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Dear seniors and parents,


Welcome to 2020-2021 academic year. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate these difficult times. Challenging times also open up new avenues and opportunities to explore creative and innovative teaching strategies. 


As we prepare for trimester 3, all seniors will still need to complete SMP to graduate from the Academy. Here are the details outlining how the program will look in the trimester 3 starting March 15and running for 4 weeks until April 15, 2021.


Students will choose from one of the following 3 options:

  1. Virtual One-On-One. Student will network to find a partner and email contact details to Ms. Kesavan asap. These students will work with the partner virtually. The required hours have been reduced to 50 hours. Most of the other requirements reamin the same as before.

LAST DATE TO TURN IN PARTNER DETAILS/CONTACT INFORMATION IS FEBRUARY 20, 2021- LAST CHANCE TO COMPLETE THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.

  1. Entrepreneur Group. NOTE: (students will be assigned to a random group. In the real world they will work with a diverse group and this experience will help prepare them for it.)Students will be assigned to a group of no more than five. This group will come up with a product or service, analyze the opportunity, create a virtual prototype, and market and advertise it. The final presentation will be to pitch their company/product to a business partner in the field and see if they are interested in investing in their company( like pitching to a panel on Shark Tank.) This requires students to work collaboratively and function effectively as a team.This simulated work-based scenario will focus on utilizing higher order thinking skills that businesses are looking for in potential employees. The group that enrolled in this option trimester 2 really enjoyed the experience even though they were the pilot group.

  1. Traditional. Students who want to have the traditional on-site experience can opt to wait until trimester 2 or 3 in the hope that MI will enter phase 5 which may allow students to report to the site. If MI does not enter phase 5, and an on-site experience is not possible, students will choose either option 1 or 2 three weeks prior to the next trimester.

  2. NOTE: WE ARE NOT SURE IF STUDENTS CAN PHYSICALLY GO TO A BUSINESS LOCATION FOR PRACTICUM AS OF YET.


For options 1 and 2, the 40 hour requirement will not apply, but students who opted for option 1 are required to log all virtual meetings with Ms. Kesavan, virtual meetings with the partners and must complete 30 virtual hours of meetings with their partner.)

Students who opted for option 2 are required to keep a log of virtual meetings with Mrs. Kesavan as well as student team meetings. 

For option 3, the original SMP requirements, including the 75 hours on-site, will apply.

Students have already started to reach out for tri 3. Those interested in completing SMP trimester 3 should email Mrs. Kesavan with a choice of option 1 or option 2. If option 1 is the choice the partner contact details should be emailed asap.


NEXT STEPS: 

  1. If student chooses option 1 (Virtual One-On-One), email partner contact details to Ms. Kesavan asap- LAST DATE TO SEND PARTNER CONTACT DETAILS IS FEBRUARY 20, 2021.

  2. If student chooses option 2 (Entrepreneur Group), email Ms. Kesavan asap indicating that choice

  3. If student chooses option 3 (Traditional), email Ms. Kesavan indicating that choice.

  4. WE ARE NOT SURE IF STUDENTS CAN ACTUALLY REPIRT TO A SITE. THAT WILL DEPEND ON HOW THINGS PROGRESS WITH THE VIRUS SITUATION AS WELL AS STATE GUIDELINES.

Hope this is helpful.  Please feel free to email me if I can be of any further assistance. 

Warm regards,

Mrs. Kesavan

NOTE:

PLEASE REFER TO THE EMAIL IN WHICH COVID-19 COMPLIANT FORMS WERE ATTACHED. YOU NEED TO PRINT THOSE AND HAVE IT COMPLETED FOR TRI 2.

Please have the potential partner complete and sign it.  You can then take a picture of the completed document/ scan it and email it to me at skesavan@hfa-dearborn.org 


For all other handbooks:

Go to: www.hfa-dearborn.org 
Click on Academics,  the 2nd tab from the left. Click on Senior Mastery Program from the drop down menu
This will take you to the Practicum site. All the handbooks are displayed on the left side. 
Click on Partner Handbook for the necessary documents. 

Please feel free to email me with any questions. Thanks.  

REMINDER: STUDENTS CANNOT WORK WITH A PARENT AND NO HOME-BASED BUSINESSES!!!!!!!!!!!

Partner's First and Last Name/Title
Name of Company/Organization    
Complete address with zip code
Partner Phone number
Partner email
Thank you in advance for your support.  
​
S​
andy Kesavan
Desk: 313982-6192

Welcome to HFA Senior Mastery Process (Practicum) Page!

The Practicum Experience at Henry Ford Academy is a supervised work-based learning experience in which students are placed with an Adult Partner. With the guidance of the Adult Partner, the Program Director, and meaningful learning activities, students will research specific questions about issues that are intriguing and challenging. Students must complete 40 hours of fieldwork over a 6 1/2  week period ( modified for COVID  time period)

in order to fulfill the Senior Practicum requirements. Since the Practicum is considered an extension of classroom learning, students are not compensated during the duration of the experience. Students are responsible for their own transportation. Also, because of the fact that it is considered an extension of classroom learning, liability is not an issue.


NO HOME-BASED PLACEMENTS WILL BE AUTHORIZED.

 PRACTICUM WILL NOT COUNT FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The Purpose of Practicum
The primary purpose of the Senior Practicum is to provide students with an opportunity to learn through experience in an environment where they make valuable connections between learning in the classroom and learning beyond the school. The goal is to enable them to become self-initiating learners by developing their own learning plans, choosing research projects that are interesting and challenging to them, and outlining a procedure to successfully implement them. Students choose their research project based on a career interest or personal passion. This experience will assist students in developing an awareness of the skills and attitudes required to function as productive, contributing members of the community. It will enable students to be involved in real-life problem solving, in which they are regarded as valuable and unique individuals whose ideas, opinions, and suggestions are respected and considered seriously. Lastly, the Senior Practicum will expand the students’ awareness of their goals, abilities and interests, relative to their future endeavors.

SENIOR PRACTICUM GOALS:


By the end of the Practicum Experience the students will:

  • Have made connections between classroom learning and real world learning.
  • Have had the opportunity to learn by doing.
  • Have an increased awareness of their own interests, abilities and skills to assist them in identifying and setting future career and personal goals.
  • Demonstrate acceptable work habits and life skills.
  • Have the opportunity to work with diverse groups of people whenever possible.
  • Demonstrate organizational and communication skills.
  • Demonstrate an increase in their self-confidence and social maturity.
  • Have identified a research project based on their career interest or a personal passion/desire.
  • Develop a desire to further pursue their dreams in an area of their interest.

Please refer to the attached Senior Practicum Package for more detailed information.

For more information, please contact Sandy Kesavan, Program Director, at 313-982-6192 or 313-505-7224, email skesavan@hfa-dearborn.org