Dozens of kids hurried to get to the Cafeteria during R3 and W8 Flex to beat the rush. No, not to secure a seat at the lunch table or be first in the lunch line, but to set up their posters for the MYP Personal Project Fair.

These sophomores completed their MYP Personal Projects in order to be eligible for the FCPS Middle Years Program certificate at the end of 10th grade. They are also eligible for the AHS Record of Achievement which also requires this Personal Project.

Sophomores participating in the MYP presentations displayed their creative posters for their fellow classmates to view. Teachers from around the county came to see the impressive array of posters presented.

The students’ presentations varied from videos, posters and scrapbooks to musical routines, audio and 3-D dioramas.

The Cafeteria was filled with balloons and many presenters proudly talked about their projects to those interested.

During the video presentations, everyone’s attention was focused to the projector screen. Even though there were a lot of video presentations, only a few decided to present on the projector screen. Some said that it was embarrassing to have their personal project displayed in front of everyone, while others feared ridicule.

Many sat down to enjoy sophomore Mareid Kennedy’s Irish dancing presentation. With her two younger sisters performing alongside her, she said before the performance that she was “nervous that something might go wrong during their performance and they’re nervous that they have to perform in front of everyone. I hope everything goes alright, I have been planning this for a while.”

“I worked very hard on my presentation, it took many hours to get everything put together but I think that it is worth it to get my MYP certificate. My parents had to buy a new printer just so I could finish my poster,” sophomore Nicole Montevilla said. Her poster consisted of a collage of printouts about immigration. “My personal project helped me learn about immigration issues and it helped me bond with my favorite teacher, Mr. R., who I asked to be my supervisor.”

“Everyone did a wonderful job on their presentations, and all their hardwork will pay off,” presenting sophomore Alisa Askovic said. “This project helped me learn a lot about body language and I fell that it was very worthwhile.”

All the presenters were instructed to wear the provided white t-shirts with the MYP participants name on the back. This way, viewers could distinguish the presenters from other viewers. Some presenters decided to dress up for their presentations because they felt too casual in a t-shirt. “I think it looks better and more professional when you see someone that took the time to dress up,” Montevilla said.

All presenters took the time to explain their project’s subject to all those who asked. All the spectators circulated around the Cafeteria tables so that they could learn about everyone’s topic.