The Grade Eight year at AHWS is highlighted by a series of very special initiations in which the students are challenged to step up to a specific task with both courage and creativity. These challenges include the Grade Eight Trip, the Grade Eight Play and most recently, the Grade Eight Projects.
The Grade Eight Projects are independent projects in which each student must follow three criteria: 1) Choose a topic for which you have a real passion. 2) Explore your topic in depth, including experientially. 3) Create a fully realized presentation for the community. Each presentation is 20 minutes long with an additional 10 minutes for questions from the audience. An authentic challenge indeed! The topics that are chosen are always as diverse as the individuals in the class, ranging this year from cooking to aerial arts to film noir to 20th century evening gowns.
In the spirit of puberty rites that have been practiced in all cultures throughout history, these projects provide the students with the opportunity to courageously declare themselves publicly to a welcoming community. In a fashion, the projects serve as a modern ‘coming-of-age ceremony’, as do the Grade Eight Play and the Grade Eight Trip.