Asha's gallery of her photography
As part of their senior year — a requirement for graduating from Kino — high school students complete a year-long project, doing something substantial that is important to them.
Here are some examples of what Kino students have done:
Written novels and collections of short stories or poetry; directed and edited movies; choreographed and performed dances; created gallery shows of their art and their photography; built a forge, a theramin and an electric violin; made a go set and a chess set; recorded CDs of their own compositions; worked with disabled children; designed and sewed a collection of clothes; interned with a permaculturist.
Harrison constructs one of the rain water cisterns
Some senior projects have become a permanent part of the Kino landscape. The stone terracing and benches at the Secret Garden, the metal sculpture fence that separates the path to the Animal Center from the primary playground; the wind-powered generator; the cisterns and water-harvesting system for the gardens were all made by Kino seniors and donated to the school. (The dragon by the mailbox was given to Mary Lou, but she’s letting us keep it for the time being.)
At the end of May, every senior stands in front of the assembled school — and then in the evening in front of a room full of families — and explains what he or she has worked on over the past year. It often seems at that moment, when each of them, somehow, has become poised and articulate, that we realize they have become young adults and high school graduates.
Senior projects can presage a student’s future career:
Jon Norman, who learned to fly as part of his senior project, became an Air Force pilot.
Eleanor Davis published a comic book every month for her senior project; her two (so far) graphic novels for kids have won numerous awards.
Sierra Ring, who created a dance video for her senior project, is a member of the Rockettes in New York City. See if you can spot her in this video.
