Dear Parents of Gr 10-12 Students,

Best regards,

Andy Johnson

Director of Secondary Education

ajohnson@riverstoneschool.org 

• The Process Journal is the place where students will record notes, reflections and questions about research, planning, goals, and measurable specifications for their projects. The Process Journal will be assessed in December 2015 by project advisors.  
• The Project Report is a critical piece of the project and delivered during March 2016 to project advisors. It can be a written report, but most students at Riverstone opt to give a multimedia presentation (usually PowerPoint with oral accompaniment). Most of a student's assessed grade comes from this presentation.  
• The Project itself is shown to the advisor during the delivery of the Project Report during March 2016 and displayed during the exhibition in April 2016. The student assesses the project with their advisor using the measurable specifications the student developed and recorded in their Process Journal.  Advisors will be very aware of these specifications and will keep students on track.

What are examples of appropriate Personal Projects? 

• Designing and building skis from scratch
• Conceiving, choreographing and performing an original dance piece
• Explaining a complex topic through illustrated children's literature while also teaching a new language
• Researching, designing and producing a graphical history of genocide
• Mastering a complex special effects video editing program as you develop a short film.

Projects that require little or no research, involve externally planned or resourced trips or service events, or those that are already part of a student's routine or life experience are generally not acceptable. 

Please note that the Personal Project is not a service project. It can include a service component, but there is no requirement to do so.

Download the Personal Project Exhibition brochure for the Class of 2017 (April 2015) here.

• Read the Riverstone and IB Guides for the Personal Project. Both of these documents are available on ManageBac under "Files." 
• Record thoughts, brainstorming activities, and refinements on his or her original idea in the Process Journal on ManageBac. 
• Begin to research his or her topic. Talk to people, read books and articles, study photographs, and watch documentaries. The goal of the research is to understand why their Personal Project topic is important and to understand the elements or forces that impact or influence the topic. Create an initial bibliography with 5-7 sources based on this research.
• Update his or her Personal Project Proposal on ManageBac. Please ask your student to call or email Andy Johnson or Robyn Olnes if they have forgotten their ManageBac login information.
• New students may contact Andy Johnson directly during the summer to gain a better understanding of the Personal Project.

Are there advisors for each student?

Each student will have an advisor. Advisors will be matched with students after the students' PP topics are reviewed at the start of the school year.

Additionally, an information session for parents will be held after the start of the new school year.

Important Dates

• December 2015     Process Journal Reviewed
• March 2016            Project Report Reviewed
• May 2016               PP Exhibition 

Creativity, action, service (CAS) is part of the Diploma Programme's core which also includes the Extended Essay (EE) and the Theory of Knowledge (ToK).  CAS involves students in a range of activities through the three strands of creativity, action and service.  

Download the IB Guide to Creativity, Action and Service here.

What type of activities count for CAS?

• Creativity: arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking. Examples may include dance, independent artistic and photographic efforts, music, and other similar creative activities that are not part of their academic work at school.
• Action: physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the Diploma Programme.  Examples may include sports such as soccer, fencing, basketball and volleyball.  Any independent physical exertion that contributes to a healthy lifestyle can count for action in CAS. 
• Service: an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student. The rights, dignity and autonomy of all those involved are respected.

When does a student start recording and reflecting their CAS work?

• CAS activities begun or carried out during the summer prior to entering Gr 11 and until April 1 of Gr 12
• Success in CAS is measured against expected learning outcomes - not a requirement to do a certain number of hours of "service"
• CAS activities must be separate from work done for class

The focus on learning outcomes emphasizes that it is the quality of a CAS activity (its contribution to the student's development) that is of most importance. The guideline for the minimum amount of CAS activity is approximately the equivalent of half a day per school week (three to four hours per week), or approximately 150 hours in total, with a reasonable balance between creativity, action and service. "Hour counting," however, is not encouraged.

Students must demonstrate achievement of the eight CAS learning outcomes through structured reflection supported by photographs, brochures and other artifacts that are related to the activity. Students will use ManageBac to record their reflections and accomplishment of the learning outcomes tied to CAS.

Are their advisors for CAS? 

During the school year, Jami Whitmer, MYP/DP Spanish teacher will act as the CAS Coordinator. She will check in with your student regularly to review his or her progress.

April 2016           Incoming Gr 12 CAS requirements due

The Extended Essay (EE) is part of the Diploma Programme's core which also includes Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS) and Theory of Knowledge (ToK).  The Extended Essay is intended to promote high-level research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity. It provides our students with an opportunity to engage in personal research in a topic of their own choice, under the guidance of a supervisor (a teacher in the school).

What is the Extended Essay (EE)?

The extended essay is an in-depth study of a focused topic chosen from the list of approved Diploma Programme subjects. Typically, students choose a topic that is associated with one of their six courses in the DP. However, students can tackle an Extended Essay in a subject outside the ones they are following in the DP upon approval by the Diploma Programme coordinator and identification of a qualified supervisor.

Download the Meet the Seniors brochure for EE topics for the Class of 2015.

The extended essay is:

• Required for all Diploma Programme students at Riverstone
• Externally assessed and, in combination with the grade for Theory of Knowledge (ToK), contributes up to three points to the total score for the IB diploma
• A piece of independent research/investigation on a topic chosen by the student in cooperation with a supervisor (a teacher) at Riverstone
• Chosen from the list of approved Diploma Programme subjects
• Presented as a formal piece of scholarship containing no more than 4,000 words
• The result of approximately 40 hours of work by the student
• Concluded with a short interview with the supervising teacher who spent no more than 3-5 hours advising the student.

What should students do this summer?

This summer, incoming Gr 11 students should:

• Read about and around their topic of interest in order to build strong contextual knowledge
• Document this research by generating an initial bibliography of 5-7 sources in MLA format
• Draft a preliminary introduction to their topic that states a research question and provides a justification for the significance of their line of research and a justification for the worthiness of their topic for investigation.
• **This year, Gr 11 students will begin work on their EEs immediately with the goal of completion by the end of Gr 11. This will allow students to focus on the final year of the DP and college applications during their senior year. 

This summer, incoming Gr 12 students should:

• Revise the initial draft of their Extended Essays
• Continue focused reading and research that will enable them to develop an analytical perspective on their topic
• Cite and document sources in their paper and bibliography
• Complete a full draft of their essays

What do EE Supervisors do?

Students will be assigned a specific supervisor who will have a very important role in the Extended Essay. He or she will provide advice and guidance to their student, help them stay on track for completion, review sections as they are written, but can only comment on (not edit) a full draft once. 

Additionally, the supervisor will assess their student's essays and submit a predicted grade to the IB as part of the examination process during the student's senior year. A supervisor should spend no more than 3-5 hours total with the student. This essay is intended, as is the Personal Project, to be a student centered and directed effort.

EE Supervisors for Gr 11 will be identified after the start of the school year when students have their topic confirmed.

Important Dates for Gr 11 students