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Summer Program
Spotlight on Public Speaking
December 12th, 2024
One of our Evergreen values is voice, and our mission states that we "inspire highly capable, creative learners to lead with curiosity, compassion, and courage." Learning to speak and express oneself confidently is a key skill for leading, and one that faculty encourage and explicitly teach throughout our school program. Here are just a few recent highlights from several different grade levels.
Kindergarten
Over the course of the year, kindergartners have several opportunities to practice their speaking skills in age-appropriate ways. All three classes hold "Celebrations of Learning" to wrap up several big units, such as Force & Motion and their Wetlands unit, and during these, students and guests—sometimes their classmates, sometimes 4th grade buddies or even their parents/guardians—arrive for presentations. Often guests move around the room, science fair-style, to hear from students about their projects.
On each student's birthday, they have another way to practice their speaking skills. The birthday student sits in a special chair and answers questions from their classmates about their birthday celebration, favorite treats, and more, speaking to the entire class audience!
Primary Division Assemblies & 3rd Grade Leadership
Monthly Friday morning assemblies in Primary Division, launched last year, are a great way for students throughout the whole division (PS-3rd) to have a shared experience, but for 3rd graders, they're also a special opportunity to develop leadership and speaking skills! While in the scope of the whole school, 3rd grade may seem young compared to middle school, they are are the oldest in this group, and leading an assembly is both an empowering privilege and a responsibility. Third grade classes take turns leading the assemblies, including selecting topics and devising fun and creative ways to present them.
Above: Students in Melissa Young's class preparing to lead this month's assembly! To continue the year-long theme of “community,” they chose to focus on culture and holiday celebrations, identiying over 15 different holidays celebrated by current PD Evergreen families! Students interviewed K-3 classes to learn more about the holidays celebrated in each classroom, and they created a slideshow presentation for Friday's assembly.
Above: Students in Melissa Young's class preparing to lead the assembly (left), and up in front of whole Primary Division (right)! To continue the year-long theme of “community,” this month they chose to focus on culture and holiday celebrations, identifying over 15 different holidays celebrated by current PD Evergreen families! Students interviewed K-3 classes to learn more about the holidays celebrated in each classroom, and they created a slideshow presentation for Friday's assembly.
Public Speaking in Middle School: 6th Graders Up Their Practice
In Dan's 6th grade social studies/history classes, students get a lot of practice speaking in front of a group! Dan teaches Socratic seminar-style discussion methods, where students take turns leading the talks; he also teaches debate strategies to all students and holds several debates during the year. Plus, at the end of the school year, everyone participates in "Sixth Speaks," for which students research a topic of their choice and prepare a formal speech, which they give in front of the class as well as some parent/guardian audience members.
Above right: Sixth grade students worked for months on their National History Day research and presentation or performance pieces, presenting to an audience of dozens of parents/guardians and faculty/staff members.
Student-led Assemblies
Throughout the year, Student Council, composed of representatives in 3rd through 8th grades, helps to lead assemblies, from the planning to the onstage announcing, and everything in between. With the help and support of advisors and other teachers, students gain valuable experience and make a real impact, speaking in front of the whole school on stage about important topics, from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Earth Day and more.
Middle school members of the SOCA (Students of Color & Allies) club presented
the "Affirmations" and "Stories" murals they'd been working on at last year's assembly.
