Oxford High Senior Capstone Program is a requirement for all seniors. The default option available to all seniors is to conduct a Senior Independent Project. Additional options, including internships and college courses, are available to qualified Seniors who meet the program's criteria. Please see details below.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Oct 2, 2017 Effective immediately, all seniors are eligible for all three Capstone options! If you wish to conduct a Capstone Internship and you do not meet the GPA >85% cutoff, you are required to submit an essay along with your project proposal, but you are eligible to apply!
ANNOUNCEMENT: Oct 2, 2017 Effective immediately, all Capstone Internship candidates are required to identify, contact, and set up their own internship opportunity. You will be asked to submit the contact details of your internship site as part of the internship proposal process. The Capstone Committee will continue to solicit internship opportunities and pass along suitably matched site opportunities to students, however, the ultimate responsibility for securing an internship rests with the student.
We are excited to announce that beginning this school year, students have additional Capstone options to choose from. Each option provides students with opportunities to hone their research and analytical skills and/or explore a career interest prior to beginning college or other post-secondary pursuits.
Capstone Project: field work on your own time, mentor collaboration, reflection writing
Capstone Internship: during school, from mid-May-June, at a host site, 30 hrs/week
College course: 3-credit class at accredited institution, spring semester
Each option requires unique planning and qualifications. Please see descriptions of the three options on later pages to help with your decision.
ADVISORY TEACHER
Each senior is assigned an Advisory teacher who will serve as an in-school mentor for students as they perform Capstone. The Advisory teacher is each student’s primary contact with the Capstone program and he/she approves aspects of the project and helps the student to understand requirements, make good choices, and meet deadlines.
WEBSITE
A specialized website helps manage the expanded options we are offering. Each student has unique login credentials and must utilize the software in order to complete Capstone. The software helps students accomplish necessary tasks such as send messages to their Advisory teacher, track deadlines, and submit their proposals and journal entries. Students are instructed in the use of software at various times throughout the year.
CAPSTONE FAIR
Regardless of which Capstone is chosen, there is a required end of year presentation for all seniors, a Capstone Fair. Presentations are held on the afternoon of the last day of senior final exams. The format for the presentations be similar to a science fair. Parents and community members are invited to attend and students must be prepared to answer questions about their projects. The Capstone Fair is the final assessed portion of Capstone and the final step in completing the requirement. Therefore, it is mandatory.
Please start thinking and talking at home about your senior year opportunities. As many districts in Connecticut can attest, these expanded options provide students with even more hands-on, independent experience that will better prepare them for life after high school. We look forward to learning what you make of these exciting opportunities!
If you have questions, or need help making a decision about which program is best for you, please start with your Advisory teacher.
OHS CAPSTONE: project options
SENIOR INTERNSHIP (effective 10/2/2017, Internship elegibility has been expanded. See ** below)
A Senior Internship is a thirty hour per week unpaid work experience opportunity. Students will select areas of interest and experience a work environment at an employer’s location for at least 30 hours per week. Work hours will be during school hours, therefore students participating an internship will be exempt from final exams and from coursework during the internship. This year, internships will occur from May 21 through June 1 (subject to change due to changes in the academic calendar).
Those students opting for a Senior Internship must complete/achieve the following for approval:
· Internship Proposal: delineates student’s interest in participating in the Senior Internship experience, student areas of interest, and evidence of the personal responsibility required for such an undertaking.
· Resume: a brief account of a person's education, qualifications, and previous experience, typically sent with a job application.
· **Maintain a minimum 85% overall GPA for all high school coursework. NEW: If this achievement is not reached, students will be considered for this option upon successful completion of essay described below**.
· Have not failed nor be in danger of failing any senior year course.
· Maintain above average records of discipline and attendance.
· Candidacy review by Oxford staff.
· Internships are not allowed for sites where students are employed nor where family members or relatives are involved directly in the internship project.
*The Senior Capstone Committee will approve each project.
*You must meet with your faculty mentor at least once a week during the course of your project.
*During the internship, students are required to submit a timesheet signed by their internship supervisor.
*All interns must complete online reflection writing, a written response to a prompt asking about various aspects of their experience.
*All students must present their experience at the end of year Capstone Fair.
**NEW: Students who have not achieved a minimum 85% overall GPA for all high school coursework may still be considered for a Senior Internship if they submit a minimum 300 word essay based on the prompt: “Although I do not qualify for this Capstone opportunity based on __________, I feel I should be considered for it because ____________ .” The Capstone Committee will review all exception essays and render a fair decision on each student’s admittance into the program.
Beginning in March, the Senior Internship Committee will assign the available internships to students based on the merit of their application and high school transcript. While we cannot promise every student will get one of the internships they have identified, we will work as hard as possible to satisfy everyone’s goals. In the end, the decisions of the Capstone Committee are final.
The Capstone Committee must approve your participation. If you aren’t sure you should apply for the Internship, please speak to your School Counselor. Seniors who, based on the above criteria, do not qualify for the internship are expected to complete the Senior Project.
In order to participate in this program, it is your responsibility to meet eligibility requirements and you must submit your internship proposal by December 1. Remember, the Senior Project is available to all students and is the default option.
SENIOR PROJECT
A Senior Project is a self-directed, independent research project on a topic of your choosing. The Senior Project is closest in form to previous years’ Capstone (although there are differences). Those students opting for a Senior Project must complete the following for successful completion:
· Project Proposal: delineates the essential question or research you will explore, the learning you will engage in throughout the project, how you will apply a variety of skills and knowledge from several disciplines to complete the project, and the social significance of your work. Where your field work will be done and how the field work supports your objectives.
· Collaboration Plan: the name of your project mentor and/or any other expert you will consult and how their role in the project. Group projects (multiple OHS seniors attempting to satisfy Capstone obligations together) are not allowed.
· Presentation Plan: a detailed explanation and rationale for what you will present at the year-end Capstone Fair in terms of both content and format (poster, video presentation, etc.).
· Field Work: minimum 15 hours of work focused on Senior Capstone Project objectives performed outside of school with a community/project mentor of the student’s choosing (not family member or relative).
· All field work and project work must be completed by May 14.
*The Senior Capstone Committee will approve each project.
*You must be in contact with your faculty mentor at least once a week during the course of your project.
*During the fieldwork portion, students are required to submit a timesheet signed by their project mentor.
*All project students must complete online reflection writing, a written response to a prompt asking about various aspects of their experience.
*All students must present their experience at the end of year Capstone Fair.
In order to meet Capstone requirements (and graduate on time), it is your responsibility to meet all project requirements and you must submit your project proposal by December 1.
COLLEGE COURSE
Seniors who qualify may elect to satisfy their Capstone requirement by successfully completing a college level course at an accredited institution of higher learning. Courses must be at least 3 credit hours and be in a core subject (social sciences, mathematics, English, science). Courses outside these areas require approval. Online courses are acceptable. All obligations, including but not limited to locating appropriate opportunities, applications, application fees, tuition and other fees, books, transportation, etc., are the responsibility of the student.
· College Course Proposal: delineates student’s interest in participating in the Senior College experience, intended area of study, institution, how student has understood and met any prerequisites, and evidence of the personal responsibility required for such an undertaking.
· Maintain a minimum 85% overall GPA for all high school coursework.
· Have not failed nor be in danger of failing any senior year course.
· Maintain above average records of discipline and attendance.
· Candidacy review by Oxford staff.
· Score of ‘C-’ or better in attempted college course: official transcript required.
*The Senior Capstone Committee will approve each proposal.
*You must be in regular contact with your faculty mentor during the course.
*All College Course students must complete online reflection writing, a written response to a prompt asking about various aspects of their experience.
*All students must present their experience at the end of year Capstone Fair.
In order to participate in this program, it is your responsibility to meet eligibility requirements and you must submit your College Course proposal by December 1 in addition to successfully enrolling in the course. If you do not attend the course, you will not graduate. Remember, the Senior Project is available to all students and is the default option.
Important notes for all seniors:
The Senior Capstone Committee must ultimately approve your participation in the internship or college course options. The School Counselors will review your grades, discipline and attendance at various times throughout the school year. You must be predictably going to pass all senior year courses, your attendance and disciplinary records must be satisfactory, and all other graduation requirements to date must be complete or you cannot participate in the programs. The Senior Project option is available to all students.
Seniors will not successfully complete these senior graduation requirement, i.e., will not graduate, unless they meet all responsibilities and obligations required by the Capstone program.
If you have questions, see your advisor or a member of the Capstone Committee.
Senior Capstone Committee Members -
Mr. Poffenberger, Ms. Dzienkiewicz, Ms. Poulin, Ms. McRae
Created on 6/18/2014 - Last updated on 12/15/2015