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PETE CLARKE - PCLARKE@SIERRATEL.COM
PETE
CLARKE/SIERRA STAR
Student Victoria Rubottom built from scratch a Victorian “Hope Chest”as
part of her senior project. She holds examples of the various construction
techniques she used.
PETE CLARKE/SIERRA STAR
Kay Tarr, co-chair of the YHS English Department, takes a breather between
meetings with students and student project panel volunteers.
“Whew. I can’t
believe it. It’s over. I did it. At last. Finally. YES!”might have been
just a few of the comments by triumphant Yosemite High School students
this past week, as they finished the final leg of a year-long quest —
the completion of the daunting, multi-task Senior Project.
The last assignment of the Senior Project requires a ten-minute speech
by each student before a small audience of volunteers from the community
followed by a brief question and answer period. The speech sums up each
student’s year-long experience of choosing a project, interviewing a mentor,
writing a formal project proposal letter, spending at least 24 hours on
the project, performing 20 hours of community service (if the project
itself did not involve community work), composing a research paper of
at least 2,000 words, and assembling a record of everything for a portfolio.
“Whew,” indeed. A very well deserved “Whew.”
Participation in this ambitious program, developed more than 10 years
ago by teacher Jane Fraser of the English Department, is a graduation
requirement for all seniors, including those in the International Baccalaureate
program. It is designed to give kids “a focus during their senior year,”
said Kay Tarr, co-chair with Matt Skeahan of the YHS English Department,
“and is tied to the Expected Schoolwide Learning Results or ESLRs.”
The ESLRs, which makes up the core of the YHS academic philosophy, targets
six areas of development in the student: critical and creative thinking,
effective work habits, effective communication skills, essential technological
awareness, community contribution, and basic living skills.
High school is, after all, the last formal year of the education system.
The Student Project is almost a wake-up call to the future, where students
are encouraged to learn and then to demonstrate the skills necessary to
take their place effectively in a community of adults.
Hence, many of the kids do projects involving activities they intend to
pursue as a profession. For example, this year one student went on drive-alongs
with the Madera County Sheriff’s Department because she was considering
law enforcement. Experiences vary, but many students come to an understanding
about themselves. “I thought I wanted to do this and now I know better.”
Others are more excited than ever. A project can either affirm or negate
goals.
“I have seen just about everything,” said Tarr. Kids have worked in alcohol
re-hab programs, volunteered in clinics, labored at Manna House, rung
bells and manned Salvation Army donation stands, put on proms, bowling
tournaments, and a track meet for special education kids. A pair of students
this year taught hip hop classes at a dance studio as a free service to
the community. “Participants had a marvelous time,” said Tarr. People
who volunteer at this level of community service often have profound experiences.
Yet, according to Tarr, the teachers continue to be surprised by some
of the unique projects that have gone through. Many of these projects
have expanded civic significance. This year for instance, a student created
a 20-minute video of interviews with suicidal teens. Well made, the video
provided an important resource to the student community and was donated
by the student to the school's health class.
The proud teacher continued through a long list of accomplishments by
former and present students, including — a girl who had never sewed before
made a formal wedding dress for her brother's wedding; a cowboy, specializing
in one rodeo event, decided to challenge himself and enter all the rodeo
events so he could experience them all; a girl, who was afraid of heights,
tackled rock climbing, overcame her fear, and became exhilarated by the
sport.
Many became passionately committed to their projects and forgot about
time. One student worked night after late night in the cold garage of
his home to complete the rebuilding of a car engine. “I wore three sweaters
sometimes. One night it was so cold the paint wouldn’t dry. I had to paint
it again.”
“They're supposed to stretch their limits,” said Tarr. Many do just that.
“We want our speech panelists to tell the kids they’re wonderful and to
write positive things about them. It works out well when the volunteers
validate the kids’ activity,” said Tarr, when she discussed the job of
the community volunteers who listen to the student speeches.
“Some of the kids muddle along the whole year, and then when they’re finished,
they smile, ‘Wow these people liked what I did.’” Although some students
fight the project all the way through, “I’ve never had one kid come back
to me and say this is the dumbest thing I ever did,” said Tarr. Often
the response of the student is, “I'm really glad I did this. I did it!”
But does it change kids? “Some kids have a remarkable experience,”responded
Tarr. She related that a senior last year volunteered at Children’s Hospital
Central California. During his presentation speech he said, “if you asked
me would I do this again, if you asked if this changed me,” then he stopped
and choked up and said “To hold a little baby in your arms that you know
isn’t going to live out the week is a life changing experience, I’ll never
be the same person.”
“The theory is that the kids will be more involved, it will be more meaningful
to them,” said Tarr.
“Sometimes it works.”
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