The Senior Thesis is an interdisciplinary, multimedia research project designed to be the culminating experience of four years of English instruction at Foxcroft. It tests all the skills and abilities students have developed in the areas of expository writing, literary analysis, inductive research, and public speaking. In addition, the Senior Thesis helps students discover and explore some of the intellectual connections among a variety of disciplines, and learn to present to their teacher and peers, orally and in writing, the results of an extensive investigation of an area of interest to them.
For the duration of the Thesis research (a period of about nine weeks in the late Spring), an independent study schedule is negotiated between student and teacher and takes the place of regularly scheduled English classes. Each senior makes a multimedia presentation to argue her thesis in front of peers and faculty. Each thesis is bound and becomes a part of the library's permanent collection.
Recent Senior These topics include:
Abortion: The Emotional Struggle
The Personal Cost of Vietnam
Women and Identity
Medieval Art: Power, Corruption and Triumph
The Beatniks and the New America
Fantasy, or Lessons from the Bible? A Look at The Chronicles of Narnia
Senior Independent Projects
Senior independent projects allow students to explore an area of particular interest in "the real world" as part of their senior year experience. This provides the learning framework to relate their Foxcroft education to a possible career path or another area in which they have a profound interest. This experience is designed to merge thinking and academic skills with personal interests and goals so that the student can evaluate her strengths and plan for her future by meeting the challenges and expectations of a job commitment.
Each project consists of a three-week, well-planned and supervised work program, in an area of interest. This "job" is the center of the project and must be planned and reported on via an oral presentation, which is evaluated by the Senior Projects Committee and attended by parents, teachers,and other students The project takes place during the two-week interim term and the first week of spring vacation.
Projects in the past have included working with doctors, veterinarians, teachers, chefs, bankers, politicians, museum curators, publishers and physical therapists. Some organizations hosting Senior Project participants this year are:
The Nature Conservancy
Bounce Entertainment
Donna Karan, New York
PowerPlay, Inc.
The Savannah Cheetah Foundation
Zeidler Partnership Architects
Shepherd University and Fairfax County Public Schools, Athletic Training
Stonington (CT) Veterinary Hospital
EMC Korea
Margaret Brown Floral Design
New Boston Farm
Tom Forman Productions
Madison Elementary School, Newark, NJ
Rainey Andrews, Horse Trainer, Middleburg, VA