Twenty-nine Elphinstone Secondary students completed the Public Speaking course this year, the largest group since the course was introduced 10 years ago. Overseen by teacher Sarah Mani, the course was done this year without the involvement of local Toastmasters due to COVID.
Over eight weeks, each student makes two short speeches and takes part in preparing and responding to impromptu topics and rotating through the various meeting roles. These include chairperson, word master, topics master, speech evaluator and timer. Feedback is provided by students on roles and speeches including table topics.
Success of the course, developed by Mani with help from Morningstars Toastmasters Kay Wotton, Sandy Wrightman and Darcy Case-Williams, lies in the involvement of Grades 10, 11 and 12 students, with older students providing role models and support for their younger colleagues and most students taking it for several years.
The 2021 students were: Rylee Appleton, Aditya Batti, Cassie Gibb, Tessa Hage, Aliya Howard, Leandra Le, Cheyanne Mackenzie, Rizzie Manuel, Amelia Obeck, Jacob Poirier, Colin Smart, Melissa Spain, Mackenzie Thomson, Owen Tonis, Theo Barlow, Jade Bergman, Isaac Carroll, Alexa Ingram, Katie Kennelly, Mika Kliewer, Abby Ridd, Kennedy Vanderwoerd, Julian Woodin, Matthew Drope, Noah Freedman, Piper Goerzen, Gravity Guignard, Tenzin Sangmo, Koenn Sauer.
