Letter of Intent

Matthew L. Chilton
264 Woodlyn Drive
Reidsville, NC 27320
February 14, 2018

Rockingham County High School Advisory Board

Rockingham County High School
180 High School Road
Reidsville, NC 27320

Dear Rockingham County Advisory Board:

The topic of my project is children’s stories. I chose this topic because I believe that stories,

especially those aimed at children, can have a very real impact on the children who read and

are exposed to them, and can play a crucial role in the creative and personal development of

those children. All my life I have read and appreciated stories and books, both those aimed at

children and those that are not, and the stories I was exposed to as a child have shaped me into

the creative and ambitious person I am today.

The focus of my research paper will be the impact that children’s books, stories, and other kinds

of literature can have on adolescent development. I will ask questions such as, “how are

children who read/are exposed to stories different than those who do not/are not? How do they

benefit from this exposition?” I will approach and analyze this from a mental, social, and creative

angle.

My product plan is to write, illustrate, an original children’s book, and have several copies of the

book printed. I plan to donate copies of the book to local elementary schools and arrange

readings of the book to the students at those schools. This is challenging because writing an
original, unique book that with an important and impactful theme for children can be difficult, as

is illustrating the full book. It requires literary, artistic, and psychological expertise. The expert

who I will be working with is Michele Knight, a school psychologist at Wentworth and Leaksville-

Spray Elementaries, as well as Reidsville Middle School. She will help me determine the kind of

topics that children respond well to and that resonate with them, and she will also help to

arrange the readings of the book in the schools. She will be play a crucial role in the success of

my project, and I look forward to working from her and learning from her expertise.

Plagiarism, in essence, is when someone steals another’s work with the intention of passing it

off as their own. Plagiarism is not limited to literary works, as it can also apply to artistic works or

even ideas. It is important to avoid plagiarism so that the original work is not disvalued and the

original creator is not discredited. One’s honesty is also compromised if they engage in

plagiarism, and personal ethicality is also very important. Being an ethical person allows one to

be supportive and valuable in not only the lives of those they directly affect, such as family and

friends, but to society as a whole.

Sincerely,

Matthew L. Chilton

I have read my child’s Letter of Intent and agree to support my child in the completion of the
Capstone Experience.

Parent/Guardian signature: ______________________________________