| Brief Overview Cornerstone is part of the Pathways to Life program which commences with Keystone in 9th grade and culminates with Capstone (Senior Project). During the 2008-2009 school year, all sophomores completed the Cornerstone workbook and prepared for their Roundtable Exhibitions. This work was completed during Torch Time and Resource mods. The Cornerstone year builds on the work gathered during the freshman year in Keystone classes. Sophomores will not only evaluate their academic progress since arriving at Columbus East High School, but will explore their personal involvement in the school and in the community. Each student will examine his/her individual growth plan and amend it according to the BCSC Learner Expectations and the Olympian Guiding Principles. In April, parents were invited to participate in their child’s Cornerstone Roundtable Exhibition. The Roundtable Exhibition is designed as a showcase for students to share what they have learned about themselves in their freshman and sophomore years at Columbus East High School. Academic and personal goal setting is stressed. Though Cornerstone is not formally affiliated with a specific academic class, it is the expectation that all students will include their completed Cornerstone work as part of their Senior Project portfolio. The Electronic Portfolio The Cornerstone workbook showcasing student work is contained within the student's ELECTRONIC PORTFOLIO. Students and parents can view the template for the electronic portfolio by clicking the link above. Students are required to save their work (including their electronic portfolio) on their e-lockers at school, and will present work from their e-lockers during Roundtable Exhibitions. Though students will be given some time to complete Cornerstone work during Torch Time, it is important that time is managed to meet checkpoint dates. The Letter to the Roundtable Once students have gathered the work they wish to include as part of their Cornerstone workbooks, each student will write a letter to his / her Roundtable. This letter will encompass each student’s evaluation of his or her learning style and will address the student’s social involvement both at school and in the community. Samples of the Letter to the Roundtable are available by visiting the Columbus East High School web page. Cornerstone Roundtable Exhibition Plans for this event are still being formulated. Check here for final plans when they are available. Thank you. Benefits of the Sophomore Cornerstone Experience Students work at their own pace to develop time management skills. Students critically evaluate their own work. Students write a professional business letter and speak to a selected audience. Students, through self-reflection and discovery, become aware of strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan to strengthen deficiencies. Students make connections between class work, possible careers, and community. Students develop the fundamental skills to plan and make decisions about their education and their futures.
Questions and Answers Q: Why is the Sophomore Cornerstone Experience necessary? A: Studies prove that students who feel a connection to their own education are less likely to drop out of high school and are more likely to pursue post secondary education. Most of the skills that are deemed critical to success in college and in the workplace are the primary focus of the Cornerstone work. Q: Won’t this work be an additional burden to my child’s already full schedule? A: No. The work is designed to be completed during designated Torch Time mods. Q: How difficult is the Cornerstone work? A: During Keystone classes in the freshman year, students gather examples of completed 9th grade academic class work and save it to their e-lockers. Sophomores do the same with their first semester class work. This body of work is then evaluated by the student via prompts in the Cornerstone Workbook. Students give short responses to questions that focus on specific learning objectives. Students save their workbook answers on their e-lockers. The workbook questions are designed to encourage students to find their own methods of learning and problem solving. Q: How will my child receive credit for this work? A: The Cornerstone work is not linked to an academic department. Therefore, students will not receive a grade for Cornerstone on their report cards. However, it is the expectation of Columbus East High School that the Cornerstone work will be included in the Senior Project Portfolio. Sophomores who successfully complete the work and present at their Cornerstone Exhibition will receive a completion score. This score will be included as part of the Senior Project Portfolio. Failure to produce the Cornerstone work by the Exhibition date will jeopardize a student’s Senior Project grade.
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