Some Frequently Asked Questions about L.I.F.E. School: 1. What kinds of students come to LIFE School and why do they apply?         • Some students are attracted by the block scheduling, which allows them to organize their academic lives, to focus on fewer subjects at a time, and thus become more successful students.         • Others are looking for community, a welcoming and intimate school family.         • A third group is seeking a different way to learn, for more project-based assignments and hands-on opportunities, like internships. They want something different than the typical junior or senior year program.         • Some students seek us out because they want a school experience that emphasizes cooperation instead of competition.         It is our goal as staff members to create a student population that balances all of the above.   2. Can students take courses on the main campus while in LIFE School?         Yes. In fact, students must fulfill physical education, health, and foreign language requirements (other than Italian) on the main campus, in addition to any fine or performing arts classes or other electives or AP courses they might want to pursue.   3. Are there any restrictions about taking courses on the main campus?         Yes. We expect a certain degree of commitment from students who elect to join our program. We encourage kids in LIFE to take as many academics with us as possible; juniors should plan to take at least ¾ of their major academic subjects {American Lit II, American History, Environmental Science, and Math 11} in LIFE School; seniors are expected to take at least one course (besides advisory/community) in LIFE each semester.   4. Do LIFE students get to interact with their friends on the main campus?         Yes. Students still eat in the cafeteria, participate in clubs or sports, take electives on the main campus, and bump into friends on the quad during free periods.   5. How long is the commitment, if a junior joins LIFE School?         We ask students to commit for one year. Our block schedule, which allows students to complete a year’s work in a semester, does not coordinate with parallel courses on the main campus. For example, if a student took English and history in the fall, then decided to leave LIFE School in January, there would be no way to earn a full credit in math and science for that year. It is part of our practice of thoughtful decision-making that juniors consider their goals for senior year in a meeting with their parents and LIFE staff before declaring whether they will stay in LIFE or return to the main campus.   6.  Is LIFE School a part of Greeley?         Yes. Our students and seniors have all the privileges and opportunities that other Greeley students have. We have had, in our community, peer leaders, class officers, science researchers, cast and tech members of various plays, as well as of band, chorus and orchestra, and members of the swim, cheerleading, football, ski, tennis, field hockey, lacrosse, bowling, wrestling, and basketball teams. We also welcome students who choose not to take part in clubs and sports. 7. How are special education services handled in LIFE School?         While we are not a special education program, we do have students who receive services through an academic clinic. All test mods are honored. Many of our students, including those with learning issues, benefit from the block scheduling, the smaller class sizes, and the close relationships between teachers and students.   8. What kind of transcript do LIFE students have?         LIFE students fulfill all state requirements for graduation; some elect to take AP courses on the main campus. They retain their school counselor, need the standard number of credits for graduation, and earn a New York State Regents diploma through Horace Greeley High School.   9. To what colleges & universities have LIFE seniors been accepted?         Here is a partial list of schools to which LIFE graduates have gone (or to which current seniors have been accepted for 2006-07): Berkley School of Music Columbia University Culinary Institute of America Earlham College, Emerson College Eugene Lang College Franklin & Marshall College George Washington University Indiana University Manhattan College New York University Northern Arizona University Skidmore College SUNY: Albany Binghamton Buffalo ESF Delhi   Purchase Syracuse University Quinnipiac University Rochester Institute of Technology Union College University of Kansas University of Miami University of Pittsburgh University of Vermont Wheaton College Wingate University