Public Speaking Not Lost Online

I seriously don’t know who loves Public Speaking at CGS more, the speakers or the teachers and judges! We have had two amazing mornings of speeches this week in Grade 2/3. The Public Speaking Contest is a very special day on the school calendar and we were very sad that it couldn’t happen at school this year, with a full panel of judges and audience of Grade 1’s and parents. It is a right of passage for Grade 2 students and it was very important that the children still have a significant public speaking experience, despite the limits COVID 19 has placed on us. So, we continued as if things were normal, complete with asking the children to look their best in their #1 Dress. As usual, the speakers also came ready to captivate their audience with passion, skill and charm. It wasn’t a contest this year but the energy was no less exciting. Thank you to Marie and Danelle (from Arts Express) and Kelly ( I was there too!) for sharing feedback with each speaker. We couldn’t be prouder of these children if we tried. Not only did they rise to the challenge of public speaking, but they did so online. (These kids are going to have some mad skills in this new online world.) Finding the right sightline, connecting with your audience and landing jokes can all be harder remotely. Not for this crew! We learned about ‘The Big Five’ (the top five animals to see on Safari in Africa), how COVID has changed life, how dogs teach us about love, and where to find the ‘happiest place on earth’ (FYI that’s Disneyland) and much more. Well done Grade 2/3’s. You can head into the long weekend knowing you have accomplished something BIG. (Please note that there are two speakers missing from the photo gallery as their connection didn’t allow for a usable picture. You know who you are DF and SD!)