Students Reflect on Their Success at Egan’s Viking Showcase
At the end of each school year, Egan’s 8th grade graduates have an opportunity to reflect on their successes, opportunities for growth and goals for their high school education.
For the Viking Showcase, students prepare a presentation that they share with Los Altos School District parent and community volunteers. Weeks of reflection allows them to take a deep dive into their educational experiences and determine how they will communicate these elements to adults in a formal setting.
“This day came about because we believe reflection is key to solidifying learning,” explained Egan English teacher, Karen Kehlet. “Through the process of preparing for the Viking Showcase, students become more aware of all they have accomplished, they see their personal as well as academic growth, and they identify areas for continued focus in high school.”
Long term and reflective experiences like this prepare students to be successful with more challenging projects as they enter high school.
Students find the experience both challenging and rewarding. One student explained, “I learned that from 7th grade to 8th grade I changed for the better. The summer between 7th and 8th grade, I reflected on my year and realized that I had to work harder to improve my grades. In 8th grade, I made sure focus on the courses that gave me the most trouble and by the end of the year, those courses were my best.”
Another student shared that the Viking Showcase reminded her of photography class and was “like a pause button for life.” She explained, “taking a look at my ‘picture’ of 7th and 8th grades showed me how much I’ve changed and all the different paths I can take moving into high school.”
“In preparing for the showcase, I realize I’ve had good days and bad days,” another student shared. “I’m glad I got to experience the bad days because they’ve helped me become the person I am today.”
Viking Showcase would not be possible without the overwhelming number of hours contributed by our parent and community volunteers, or without the support of the entire Egan Junior High School staff. This year’s PTA Chairs—Gayle Mujica, Natasha Stirrup and Alice Cox—worked tirelessly for this wonderful event.
Thank you to all who volunteered to support our students’ education.