Senior Capstone Experience

This week I had the opportunity to watch some of the student presentations for the Senior Capstone Experience.  It was a great reminder of the power of reflection.  The room was filled with seniors in their last days at Saline High School.  For many, they had been in the District for 13 years.  For others, this was their first year in Saline.  However, they all shared the understanding that their lives are about to change.  There was a true sense that they were not at a last stop destination on their educational journey; rather the sense was that they were at a new starting point.

One of the core components of the class was a service-learning project.  The presentations were a chance to talk about their service learning projects and how they connected with adults and groups in the community.  How they developed skills in communication and problem solving.  How they gained confidence and became better informed about the world they live in.

We often talk about student achievement data like Graduation Rates, ACT Scores, etc., but this week reminded me that it’s about much more than that.  It’s truly about our mission, which is to create life-long learners.  Watching our seniors articulate and reflect on their own learning is a skill that will carry them far as they seize the opportunities in front of them.  I didn’t get to see them all, but I can tell from the ones I did – they are ready!