TOPSHAM

If students learned anything while working to complete their Capstone Projects, a graduation requirement for Mt. Ararat High School seniors, it was that things don’t always go according to plan.

Family members and community members were invited to attend presentations Wednesday on projects that were far reaching, from creating a longbow to building a motor to radiology and geocaching. Many were more career gauged, covering early childhood development, nursing and learning to be a midwife.

Quentin Chard had a couple of ideas for a project that he realized just wouldn’t work into his schedule and decided on “Composing and Recording a Song.”

“It’s very nerve-racking knowing that literally whether or not you graduate is based on this project,” Chard said. “It’s a pass-fail. If you pass you graduate. If you don’t you fail, and have to redo it.”

Chard said he learned the value of not procrastinating, because “it came down to the wire and it really was very scary and stressful.”

As he tried to play a CD with some of the tracks he had laid using the Garage- Band on his computer, the laptop he used for his presentation couldn’t read the CD. So Chard had to improvise and play part of the song he’d written live with his guitar, and read the words of his song.

Involved in music since he took piano lessons in fourth grade, Chard said he thought about pursuing music after high school but opted to attend college either for business or psychology.

Jessy Doyle delved into her interest in architecture by doing her project on creating a new music center. Mt. Ararat High School has been approved for funding and work to design a new school, which is underway. Doyle, who tagged along with the designer and Selection Committee, had initially planned to design a whole new school. That would have been a huge project, however, so she narrowed her focus to the chorus and band room areas, which she is highly familiar with.

“Noise is a huge problem, especially when you’re talking about band rooms,” Doyle told her audience. “When you have a band and a chorus room right next to each other, you don’t want them to coincide with each other. Also our band rooms don’t have any absorption sheets,” which are panels around the room that absorbs sound.

Already she wants to go back and tweak her design, now seeing flaws.

“I did honestly have fun with this project and I think that’s a huge thing, and a huge message to send to juniors and sophomores, that they need to start thinking about what they want to do and make it something that they really love,” Doyle said.

Doyle said she was looking at interior designing, so wasn’t sure she’d enjoy doing architecture, but has enjoyed the challenge.

“Architecture just feels right,” Doyle said.

She learned that there are many kinds of architecture, that even focuses on fashion runways.

Parker Woodbury lives in Harpswell and has lobstered for six or seven years, and grew up on his uncle’s boat. He’s had his own boat for three years, a commerical license and has purchased about 200 traps. He bought kits and built 20 new lobster traps for his Capstone Project, which gives him a new skill. And now he can use and make money off the traps. The project was definitely stressful, he said.

Woodbury has wanted to lobster, but wanted something to fall back on should the industry fall out. He will be attending the Maine Maritime Academy for marine engineering technology in August.

Principal Donna Brunette said the idea behind Capstone Projects is that students leave Mt. Ararat High School as self-directed learners who can pursue whatever their interest is.

Using this experience to “trip and fall and face challenges and pick yourself up and to continue to move forward in the midst of those challenges, it is not only a life lesson but it creates the opportunity to really personally grow,” Brunette said.

She hears seniors giving advice to other kids, what they’ve learned about themselves, and what they’ve learned about learning. College bound students have learned they can take on things independently, though they may need help from a mentor along the way.

“To me, their sense of energy when they finish and the pride they have in their presentation pretty much says it all,” Brunette said.