Making Senior Year Count

 This is the 4 th year that CAS has participated in the SD Senior Experience.  By 2012, all SD high schools will be required by law to have some sort of senior capstone experience.  The Senior Experience allows you to customize much of the coursework in your senior year to fit a topic of your choice.

 Generally there are two ways to approach the senior experience: 1.As career exploration – you may choose to research, shadow, and present on a career area or a topic within the career you hope to someday have. 2.As a mean of gaining a life-long hobby – is there something that you always wished you were able to do? This is a great opportunity to learn something new.

 The senior experience is composed of 4 phases. PHASE 1 – the Research Paper PHASE 2 – the Portfolio PHASE 3 – the Product PHASE 4 – the Presentation

 You will spend a substantial portion of your time fall semester researching, interviewing, shadowing, and writing a focused research paper on a selected topic.  Often the most informative (and often the most fun) part of this process is the shadowing experience.

 Throughout the process you will be keeping an e-portfolio of your work.  It can be accessed at: m/ m/  This portfolio serves as evidence to the judges of your process and growth throughout the experience.

 There is no set formula for what a product should be.  There are several different ways to approach this. Some suggestions include: Creating a tangible object or model Creating a scholarly study Gathering, collating, and presenting survey or experimental data Preparing and delivering a lesson or presentation for a class Creating a multimedia presentation (more that PPT) Organizing and executing an event

 Your presentation will take place in front of a panel of judges (whom you choose) and invited guests.  The overall presentation needs to be at least 20 min. (Don’t worry, most people are over not under time.)  It will cover all 4 phases of the process.  The presentation to the judges is not the same as your product – your product must have another application.

 In the weeks leading up to Labor Day, we will be doing some activities that will focus our future plans and values as we choose the topic that we want to work with for a whole year.  You must first choose between a career path or a lifelong hobby path.  Ask yourself, “What would be more beneficial to me? Learning a new skill, or exploring and gaining a mentor in a career field?”

 The next step is to focus down your topic. You do not want to do a whole project on the medical field. Choose one job or topic within that field, and sometimes even a subtopic within that topic.  Discuss your choice with Mrs. Oorlog, your academic advisor, and your parents.  Fill out appropriate paperwork.

 The senior experience not only allows you to apply the skills you have gained in high school, it sometimes leads to opportunities. Part-time job offer at a hunting lodge Part time job as a computer support tech ($15/hr!) Job offer at a computer repair shop Free senior photo shoot and digital rights ScholarshipsContinued use of expensive equipment Continued friendships/ mentorships Decisions on college or tech school programs

 By Wednesday, September 8, turn it your topic selection form signed by you, your academic advisor, and your parents.