Seniors Go Beyond AP

Montrose seniors chart a course for college success as they prepare the Senior Capstone Project.
Charting a course for college success, Montrose seniors are gearing up for the Capstone project, the culmination of the senior year academic experience at Montrose. In the Capstone, the girls go beyond AP, as they tackle the question, “How do you apply philosophical principles to real life issues?”

Comprised of a fifteen-page paper, twelve-minute abstract and mini thesis defense, “The Capstone gives students an important college readiness experience,” said Assistant Head of School & Academic Dean Katherine Ginnetty. “It is a critical element for success in any competitive college environment, providing students with cultivated research, writing and presentation skills.”

“The Capstone prepared me for college-level thinking in a way other classes could not,” said Marie Calapa ‘10, a PhD candidate in Astrophysics and a 2013 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar.

Drawing on Montrose’s strong liberal arts foundation, each girl selects a contemporary issue, addresses the problem presented and proposes a solution. An interdisciplinary project, it is the culminating assignment in two classes: Comparative Politics, taught by Mrs. Ginnetty, and History of Philosophy and Catholic Social Teaching, taught by Director of Curriculum & Professional Development Mrs. Katie Elrod.  

Some preliminary Capstone titles this year include Catholicism and Feminism, Autism and Human Dignity, and College Athletes - Exploited or Pampered?

The girls are confident that the process will be a rewarding one. “The teachers and my advisor are very helpful in guiding us to a manageable topic, while giving us the independence to develop the project as we see fit,” said Julia Gibson ’16. Sylvia Conte ’16 echoed her sentiments. “The teachers helped me develop my thesis more clearly, as I considered questions like ‘why does this topic matter?’ and ‘what makes it a hot-button issue?’”

Jen Cochran ’16 explained that the girls have been preparing for the Capstone in their Comparative Politics class, where they take turns leading a class discussion on a current event of their choosing. “These presentations allow us to think critically about a topic and gain confidence in presenting the facts as well as our opinions of what is happening in our world. They require us to think more deeply about the issue and decide how we personally relate to the topic.”

The New England Association of Schools & Colleges, Inc. Visiting Team Report (April 2014) noted, “The Senior Capstone Project serves as an excellent model of how a school can assess a student’s academic skills as well as her connection to the school’s mission.”
 
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