Preeceville School students in grades 4 to 8 rose to the challenge of public speaking in front of a panel of judges, teachers, peers and parents in an oratory competition on May 27.
Oratory refers to the art of public speaking, it was explained. Students began their challenge as class project where they were requested to recite a poem or compose their own speech in class. The project was part of the ELA public speaking program. In grades 4, 5 and 6 students had to memorize and recite a poem and in grades 7 and 8 they were to compose and present their own speeches.
The top three students from each grade advanced to the competition where the top students in the poetry and speech category each received a certificate. Judges for the event were Laura Sliva, Erin Stolar and Doug King.
In grades 4, 5 and 6 poetry category, Kiera Balyski won for her entry The Unicorn. Other competitors in that category were: Hannah Kidder (The Crocodile’s Toothache);
Summer Stroeder (I’m off to Catch a Bumblebee); Matthew Korney (Furniture Mash) ; Kent Scheller (Manners); Brady Kashuba (Someone’s Toes Are in My Nose); Keane Balyski (I Found a Four-Leaf Clover); Isaiah Maier (Smart) and Tristan Acosta (TheCrocodile’s Toothache).
In the grades 7 to 8 speech category, Almina Kovcic received first place for her speech Why All
People Should Have a Pet. Other participants in that category were: Jillian Tonn (Top Four Funniest Things to Do in an Elevator); Emily Prestie (What it is Like to Have Your Mom as Your Teacher) and Skylar German (Movies Have Set Up My Expectations.)
All participants received a certificate for their efforts.
In the poetry category, students were judged on the memorization of the poem, enunciation, facial and vocal expressions, volume, voice inflection, posture, pace and appropriate pauses, difficulty and length of poem, and actions and gestures. The judges also gave points at the judges’ discretion and audience appeal.
In the speech category, students were judged on fluency, memorization of speech and smoothness, diction, enunciation and pronunciation, volume, facial and vocal expressions, pacing, poise, voice inflection, quality and quantity, organization, style usage, vocabulary, variety and judges’ discretion and audience appeal.
