Jaden Boerboom recites John 1: 6-14 and placed first in the third grade scripture category.
Several relatives joined the students and administrators in the celebration at the end of the Zoom call.
The Geneva Grammar Speech Meet is an annual event in which students in first through fifth grades choose either a piece of scripture or poetry from a selection and present it in competition. Students memorize their selected piece and present in preliminary rounds to ultimately try to advance to the finals.
This year, the Grammar School continued on with the Speech Meet virtually. Fifteen students in each category (scripture and poetry) advanced to the Speech Meet Finals and logged into a Zoom call to present in front of their Grammar School admin team and the judge, Mr. Dirk Russell, Academic Dean. Students were awarded either a first, second or third place medal for their efforts.
“My daughter Ava was so happy that she had the chance to do her ‘final bit’ and even though she was beyond nervous about competing on the iPad, she said it was a great experience and it meant the world to her! Receiving her beautiful note and award gave her a sense of accomplishment and belonging and was a welcome connection to her beloved Geneva family!” Geneva parent Annie Kearney said.
Geneva places a high value on memorizing and reciting pieces to present in front of an audience at an early age.
“We are developing rhetoricians in Grammar School through oral presentations and competitions. The annual Speech Meet begins with memorization of scripture and poetry at home, then a grade level competition, followed by the semifinals and then the finals. Due to the school closure, we had to rely on screen technology in order to complete the competition. The students rose to the occasion and stood before a screen to present what they would have presented to an audience of over 300,” Grammar School Headmaster Jessica Gombert said.
This year, more than 200 students competed in this voluntary competition and 30 advanced to the finals. All students who participated earned a free homework pass for their hard work and dedication.