Whether a junior or senior, there is no doubt that the end of the year is creeping up quickly and with the end comes projects. Although several other classes also have end of the year projects, English is the only subject with projects in every level and grade. For example, Advanced Placement English Three has had their project assigned for over a month, and it is worth three major grades in the grade book.

     “We are having students create an original documentary [in AP English Three],” English teacher Leah Jurca said. “Since we have been studying the power of rhetoric all year long, we thought it would be a wonderful way to synthesize all the rhetorical strategies we’ve been studying with a subject the students are passionate about.”

     On-level English Three students have to create a video, as well, for their end-of-the-year project, which will be worth two major grades. Juniors in the class have many things involved in their project.

     “On-level English is about to begin their cumulative assessment project, argument as an original fictional film,” Jurca said. “They’ll begin by starting with a topic they researched at the end of the 5th six weeks, and create an argument through the use of a film script, complete with characters, plot, setting, etc. of their creation. Students will then have the opportunity to act out their film using video editing skills, live performance or a PhotoStory with narration.”

     The juniors are not alone in the trek to finish end of the year English projects. English Four Honors students has been preparing for their project for a while.

     “One project is called an anthology,” senior Katie Garrido said. “It is basically a compilation of all the class’ writings that is put together in a yearbook-style fashion. The second is a senior service project, where we are basically making a documentary of a community deed that we participate in as a group, such as ‘Race for the Cure’.”

     When assigned, the projects often seem interesting or fun, but after a while reality breaks through, especially for seniors who realize their grades and GPA are frozen, meaning the grades they receive in the sixth six weeks does not affect their GPA.

     “It actually sounded like a great opportunity to have a memorable senior year experience with friends, but my group procrastinated like crazy, and it’s honestly turning into more of a headache,” senior Rafey Anwar said. “It’s really hard to be excited for it, knowing that the grade I receive on it has practically no impact on anything.”