47 Ivy Lane
Houston, TX 77001
February 1, 2021
Mrs. Amy Boutilier
Sport and Medical Sciences Academy
280 Huyshope Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Dear Mrs. Boutilier,
For my capstone project, I have decided to continue a study group I ran for a short time my sophomore year. This study group will be for the senior class in order to help us get back on track as a whole. A good chunk of the senior class is struggling with regular classes and capstone in particular. This study group will be a place where students can get help from other students and compare their ideas with one another. This will take place every Thursday morning during advisory and Wednesdays there will be an open meet where students can join for additional help. If these times do not work for a student, additional time can be found for them. There will be breakout rooms based off on the subject students need help in or the people students would like to work with. Mrs. Svoboda will supervise the meet Thursday mornings and Wednesdays the meet will be conducted by Mrs. Boutilier. I will be informing students of the club through social media and private messaging, alongside emailing teachers letting them know that if they have any students they see are struggling, they can either let them know about the club or I can talk to them myself. Picking a capstone was extremely difficult for me and when brainstorming ideas, I kept thinking about all the students that are at risk of not graduating this year. I myself have struggled a lot this year, both in my personal life and academically. Keeping your grades up and staying motivated for school is so hard to do when you have so much going on at home. But, with the right guidance and support it is possible. I have been in school with most of these students since sixth grade and although not everyone is my best friend, I would be upset to see someone not walk the stage because they had no one to help them.
My research question for my capstone is: How has covid affected academic performance? I have not heard or seen many people talk about how hard this pandemic has been for students.Outside of teachers and professors, there has not been much concern for students and how these times have affected them and their learning. By researching this topic, I will better understand why so many students in the class of 2021 have been failing their classes and possibly the ways in which we can be helped. The artifacts I will be collecting include personal testimonies from students, pictures, and completed assignments from students.
My mentor is going to be Vanessa Vasquez, a student enrolled in Uconn. Vanessa is a dean’s list senior studying english education. She has worked with multiple tutoring programs at both ESCU and Uconn to help both high school and college students. With her experience and drive to help others, she is a perfect mentor for my capstone. My stretch for this capstone project will be staying motivated to do so and talking to people I may not like or know that well. I tend to stay away from people I do not really know or talk to but I am fully aware and hopeful that people outside of my own friend group will be interested in getting help. I tend to lose interest in something once I see it does not go my way right away but I know I have to be patient and continue working with my classmates.
Sincerely,
Emina Velic
Houston, TX 77001
February 1, 2021
Mrs. Amy Boutilier
Sport and Medical Sciences Academy
280 Huyshope Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Dear Mrs. Boutilier,
For my capstone project, I have decided to continue a study group I ran for a short time my sophomore year. This study group will be for the senior class in order to help us get back on track as a whole. A good chunk of the senior class is struggling with regular classes and capstone in particular. This study group will be a place where students can get help from other students and compare their ideas with one another. This will take place every Thursday morning during advisory and Wednesdays there will be an open meet where students can join for additional help. If these times do not work for a student, additional time can be found for them. There will be breakout rooms based off on the subject students need help in or the people students would like to work with. Mrs. Svoboda will supervise the meet Thursday mornings and Wednesdays the meet will be conducted by Mrs. Boutilier. I will be informing students of the club through social media and private messaging, alongside emailing teachers letting them know that if they have any students they see are struggling, they can either let them know about the club or I can talk to them myself. Picking a capstone was extremely difficult for me and when brainstorming ideas, I kept thinking about all the students that are at risk of not graduating this year. I myself have struggled a lot this year, both in my personal life and academically. Keeping your grades up and staying motivated for school is so hard to do when you have so much going on at home. But, with the right guidance and support it is possible. I have been in school with most of these students since sixth grade and although not everyone is my best friend, I would be upset to see someone not walk the stage because they had no one to help them.
My research question for my capstone is: How has covid affected academic performance? I have not heard or seen many people talk about how hard this pandemic has been for students.Outside of teachers and professors, there has not been much concern for students and how these times have affected them and their learning. By researching this topic, I will better understand why so many students in the class of 2021 have been failing their classes and possibly the ways in which we can be helped. The artifacts I will be collecting include personal testimonies from students, pictures, and completed assignments from students.
My mentor is going to be Vanessa Vasquez, a student enrolled in Uconn. Vanessa is a dean’s list senior studying english education. She has worked with multiple tutoring programs at both ESCU and Uconn to help both high school and college students. With her experience and drive to help others, she is a perfect mentor for my capstone. My stretch for this capstone project will be staying motivated to do so and talking to people I may not like or know that well. I tend to stay away from people I do not really know or talk to but I am fully aware and hopeful that people outside of my own friend group will be interested in getting help. I tend to lose interest in something once I see it does not go my way right away but I know I have to be patient and continue working with my classmates.
Sincerely,
Emina Velic