Public Speaking

Public speaking begins in Lower School with several Kindergarten performances. By first grade, students are ready to take on a bigger initiative: the Lower School Assembly. This end-of-year performance is based on the year’s culture studies, incorporating a year’s worth of literature, history and creative arts into an entertaining skit. Each year’s performance builds confidence and excitement for the next year’s assembly. In second grade and third grade, students continue to add more complex lines and dialogue to this performance. By fourth grade, students are ready and able to perform an entire play, supported by their teachers. The play is always a highly-anticipated event on the StG school year calendar. 

 As students transition to Middle School, more intensive public speaking options become available. StG teachers ensure the year's academic plans incorporate plenty of opportunities for public speaking, along with several grade-wide events.  From showcasing their Project Approach work to serving on House Council, students find their voices. 

 Each year, students train for the Cottonwood Oratory Festival, held in Spring. For Cottonwood, students pick a literary passage that resonates with them, coming up with a short introduction and analysis of the work. Students then memorize the piece and perform this selection in front of a panel of volunteer judges. Points are awarded based on factors such as mannerisms, delivery and knowledge of the piece. The annual Middle School Play offers another chance for students to practice public speaking in a collaborative setting. Students study scripts and research characters before stage managing and acting in this production. 

Introducing and growing oratory skills through these methods makes public speaking a fun, natural experience for even our more anxious students. Public speaking becomes an engrained habit, not something to be feared. The end result: students who are effective, confident communicators.