What's happening: Seniors at Ramsey High School present a Defenses of Learning, which are culminating and reflective exercises for their high school careers. Seniors enrolled in a Profile course for the first two marking periods presented their defenses to panels of staff members last week.
Sirens and Smiles: 🚨 Alyse’s project, aptly titled “Sirens and Smiles,” is a unique initiative aimed at fostering positive interactions between children and local first responders. By reducing fear and anxiety, it equips young minds with the confidence to react appropriately in critical situations.
What inspired Alyse:
“I chose Sirens and Smiles because I’ve seen how scared and stressed kids get on pediatric emergency calls. Even when things are under control, you can feel their fear, and it made me realize how important it is for kids to know us long before they ever see us on their worst day.” -Alyse Lorusso
Going Beyond the Project: Seniors are charged with not only completing meaningful projects, but also presenting their Defense of Learning to deeply analyze their growth throughout the process. This is difficult to do!
A key difference between our defenses and other culminating projects is that we assess students’ use of their project to grow and develop.
Panelists use resources like this one to assess students’ defenses:
