My Day at Lawson Middle School's Portfolio Day

When I was in 8th  grade I didn’t have a resumé and I think I cried the first time I had to give a speech in school. So it’s no wonder I’m impressed by the poise and maturity displayed by Lawson Middle School students during this year’s Portfolio Day.

I spent two sessions with a total of nine 8th graders listening and watching them present their digital portfolios. I think they’re from outer space—surely they can’t be real kids because in my little world there’s no way a 13- or 14-year-old can stand before strangers and peers and articulate how they’ve changed over the three years they’ve spent in middle school.

But these kids did it.

Thanks to my company’s quarterly Give 5 day which allows me time to volunteer in the community, this was my second year participating in Portfolio Day. Students prepare a resumé, give a brief biography and then reflect on ways they’ve changed since 6th grade all rolled into a PowerPoint presentation.

Two or three adults sit as audience members, fill out a brief evaluation form and provide feedback on their presentations.

This is also the second year I partnered up with Cupertino resident and Patch contributor Alysa Sakkas and Matt Wilson, the fabulous all-about-town Cupertino Courier reporter.

I think it’s safe to say that we were equally impressed with the four boys who presented to us on May 18.

They were all well-prepared, had good eye contact and body language and showed they put thought and effort into the assignment.

I had such a good time with the boys, Alysa and Matt on Friday that I went back to the school on Monday for another round, this time partnered with Lawson teacher, Russ Philpott. We had two girls and three boys in our group.

The computer on which the kids had to use for their PowerPoint presentations was a bit on the old side and pokey (yes, the schools need updated technology in their classrooms!) It ate up valuable presentation time and put the final presenter in a rushed situation.

If that had happened to me, I would have quivered and cried.

Not this kid.

He stood tall, confident and opened with a lovely Norman Vincent Peale quote. I don’t remember what he said his short- or long-term goals are, but I’m convinced he’ll achieve them. I’m convinced all these kids will achieve great things, be it the future NBA player, CEO, acupuncturist or firefighter.

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