The Extended Class meets four mornings a week from at least 10:30 to noon. This is the class that will most help you to understand and attain the goals of the School Without Walls. Each Extended Class has a different interdisciplinary theme around which the academics are focused. Therefore, Extended Class time will be used in many ways - making plans, discussions, speakers, lectures, films, research projects, community work, and skill and knowledge development.

Your Extended Class teacher is also your advisor at School Without Walls. At least once every two weeks you will meet with your advisor in an individual conference to discuss your academic and personal growth. These individual conferences are a School Without Walls requirement.

Each Extended class is required to devote part of Friday morning to decision making in which school policy and community-wide concerns will be discussed. At this time students raise questions about school policies, discuss proposals, and vote on issues needing to be resolved.

Students may ask to work with an extended class advisor a second time when they are seniors.

Through a decision-making proposal passed in 1992, a student may also ask to work with an extended class advisor a second time before becoming a senior, if the advisor is willing and there is no objection by other staff members.

Extended Class Requirements for Students

• use a system for planning and managing time
  
• journal
  
• information gathering
  
• information sharing
  
• reading and writing activities and instruction
  
• attend conferences with advisor at least every two weeks
  
• Decision Making
  
• initiate and develop activities with other extended classes
  
• additional requirements specific to your extended class
  
• Learning skills and knowledge related to the class theme

Community Service
(.75 Community Service credit per year)

Community service is an on-going, student planned experience with a local organization or individual that is designed to help you develop responsibility and skills for living within a complex urban society. (Examples of community service are: working with handicapped children at the Mary Cariola Children's Center or as an assistant to an attorney at the District Attorney's Office.) Our experience shows that community service will help you in learning to give back something to a community that is continually supporting you. It will also help to further develop your sense of community, independence and responsibility.

Community Service is a yearly requirement at SWW and must be completed in cooperation with your advisor. Final approval of your community site placement rests with your advisor.

Requirements and standards for Community Service credit include:

1. Completion of the "Contract for Community Service"
2. Involvement for a minimum of 2.5 hours for 30 school weeks of the academic year. First quarter for students may be used as a start-up time to explore appropriate sites for Community Service. Another arrangement may be made by contract with your advisor.
3. A satisfactory evaluation by the Community Service supervisor for each quarter.
4. On-going discussions about your Community Service experience during your conferences with your advisor.
5. Community Service credit can not be earned ahead of time (i.e. doubling up). However, make-up credit may be earned in the summer or during the school year.

1. Community Service by definition means providing service to the community. This does not mean service to a business or organization whose purpose is to make a profit.
2. This definition, combined with New York State Education Policy that forbids any public institution from aiding an organization in making profit, leads SWW to require that Community Service credit be given only for those service activities that are with a nonprofit organization. If students wish to earn elective (but not Community Service) credit by working with a profit making organization they may do so by arranging this with their advisor.
3. Community Service with a religious organization is allowed, if and only if, the activity or program sponsored by the religious group:
   

   (1) makes a concerted effort to offer its program to the entire neighborhood in which it is located or to the entire community, and
   (2) makes no attempt to proselytize any individuals participating in the program,
   (3) receives NYS or Federal funding, is co-sponsored by the City School District or meets criteria #1 & #2 above, but does not receive funding due to small size or unique service to the community.

   
   * This situation requires investigation and professional judgment by the advisor. Any religious activity that involves a religious ceremony, recruitment or indoctrination of individuals is not acceptable as SWW Community Service.
   

Community Service as an extended class group, a combination of extended classes or as an entire school may take place in lieu of individual Community Service.

Remember that three (3) credits (or its equivalent based on your number of years at SWW) in Community Service are required for your graduation at SWW.

Independent Option Within Extended Class

Refer to: News & Notes

• Independent Option Within Extended Class
• Requirements for becoming a fully independent student

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SWW Student Handbook Introduction
Goals of the School Without Walls
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