Written by Leah Campano |

March 20th has come and gone, and with that, The Morgan School’s first and very much anticipated Junior Portfolio Exhibition has passed.  The presentation we have been preparing for, with great amounts of hostility and hesitation, for three years has finally come to a close.  So, what did students think of the panel presentation?

Most students found the Junior Portfolio to be much more relaxed and easier than initially expected.  Junior Kelsey Donaldson explained, “The presentation was what I thought it was going to be – the room had a relaxed environment which made it easier to present.”  Some even found the presentation enjoyable due to the informal nature of the panel presentation.  Junior Andrew Tran said, “I enjoyed the presentation because it was a nice opportunity to talk about my successes and achievements from over the years with teachers.  It was a general conversation which I liked.”  Junior Maxx Bugg found the presentation to be fair:  “Teachers prepared me well over the past three years and explained it exactly how it was going to go.  I didn’t feel unprepared in any way.”  Generally, most students felt confident about their presentation, upon leaving their assigned classroom.

However, some participants had some critiques about Junior Portfolio.  For example, one student said teachers and faculty members should not stress the portfolio so much freshman and sophomore year.  Junior Charlotte Limosani said, “The Junior Portfolio should only be stressed junior year.  Teachers should still provide rubrics for students freshman and sophomore year, so that progress can still be shown for the presentation, but it is not necessary to drill it in our heads in those years.  It started to get repetitive, which got a little irritating.  The start of junior year is when teachers should really start preparing juniors for the portfolio.”

Personally, I found the Junior Portfolio to be relaxed and simple.  Prior to the presentation, I was fairly nervous, only because I am not the best public speaker and feared I would run out of things to say about my work.  But once I began speaking, I was comfortable talking with the panel.  Each panel member was attentive and seemed interested in what I had to say, and I am sure every student who presented felt similarly.   Even though the past three years seemed to be filled with never-ending rubrics and reflections, I can say I was well prepared.

All in all, the Junior Portfolio was a success.  Good luck to future participants, and for us juniors, it will be a nice relief to never see another Junior Portfolio rubric again!

For those who have not yet participated or are simply curious about what the presentation entails, view the video of Maxx Bugg’s presentation below.