SENIOR PROJECTS 2016-17

Mentor Responsibilities & GUIDELINES

Role of Mentor:

Encourage, be caring and responsible; you are the guide, critic, supporter, teacher, editor, facilitator, and a source of inspiration.

Guide the student in the conception and formulation of the Senior Project, including the Proposal, Help shape the Goals/Outcomes according to Content, Skills, and Product.

Supervise the Research and Development Phase- meet at least one hour weekly. This is a time commitment. Identify resources- human and textual- which the student needs to bring the project to fruition.

Communicate regularly with Dean/s of assessing domain/s and Senior Project Coordinator. Keep these key people aware of any potential problems so that troubleshooting and support can happen in a timely fashion.

Document the ongoing progress of the student and project using the Product, Process Folio, and Presentation rubrics as guides.

Coach the student for the Presentation.

Assess the Process Folio and Product; participate as non-grading faculty on the Presentation Panel.

Inform parents directly if mentee falls behind. Phone calls home should be made on a regular basis to update parents on your mentees progress when possible.

PHASE ONE

MAY/JUNE of Grade 11

  • Student requests a faculty member to be Senior Project mentor
  • Deans review requests and determine mentor assignments
  • Meet with student to create Preliminary Proposal
  • Assign summer reading related to proposed project
  • Read and review Process Folio Guidelines with mentee
  • Create outline for Summer Work to be completed
  • Tell mentee to purchase a Process Folio and paste in the Preliminary Proposal, the Process Folio Guidelines, and the rubric. Help them in setting goals and deadlines.
  • Determine possible times to check in with mentee over course of summer.

JUNE Meeting with all new Senior Project Mentors: Discuss Phase One Responsibilities; particularly documentation expectations for off-campus and summer work.

PHASE TWO

SEPTEMBER- WITHIN FIRST TWO WEEKS OF SCHOOL

  • Remind mentee to e-mail you a copy of her/his revised proposal
  • Review documentation of process to date
  • Assist mentee in identifying and ordering research materials after reading and approving
  • Discuss her/his summer reading selection (check for notes in the Process Folio)
  • Review the deadlines on the calendar. Refer to the Senior Project Page for this information and updated due dates at
  • Set a weekly meeting time with you mentee to discuss ongoing process. Send weekly meeting information to Dale at . Be certain to establish a routine of checking Process Folio weekly.

September Meeting with All New Senior Project Mentors: Check-in on Phase Two responsibilities and support new mentors with the review of Process Folio work through group work session.

PHASE THREE

October – November

  • Keep your mentee aware of established deadlines. These can be found at Senior Project Calendar on the Senior Project Page at
  • Create customized Product Rubric in consultation with mentee and Dean of the domain for domain specific projects. (Rubrics for integrated projects or highly individualized projects will be created by senior project team.)
  • Create rubric with student first
  • Share with Dean for feedback
  • Refine based on feedback
  • Submit, digitally, to Dale at
  • Have your mentee sign Product Rubric and paste into Process Folio (It is important they have a clear understanding of the criteria for their product early on, and so that adjustments can be made as the project evolves.)
  • Every mentor sends a progress report at progress report time- whether or not mentee is behind or is progressing well. Mentors will also be scheduled for Parent/Teacher conferences during the fall trimester.
  • Mentors write narratives and grade outcomes for their mentee for fall trimester. Mentors grade the process outcome and your mentee’s progress on her/his product.
  • In November, determine if your mentee has Preliminary Approval to Present. The criteria for judging are based on your assessment if the mentee will be able to complete her/his project on time for the formal approval in the first week of January.
  • If the mentee is not given preliminary approval to present, work with Dale and Director of Upper School to schedule an intervention in order to formulate a work contract for the mentee.

November Meeting with All New Senior Project Mentors: Discuss the review of product work to date and assist in helping mentors make determinations for Preliminary Approval to Present.

PHASE FOUR

December – January

  • Remind your mentee write a description of her/his project by deadline for the Senior Project Catalog Entry. Final versions are sent digitally to Dale. A copy should also be placed in the mentee’s Process Folio.
  • Prior to winter break, begin to plan for Senior Project Exhibition Space. Mentee should meet with the domain Dean to discuss needs for the display of her/his project
  • If your mentee is doing a performance based presentation- reading, film, or performance, remind them to sign-up for the performance nights through Dale.
  • Assist your mentee to prepare and rehearse for the Presentation and review criteria on the Presentation Rubric. Respect the time restraints for the presentation and Q & A.
  • Assist your mentee in the archiving of her/his Senior Project, including the final abstract and project documentation. All materials are digitally archived.
  • Review Process Folio to ensure that it conforms to the rubric. Make certain the mentee has included a reflection entry about their Presentation.
  • Convene the product panel for grading. Mentee should send final product rubric to the appropriate Dean, Faculty Grader, and Mentor. Once the grading is completed, all rubrics are given to Dale.
  • The winter trimester learning evaluation will have the final grade (from all 4 outcomes). Mentor grades the Process Folio, and through committee determines the product grade to submit, digitally, to Dale. These grades are accompanied by a final narrative comment.

January Meeting with All New Senior Project Mentors: Final check-in with new mentors to focus on final review of product; helping with exhibition installation, and mentee preparation for the presentation.

Updated 31 August 2016

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