The Mission of Me

Upon completion of 8th grade at Longfellow Career Exploration Academy, every student leaves with a Mission of Me Portfolio.  It includes an About Me page that breaks down their top RIASEC traits, what careers fit those personality traits and best suit the individual student.  Students create an educational résumé to date and narrative documenting “My Story” or their experience, education, and skills.  It also contains projects that demonstrate individual breakthroughs for the student and documents top strengths, interests, and work values.

Portfolios on Parade (PoP!) - Draft Process

The projects selected for the Mission of Me portfolio are seen not only in their final form upon completion of 8th grade, but also while in process.  During each school year, there are two opportunities for students to present their work and experiences collected to date or during a particular unit/semester.

Fall Semester

• Transition - 6th Graders, by the end of their first semester, select with assistance from their teachers, one major project and several smaller projects or assignments to be presented in a “poster board” event.  Students will invite their peers, parents, and teachers to give constructive (and structured) feedback after listening to prepared presentations.  The theme of this Portfolios on Parade event is for 6th Graders to demonstrate their transition and growth between 5th grade and the end of the first semester, with a special focus on new skills, new interests, and new habits of work gained.
• Exploration - 7th Graders, by the middle of the first semester, select with assistance from their teachers, one major project and several smaller projects or assignments to be presented in a “poster board” event.  Students will invite their peers, parents, and teachers to give constructive feedback after listening to prepared presentations.  The theme of this Portfolios on Parade event is for 7th Graders to demonstrate their growing understanding of their possibilities for post secondary college and career, with a special focus on the range of skills, interests, and habits of work in which they are gaining proficiency.
• Dreaming - 8th Graders, by the middle of the first semester, select with assistance from their teachers, one major project and several smaller projects or assignments to be presented in a “poster board” event.  Students will invite their peers, parents, and teachers to give constructive feedback after listening to prepared presentations.  The theme of this Portfolios on Parade event is for 8th Graders to demonstrate their expected goals for high school and beyond, with a special focus on projects that are directly tied to the high schools where they intend to apply including the necessary skills, interests, and habits of work for which they’ll need mastery.

Spring Semester

• Planning - 6th Graders, by the end of their second semester, select with assistance from their teachers, one major project and several smaller projects or assignments to be presented in a “poster board” event.  Students will invite their peers, parents, and teachers to give constructive (and structured) feedback after listening to prepared presentations.  The theme of this Portfolios on Parade event is for 6th Graders to demonstrate their goal setting and planning of skills, interests, and habits of work to be explored in 7th grade. By identifying work accomplished in 6th grade but connected it to future plans, these portfolio presentations are forward-thinking guidance on the refinement of career exploration the student intends to pursue at Longfellow.
• Focusing - 7th Graders, by the end of their second semester, select with assistance from their teachers, one major project and several smaller projects or assignments to be presented in a “poster board” event.  Students will invite their peers, parents, and teachers to give constructive feedback after listening to prepared presentations.  The theme of this Portfolios on Parade event is for 7th Graders to demonstrate their learned and understood connections between the cross and interdisciplinary learning they’ve experienced at Longfellow and how it ties to a focused set of in depth explorations of skills, interests, and habits of work to achieve during 8th grade and ahead of high school applications.
• Reflecting - 8th Graders, by the end of their second semester, select with assistance from their teachers, one major project and several smaller projects or assignments to be presented in a “poster board” event.  Students will invite their peers, parents, and teachers to give constructive feedback after listening to prepared presentations.  The theme of this Portfolios on Parade event is for 8th Graders to demonstrate a thorough reflection of their learning at Longfellow.  Students will make connections with their educational journey, so far, to their goals for high school and beyond with a special focus on the necessary skills, interests, and habits of work they have gained that they believe will prepare them for success.