“The Lite Version”
Introductory guide to the Senior Project.
More requirements/forms will be added once the year starts.
2015-2016
Instructors’ Email:
Mr. Thomas-rthomas@vvsschools.org
Mr. Merrill-jmerrill@vvsschools.org
Mrs. Iannello-piannello@vvsschools.org
Mr. Barone-dbarone@vvsschools.org
**If you start in the summer, please email Mr. Merrill for notification and approval.
Half hours must take place during the school year.
SENIOR PROJECT PHILOSOPHY
Your senior project will provide you the opportunity to spend time on and earn credit for learning something of
particular interest to you! This project will demonstrate your persistence and time-management skills, and
showcase your ability to work toward a long-range goal. It is designed to encourage lifelong learning, and
make it as fun, challenging, and stimulating as possible. The final reward is knowing you did a great job on a
great project!
Goals for the Senior Project
 To encourage you to be an independent, organized, lifelong learner.
 To promote your interests, career choices, and further refine your writing, speaking, and research abilities.
 To support a collaborative environment in which students are mentored and coached by school officials
and teachers while the community is involved as mentors and board members.
Requirements
The Senior Project has three parts: a reflection paper, a physical project and a presentation. You must show
proficiency in all three areas. Please note that this class rewards students who exceed the minimum
requirements for completion of the senior project.
NOTE: Whether a project takes place on or off-campus, it is school related and you are bound by the VVS
High School Code of Conduct as explained in the Student Handbook. If your behavior falls below these
standards, you will receive appropriate school consequences and your senior project and possibly graduation
will be jeopardized.
The Reflection Paper
The reflection paper not only showcases your research, analysis and interview skills, it also encourages you to
become an expert on your topic. The reflection paper will be structured according to the guidelines presented
by the teacher and include a transcript of an interview you conducted with your mentor. The interview
questions should not focus on how much that person like his/her job or how to get a job in that field but rather
challenges that person faces or foresees in the future. A proficient paper is three (3) pages long, while a
potentially excellent paper is four (4) or more pages. The interview questions and reflection paper are
completed with the guidance of your senior seminar teacher. It will take at least three (3) pages to showcase
your research, analysis, and interview skills and communicate your expertise on your topic with proficiency.
Papers that demonstrate excellence and a depth of expertise on your topic will be four (4) or more pages in
length.
The Physical Project
The physical project involves a minimum of 20 hours of documented extracurricular work. The project forges a
link between you, the school, and the community, as you work with a mentor and discover community
resources and job opportunities. A potentially excellent project is a minimum of 40 documented hours.
**If you start in the summer, please email Mr. Merrill for notification and approval.
Half oy your hours must take place during the school year.
The Board Presentation
The presentation is your chance to show four to eight faculty and community members what you learned while
completing the project. Proficient board speeches are 6-8 minutes long; a potentially excellent speech is 8-10
minutes. You must also have proficient speaking techniques and present information in an organized way using
at least one self-created visual.
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SENIOR PROJECT TIME LINE 2015 – 2016
Senior Project Proposal format required for each
Assignment
Parent Awareness Form
Email proposal and contact
information to senior
project teacher
Mentor/Student Agreement Form
Last date for meeting with
administrators and
paperwork for event/performance
projects
Checkpoint #1: Signed checkpoint at
teacher’s discretion. Minimum of 5
hours complete on project.
Checkpoint #2: Minimum of 10
hours complete.
Checkpoint #3: Minimum of 15 hours
complete (interview complete)
Research Paper Complete
Project finished on or before this date
(including reflection paper)
Checkpoint #4: Minimum of 20 hours
complete
Signed Log of Hours
Final Mentor Verification form
Self-evaluation form
Senior project teacher evaluates
project
Portfolio
Presentation Night
Date Due
9/24/15 and
9/25/15
10/15/16 and
10/16/15
Comments
**3 weeks into the school year
11/5/15 and
11/6/15
11/5/15 and
11/6/15
12/3/15 and
12/4/15
1/14/16 and
1/15/16
3/3/16 and
3/4/16
5/12/16 and
5/13/16
5/24/16 and
5/25/16
5/24/16 and
5/25/16
5/24/16 and
5/25/16
5/24/16 and
5/25/16
5/24/16 and
5/25/16
5/24/16 and
5/25/16
Monday 6/6/16
**Cover shows name, teacher,
and project title
**Correct spelling, grammar,
punctuation, and formatting on
all documents.
**See the Portfolio Checklist
for the list of required and
optional components.
**Your portfolio should reflect
pride in yourself and your
project.
BE WELL PREPARED!!!
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Journal
Bi-Weekly
SENIOR PROJECT OVERVIEW
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REFLECTION PAPER: YOU BECOME AN EXPERT ON YOUR TOPIC
Original without plagiarism
Minimum of three (3) pages long to be eligible for a “Proficient” rating, excluding works cited. Papers
under three (3) pages will be scored “Developing.” For a possible excellent rating, more than four (4) pages
are required.
One re-write is allowed after the teacher-to improve your rating.
Papers are written to be analytical
Follow the MLA Guidelines, if needed, from the VVS Media Center.
Typed, Times New Roman , 12 pt. font, with 1 inch margins
PHYSICAL PROJECT: YOU DO OR CREATE SOMETHING
Your teacher must approve your idea for the physical project before you start logging your hours.
The physical project involves "stretching" out of your comfort zone.
Your mentor should verify a minimum of 20 hours; 40 for a possible excellent.
Mentors are strongly recommended; choose a person with expertise in your area.
Photo documentation is required for all projects.
A log of hours with mentor verification is required on presentation night.
Job shadowing/volunteering/community service is encouraged. Research on the job or the organization is
required and you must spend a minimum of 20 hours actively helping or job-shadowing on site and
complete a job-shadow or volunteer notebook.
 Performance/event projects require a meeting with the senior project coordinator and the vice principal by
11/6/15. You will also need to fill out paperwork and if your project involves money, you
will need to make arrangements with Mrs. Collins, high school treasurer.
 One standard 1.5” 3-ring binder is needed for the portfolio.
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BOARD PRESENTATION: YOU TELL THE BOARD WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
Visual(s) must be completed for the practice speech in March
Longer than 6 minutes in length for excellence, 6 minutes for proficiency,
Followed by an impromptu question period
Reflects your learning, project activities, and the process you went through
Effective organization and speaking skills are demonstrated
LATE POLICIES:
1/22/16 is the last day to change your project. Students will have to write a formal letter explaining the
circumstances of major changes to the senior project teacher. A personal interview with the Senior Project
Coordinator will follow. You must pass all three components of Senior Project to pass the project. Successful
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completion of your Senior Project does not guarantee you will pass the class.
CHOOSING YOUR PROJECT ~ Project Considerations
1. Boundaries
 "No Feet off the Ground" Rule. Find a way to do a safe project.
 Projects must include a challenge or some way in which you go out of your comfort zone.
 Projects should be completed by 6/6/16 unless there is a valid reason that both your teacher and the senior
project coordinator understand and accept.
 You may not make a profit on your project. Contact you teacher if you will handle cash. Any money
raised should be donated to an established charity or organization.
 No more than two students should work together on a project. See the policies page for specific
instructions.
 If something is a requirement for a class, it does not qualify as a senior project. (Health Shadowing)
 Whether your project takes place on or off-campus, your senior project is school related and you are
bound by the VVS High School Code of Conduct as explained in the Student Handbook. If your behavior
falls below these standards, you will receive appropriate school censequences and your senior project and
possibly your graduation will be jeopardized.
 Any falsifying of hours or photo documentation, plagiarizing in the research paper, or any other dishonest
act associated with your project may result in you having to choose a different project.
2. Early Approval: To get your project proposal approved before the first semester, you will need to meet
the following conditions:
 You must have a valid reason for needing to start your project early.
 You must complete over 40 hours of project work, 20 hours must be during the school year, but not during
the school day.
 Any hours spent on your project prior to its approval will not be counted.
3. Questions to Consider When Choosing a Project
 What do you want to do after graduation from high school or college? Job-shadow projects can help you
decide!
 What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
 What have you always wanted to do but didn’t have the time or support to do?
 Do you think there is a pressing need for people to know or understand something?
 Is there a social problem you would like to investigate? Consider volunteering!
 Do you have an invention, creative vision, or story idea you would like to further explore?
 Is there a class you’d like to take?
 Have you enjoyed being involved in a school, community, or state activity?
 If you could pursue your wildest dream what would it be?
 Have any travel experiences given you ideas?
 What skill would you like to enhance or what new area would you like to explore?
 What is one of the biggest problems facing the world today?
 What would you like to be doing ten years from now?
 Is there something you would like to improve about yourself? Your community? Your state? The Coutry?
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The world?
 Will you still have the interest and energy for your project four months after you start it?
4. The Challenge
 The project must be challenging to you in some way and take you out of your comfort zone.
 Your project should have an element of problem solving that encompasses time management, discipline,
finding solutions to difficulties, overcoming hurdles, and using outside resources.
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CHOOSING YOUR PROJECT ~ Reflections on a Job-Shadow Project
 A Job-shadow Project allows you to explore a career of interest to you.
 You must spend a minimum of 20 hours on the job site verified by a mentor.
 You must also complete all the tasks listed below. Please label the tasks. Professional, error- free
documents reflect your commitment to your project.
Required items in the Job-shadow Notebook that is included in your senior project portfolio:
______1. Job title; duties performed; hours; average salary; work conditions; education, training, certification(s)
and other requirements for getting the job; entry methods (jobs that could lead to this career that don’t require
special training, schooling, or skills); employment outlook for the future and advancement opportunities. Cite
your source(s).
______2. Photos showing you “on the job” with your mentor(s). Add captions.
______3. The transcript of at least ten interview questions you wrote and your mentor’s answers, including the
professional profile of your mentor, i.e. years on the job, preparation and training, advancement history, hardest
part of the job, most enjoyable, etc.
______4. Application of the knowledge you have gained about this career by doing one of the following:
A. Report on how you helped your mentor arrange an event or prepare for a part of his/her job
B. Interview a second person doing the same job and write up the transcript
C. Write a daily schedule for someone doing the job
D. Write a newspaper opinion article explaining the job
E. Write a “day in the life” journal from your mentor’s point of view or decide on an appropriate activity
with your mentor.
______5. A thoughtful assessment of your traits, skills and abilities, work values, temperament and interest in
this career. Now that you have explored it, is it right for you? Why or why not?
______6. Now that you know about the career, what things do you think everyone considering this career
should know before he or she makes the decision to pursue it?
______7. A copy of the thank-you letter or email you gave/sent to your mentor
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CHOOSING YOUR PROJECT ~ Reflections on a Volunteer/Community Service Project
A Volunteer or Community Service Project encourages you to think of others. You must spend a minimum of
20 hours actively volunteering or serving and those hours must be verified by a mentor. Time taken to research
the organization or area of need and complete the tasks below for your volunteer notebook count as project
hours but not as on-site hours. You must also complete all the tasks listed below. Please label the tasks.
Professional, error-free documents reflect your commitment to your project. Service opportunities vary, so if
yours doesn’t fit the criteria, please work with your teacher and the Senior Project Coordinator.
Required items in the Volunteer Notebook that are included in your senior project portfolio:
_______1. The mission statement or primary goal of your organization; how, when and by whom your
organization was founded; approximate number of employees and volunteers; the scope of your organization
(local? global?); who or what your organization benefits; the services or activities your organization provides;
and how your organization gets volunteers, goods and/or money. Cite your source(s).
______2. Photos showing you volunteering and serving with your mentor(s). Add captions.
______3. The transcript of at least ten interview questions you wrote and your mentor’s answers, including the
reasons why your mentor is involved with the organization, length of service, training and preparation, hardest
part about serving, the rewards of serving, etc.
______ 4. Application of the knowledge you have gained while serving by doing one of the following:
A. Report on how you helped your mentor arrange an event or prepare for a part of his/her duties
B. Interview a second person working for the organization and write up the transcript
C. Interview one of the recipients of the service
D. Write an imaginative “day in the life” essay from your mentor’s point of view or from a recipient’s point
of view
E. Recommend ways and means for improving the effectiveness or scope of the organization-- write a
newspaper opinion article urging people to volunteer, serve, or donate money to this cause
F.Create an informational brochure about volunteering
G. Decide on an appropriate activity with your mentor.
______5. A thoughtful assessment of your experience with the organization and your own traits, skills and
abilities, work values, temperament and interest in this area. Will you continue to volunteer or serve in this
way? Why or why not?
______6. Now that you know about the career, what things do you think everyone considering this career
should know before he or she makes the decision to pursue it?
______7. A copy of the thank-you letter or email you gave/sent to your mentor
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CHOOSING YOUR PROJECT ~ Reflection on a Performance/Event Project
 A Performance or Event Project displays your creative talents (shows, meals, teaching lessons, fundraisers, learning to play an instrument)
 Building and Grounds/Auditorium Use forms (MUST be filled out by a student wishing to use district
facilities)
 Time flies. Do the paperwork and contact people as early as you can, and then check your progress and
remind the people you are depending on frequently.
 If you plan to perform or stage an event on or off the VVS campus, you MUST meet with the senior
project coordinator and the vice principal to fill out the appropriate paperwork by the date on the timeline.
You must fill out all paperwork in order to receive final clearance for your project from the senior project
coordinator.
 Frequently check the school calendar to be sure your date and time are still reserved.
 Since your project is unique, this list will not include all the steps required for your finished project. It is
up to you to develop a challenging project.
 If your project involves raising money, you must specify which charity you will donate the proceeds to.
The charitable organization must be legitimate and approved by the High School Principal. You will need
to contact Mrs. Collins, the Principal’s secretary and high school treasurer, about checking out a cash box,
forms, and procedures for handling money.
 Well ahead of time, formally invite the senior project coordinator, other teachers, your mentor, the
principal, and any other people interested in or working with you on your project. The number and kind of
people you invite reflect the challenge of your project.
Create your own evaluation sheet that your audience can use to assess your performance/event.
Your evaluation sheet could ask the audience to assess the following areas:
 Effectiveness of advertising for the event
 Quality of presentation
 Organization
 Professionalism of playbill, program, menu, or any handouts
 Other applicable criteria (you decide what they are)
 Have room for comments
 Distribute the evaluation sheet to the audience and collect them after the performance/event.
 Include selected evaluation sheets in your portfolio.
 Refer to the evaluation sheets and what you learned from them in your board speech.
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DOCUMENTING YOUR PROJECT ~ The Parent Awareness Form
As a parent/guardian of a senior at VVS High School, I fully understand that the Senior Project is the final exam
in my child’s senior social studies class. I understand my child needs to pass the physical project, the reflection
paper, and the oral presentation with an excellent or proficient grade to pass/do well in that class. Pending
approval by the Senior Project Advisory Board, the senior project coordinator, and his/her teacher, my student
has decided to do the following physical project:
  Job-shadow
  Volunteer
  Event/performance
_______________________________________________________________________________________
A mentor is strongly recommended for this project.
-The mentor/contact person for the project will be
(Name)______________________________________
(business name) ________________________________
(address) ______________________________________
(phone number/email) ___________________________
Relationship to student________________________________________________________________
This person was chosen to be a mentor/contact person because…
I fully understand that these topic and mentor choices are made independently of the staff and administration of
the high school. The staff and district will not be held liable for my student’s choice of a mentor.
The estimated cost of the project is $___________________
(include a breakdown of expenses)
His/her final product will be__________________________________________________________
I am familiar with the deadlines and the Senior Project Handbook. I also understand that no project hours may
be completed during the school hours. Furthermore, I acknowledge that if my student falsifies any part of the
project or paper, s/he will be penalized.
_____________________________________
Parent/guardian signature
_____________________________________
Student signature
___________
Date
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  Job-shadow
THE SENIOR PROJECT PROPOSAL
(check one)
  Volunteer
  Event/performance
Approval of Senior Project teacher _____________________ Date: _______________
Date:
Signature of teacher _______________________ Date: _____________
1) Project Description. Your project, purpose, and goal(s). Be as specific and concrete as you can.
If you think your project will not be completed by June 6, 2016, explain here.
2) A mentor and/or a contact person or persons who will verify hours. This person should not be under 25
years of age.
Name: __________________________________
Relationship to me: __________________________________
Phone number/e-mail:__________________________________________
Mentor’s area of expertise or reason why you don’t need a mentor: _________________________
3) Project Task Analysis. List at least five steps needed to complete the project:
4) Final Product. What will you show your board?
5) What is your previous experience in this area?
6) Why is this project a challenge for you? What else do you want the Advisory Board to understand about your
project?
7) How will you preserve the integrity of your research paper and project?
8) FOR an event/performance ONLY: I understand that if I plan to use district facilities and/or stage a
performance or event, I am required to fill out extra forms and meet with the Senior Project Coordinator and the
Vice Principal.
_________________________
(student’s name)
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DOCUMENTING YOUR PROJECT ~ Journal, Log of Hours & Final Mentor Verification
(To be included in the portfolio)
Journal
Students are required to keep a journal to chronicle their experience during the Senior Project. The purpose of
the journal is to provide a way for students to discuss the progress of the project--the good, the bad, and the
ugly. Entries are kept between the teacher and student; however, some situations may require further action.
Journals must be turned in weekly starting when your project starts or by March 1st.
Sample:
9/23 3:30-5:00
I started my senior project volunteering at Feed the Vets. I learned the mission of the organization and the
procedure for handing out food. I talked with my mentor about how the organization gets donations. I set up
the next time I can come in. It’s going to be tough to find time as I am playing soccer.
Log of Hours
 Your log should reflect the pride you feel in your project.
 Your name and the title “Log of Hours” goes at the top.
 Please use the table format. Have as many pages as you need.
 Your log should be typed or handwritten in legible blue or black ink.
 Each entry includes the date, detailed description of the work you did, the time you spent, and the
mentor’s initials.
DATE:
Post the total hours on last page of your log!
Sample Table
Date
Time of Day
Hours
9/23
3:30-5:00
1.5
Description
Describe
Mentor Initials
JM
10/2
3:00-6:00
3
What
JM
10/6
4:00-6:00
2
You
JM
11/3
3:30-5:00
1.5
Did
JM
11/8
4:00-6:00
2
There
JM
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