Portfolio Requirements 2016 State Requirement: I Have a Plan Iowa Grade 12 Guideways completed and reviewed with teacher. Initialed_____
RHS Senior English Requirements: The following list of documents and activities are required for all high school seniors. There are three format options for presentation.
Title page or Website Header The first page of your portfolio should be clean and minimal--no pictures and no creative, but hard-to-read fonts. Include your full name (middle name or initial optional), your graduation year, your school and its location. If your portfolio is a Google Doc Folder, this page may be included with your table of contents, ie. your homepage.
Table of Contents or Link Bar Create a table of contents for your portfolio. For electronic portfolios, link each item on your Contents page to the corresponding document. Add a home link to the bottom of each document and you have made a portfolio that is easy to navigate and demonstrates desirable technology skills.
Functional Resume Create a resume highlighting your goals, education, skills, and accomplishments. If you have paid work experience, you may include it. The template for a simple resume appropriate for a high school senior can be found at this link or in Google Doc public templates. Stylistically, there are other better choices and you are welcome to find one that suits you. If you are using a resume prepared for a previous class, make sure that you have updated and carefully proofread it.
Career Link Resume (Optional) Register with CareerLink.com and upload a copy of your resume. By doing so, you have the advantage of speed in responding to jobs and internships posted on this huge job board. If you know that you will be hunting for work or internship opportunities this summer, then register NOW. CareerLink is available wherever you go in the US.
Cover Letter or Scholarship Essay Create a formal business letter introducing yourself to a potential employer, a college admissions counselor, or a scholarship committee. The cover letter should introduce you briefly, ask the reader to review your portfolio, and, if appropriate, request an interview. The essay should also introduce you briefly, explain your goals, your plan to reach those goals and any progress you have already made. It should also state your financial need and request consideration for the scholarship.
Iowa Workforce Application provides a general job application that is suitable for collecting and keeping important facts needed on most employment applications. Do not include personal, protected information such as your Social Security Number. Do keep reference information for references that you have cleared ahead of time. Keep it in your portfolio, and a copy of it in your wallet.
Achievements List This complete listing of all achievements, clubs, sports, honors, and other activities you participated in during high school should be followed by scanned copies of any awards or certificates that were earned within the junior or senior year. Your completed CPR certificate should be included here.
Three Samples of Your Best Work: Each sample should be accompanied by a brief one-paragraph reflection explaining the purpose of the assignment and what you learned from the experience.
References
Community Service Record (Freshman Year Activity*)
Community Participation and Reflection (Sophomore Year Activity*)
College and Vocational Training Information Round-Up and Scholarship Groundwork (Junior Year Activity*)
Job Shadow Experience and Reflection (Junior Year Activity, Seniors First Semester Activity*)
Mock Formal Interview with a Local Business Person (Senior Year Second Semester Activity*)
Keep this printed copy in your portfolio to present to Sturm or Hardy for Senior check-out!
Points for these assignments are figured into senior year English classes except where noted.*
RHS Senior English Requirements: The following list of documents and activities are required for all high school seniors. There are three format options for presentation.
- a plain 1-1 ½ inch binder, using plastic sleeves and tabs to neatly present original and/or copied documents, certificates, and other learning artifacts
- an organized set of electronic documents (a Google Doc Folder) labeled appropriately and shared to the teacher and to your non-school gmail account!
- a website created with Google Sites, Weebly.com, or Wordpress.com. Note that websites should not be widely searchable. Password protect your site, or portions of it, for viewing only by those you choose.
Title page or Website Header The first page of your portfolio should be clean and minimal--no pictures and no creative, but hard-to-read fonts. Include your full name (middle name or initial optional), your graduation year, your school and its location. If your portfolio is a Google Doc Folder, this page may be included with your table of contents, ie. your homepage.
Table of Contents or Link Bar Create a table of contents for your portfolio. For electronic portfolios, link each item on your Contents page to the corresponding document. Add a home link to the bottom of each document and you have made a portfolio that is easy to navigate and demonstrates desirable technology skills.
Functional Resume Create a resume highlighting your goals, education, skills, and accomplishments. If you have paid work experience, you may include it. The template for a simple resume appropriate for a high school senior can be found at this link or in Google Doc public templates. Stylistically, there are other better choices and you are welcome to find one that suits you. If you are using a resume prepared for a previous class, make sure that you have updated and carefully proofread it.
Career Link Resume (Optional) Register with CareerLink.com and upload a copy of your resume. By doing so, you have the advantage of speed in responding to jobs and internships posted on this huge job board. If you know that you will be hunting for work or internship opportunities this summer, then register NOW. CareerLink is available wherever you go in the US.
Cover Letter or Scholarship Essay Create a formal business letter introducing yourself to a potential employer, a college admissions counselor, or a scholarship committee. The cover letter should introduce you briefly, ask the reader to review your portfolio, and, if appropriate, request an interview. The essay should also introduce you briefly, explain your goals, your plan to reach those goals and any progress you have already made. It should also state your financial need and request consideration for the scholarship.
Iowa Workforce Application provides a general job application that is suitable for collecting and keeping important facts needed on most employment applications. Do not include personal, protected information such as your Social Security Number. Do keep reference information for references that you have cleared ahead of time. Keep it in your portfolio, and a copy of it in your wallet.
Achievements List This complete listing of all achievements, clubs, sports, honors, and other activities you participated in during high school should be followed by scanned copies of any awards or certificates that were earned within the junior or senior year. Your completed CPR certificate should be included here.
Three Samples of Your Best Work: Each sample should be accompanied by a brief one-paragraph reflection explaining the purpose of the assignment and what you learned from the experience.
- one writing sample: This sample should be your best work and not less than 500 words. Essays, book reviews, history or science reports, and research projects with correctly cited sources are appropriate samples. Unless you are aiming for a professional writing career, creative writing samples are not the best choices.
- two other samples: These may be writing samples or other types of artifacts, such as a grade report, Asset or ACT results, hard copies or links to documents, pictures, or videos of projects. Make sure all links work! If they are Google Docs, make sure that are associated with a gmail account other than your Riverside account, which will be deleted soon after graduation.
References
- a list of your references including address, phone, and email address for each reference (see sample reference list)
- a minimum of two letters of recommendation (from employers, teachers, ministers, or other non-relative adults who know you well) The originals should be scanned to create a pdf version that may be linked to your portfolio website or sent electronically, when requested. Keep the originals in a safe place.
Community Service Record (Freshman Year Activity*)
- List recent volunteer activities (include the name of organization, location, date, and estimate of time donated)
- Certificates, pictures, clippings, thank you notes, or the name of the volunteer supervisor who can authenticate your service
Community Participation and Reflection (Sophomore Year Activity*)
- Attend a community meeting, such as a town meeting, school board meeting, or school improvement committee (SIAC) meeting.
- Record or obtain a copy of the meeting agenda. Have a committee member sign it to prove your attendance,
- Write a one page reflection about how your participation can make a difference for you and your community.
College and Vocational Training Information Round-Up and Scholarship Groundwork (Junior Year Activity*)
- Explore college and vocational training options through IHAPI, Internet sources, and Atlantic College Fair.
- Compare and contrast colleges with your interests and preferences to evaluate them. Do you meet their requirements?
- Plan a budget for the schools or training programs that are a best match for you. REALITY CHECK!
- Write a brief scholarship essay (300 words) that can be revised to meet the requirements of a variety of scholarship applications. The essay should offer clear goals, your plans to reach to reach those goals, your current progress, and your need for financial assistance. The goal is to prove that you are deserving and that you firmly plan to follow through on your goals.
Job Shadow Experience and Reflection (Junior Year Activity, Seniors First Semester Activity*)
- Include a copy of your job shadow inquiry letter or email requesting the job shadow
- Write a one page reflection, particularly what you learned about the career, the pathway, and whether it seems right for you.
- Write a thank you note to your job shadow host. Hand written notes are preferred!
Mock Formal Interview with a Local Business Person (Senior Year Second Semester Activity*)
- Approach this interview as if it is a real evaluation that could result in employment by dressing appropriately, arriving on time, bringing a printed resume, and conducting yourself professionally and courteously.
- Write a formal thank-you letter to your interviewer.
- Provide a copy of your thank you letter and a reflection on what you learned about yourself from the experience.
Keep this printed copy in your portfolio to present to Sturm or Hardy for Senior check-out!
Points for these assignments are figured into senior year English classes except where noted.*