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GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

School One is a pioneer in rethinking high school graduation to emphasize student mastery and demonstration of knowledge and skills. At School One we begin with the knowledge, independence, and abilities we know students will need to be successful in college, at work, and as positive members of their community. Every student has opportunities to develop their voice, uncover their passions, and increase their responsibility for their own growth.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE:
  • Completing all required coursework including credits in English, mathematics, science, U.S. history, social studies, visual and/or performing arts, health / physical education and a series of electives.
  • Completing a polished Senior Essay that the student will use in college application.
  • Completing one community service project (of at least 10 hours) each academic year.
  • Passing competency exams in the Humanities and Mathematics.
  • Presenting a successful exhibition before the Graduation Board of Review that synthesizes growth and achievement during high school and explains post-graduation plans.
WHAT IS A "GBR" ANYWAY?

An exhibition before the Graduation Board of Review, or GBR, is required for every School One senior. An exhibition is a culminating presentation requiring students to reflect on their learning and present their best work in a portfolio. Before the GBR, a board of teachers, peers and parents, students present:

  • Their growth, personally and intellectually.
  • Evidence of their community involvement, creative expression, and extra curricular activities.
  • Key accomplishments and achievements.
  • An overview of their plans and goals for the future.
Click here to download our graduation requirements
ALUMNI PROFILES
After graduating from Berklee College of Music, Debra has performed extensively as a pianist, vocalist, composer and arranger as part of the jazz ensembles, Reminiscence, Pizazz, and the Debra Mann Jazz Trio and Quartet. In 2010 Debra was on the Official Ballot for the Grammy Awards in several categories, including Record of the Year.
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I credit School One with giving me a head start on life, on getting to know who I was and having the freedom to follow my heart’s desire.

Debra Mann '77
Debra Mann '77
Michael earned an MFA at Columbia University after getting his Bachelor’s degree from Hampshire College. During the next 15 years he wrote several staged plays, and worked in Bosnia and Iraq as the UN Representative of Veterans for Peace. In 2003 he founded the Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership (GRASP), which is now the largest organization in the world for adults on the autism spectrum.
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I haven’t yet found words to describe what it’s like going from a near-outcast in one educational setting to a heralded prodigy in another.

Michael John Carley '83
Michael John Carley '83
While at School One, Karen got an internship with an attorney on a high-profile case, which sparked her interest in pursuing a law career. She has specialized in mental health law, advocating for civil rights and community integration for people with mental disabilities. She currently works in the Massachusetts public defender office and is an adjunct professor at New York Law School.
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It was the respect and individualized education I found at School One that set me on a positive path.

Karen Owen Talley '86
Karen Owen Talley '86
After graduating from School One, award-winning illustrator/author Elicia Castaldi, received a BFA in Illustration from RISD and moved New York City. She illustrated the children’s book Miss Polly Has a Dolly (2003) and Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf (2007). The latter has won several awards, including an ALA Notable Book Award, Publishers Weekly Starred Review and the Susie Wilde Award.
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School One tore down every pre-conceived belief I ever had about what school had to be like. It taught me to make my own path, to live life passionately, and to be ME.

Elicia Castaldi '97
Elicia Castaldi '97
Allysen is an internationally touring musician known for her alternative folk sound. Paste Magazine listed her as one of Rhode Island’s Top Bands. She is signed to German label JellyFant Schallplatten, and the domestic label 75 or Less Records.
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Before School One, music was something I had in me, but took for granted.

Allysen Callery ’87
Allysen Callery ’87
A writer/performer who has toured the country with several one-man shows, Seth is currently writing a trilogy about the underbelly of the self-help movement. The first installment, Losing My Religion: Confessions of a New Age Refugee won an Encore Award at both the Boulder and Minnesota Fringe Festivals. Seth has a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a focus on Creativity in Education from Naropa University in Boulder.
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Before School One, I was trapped in a public school system that was more about surviving and social status than getting an education.

Seth Lepore '92
Seth Lepore '92
After becoming an engaged student at School One with a passion for art, Patty went on to attend the Pratt Institute in New York, earning a BFA in 2003. A children’s book author and illustrator, Patti published The Amazing Hamweenie in 2012, as part of a two-book deal by Penguin Group.
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School One’s teaching method was interactive and all encompassing, inspiring me to actually want to learn and participate.

Patty Bowman '98
Patty Bowman '98
Rafay is an artist and musician best known for his band Ravi Shavi, which he started as a solo project right after graduating from School One. He went on to graduate from SUNY Purchase with an Anthropology degree and later signed with Almost Ready Records. Rafay’s band has scored shows for Netflix and, recently, he performed at The 2017 Whitney Biennial in New York.
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School One’s environment didn’t stifle originality or creativity. There was a higher emphasis on learning.

Rafay Rashid ‘09
Rafay Rashid ‘09