BMUFSD: 8th Grader Shows 5th-Grade Students The Ropes On Presenting A Capstone Project

Press release from the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District:

Next month, Todd fifth graders will have their moving up ceremony. Prior to the event, on June 12 at 6:30 pm, they will present their Capstone projects to families and guests.

To help them prepare for their presentations, the students had a special visitor: Briarcliff Middle School eighth grader Anushka Rai, who presented her own Capstone project on the topic of allergy awareness.

“I chose to make my project about food allergies because it is an issue that I face and can share my personal experiences with others,” Anushka said. “I have food allergies and I have missed out on snacks on numerous occasions because of them. There are alternatives, like fruits, but it is not the same compared to other treats. I decided that I wanted to educate and spread awareness about the problems people with allergies may face, so people can realize that including others makes everyone happier.”

Anushka worked on her Capstone project in a Social Studies Enrichment class at BMS.

“We began by asking ourselves three questions that we wanted to know more about, and from there, we used trusted sites to learn more about our passion,” she said.

After completing her research, Anushka wanted to share her passion with Todd fifth graders. She reached out to Todd Principal Jessica Michaelidis and Assistant Principal Anne Marie Foley to ask for permission.

“I organized the presentation by collecting the important information that I had found and edited it to make it more appealing for younger students,” Anushka said. “I also added transitions and other effects because I wanted my presentation to be engaging and fun.”

Anushka admits that there were a few setbacks during her work.

“I struggled as I procrastinated when I was creating the project, which made things harder,” she said. “Also, with the project being open-ended, I wasn’t very sure what information to include in my presentation – I couldn’t include everything in my research. I eventually realized that staying away from the presentation wasn’t going to help me in any way, so my procrastination immediately ended there, and I ended up finishing my presentation in a matter of days.”

In addition to the presentation, Anushka also shared time-management tips with the students.

“Struggling with procrastination has taught me that if I set aside different parts to different days to work on it, it makes things a lot easier,” Anushka said. “This can be applied to schoolwork and other activities. Don’t wait until the day before – you will feel prouder and happier if you do a little each day, you just need to organize it beforehand.”

Anushka is grateful for the opportunity she had with the Capstone Project

“I enjoyed creating the presentation, and I am very happy with the result,” she said. “Follow your heart and your passion – you never know where it might lead you or what might happen as a result. Being yourself and including others is what makes people feel good – you just might be brightening someone else’s day.”

After the presentation, students were able to ask Anushka questions, such as why she chose the topic and about her process.

“Anushka was poised, articulate and very insightful,” said fifth grade teacher Stephanie Grace. “She played a game with the students to help summarize her presentation and all students received an allergy-friendly lollipop, as well.

This event was in line with the district’s commitment to personal agency, critical thinking and digital and information literacy.

This press release was produced by the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.