The Annual Amicus Elementary School Speech Contest

Today, September 25th, the annual Amicus Elementary School Speech Contest was held. The morning session featured speeches from 2nd and 3rd graders, while the afternoon session was dedicated to 4th to 6th graders.

In the morning session, many of the speeches were based on themes the students had been learning about, such as “If I Were an Animal” and “The Land of the Beautiful Lakes.” I was amazed at how confidently even the 2nd and 3rd graders could speak.

In the afternoon, representatives from each class of 4th to 6th graders gave their speeches. As expected from the older students, I was impressed by their high level of skill. Their speech topics included “My Chinese Summer Holiday,” “The Best Country to Visit,” and “Travelling Makes Me Happy,” focusing on their own experiences and opinions. Some students began their speeches by asking the audience questions, while others walked around the stage, making eye contact with the audience as they spoke. It was clear they weren’t just reciting memorized English, but speaking in their own words.

Since I took on the role of principal at Amicus this April, I’ve often been surprised, but today’s speeches from the upper-grade students were particularly remarkable. I felt their expressive abilities surpassed even those of the middle and high school students I’ve taught in the past as an English teacher. I’m truly in awe!

Finally, here are the students who won prizes:

Grades 2-3

1st Place: Souta Tajima

2nd Place: Kohaku Miyahira

3rd Place: Reo Kohagura

Grades 4-6

1st Place: Terusa Okamoto

2nd Place: Juri Morita

3rd Place: Reika Nakamoto

I also served as one of the judges, and it was incredibly difficult to decide the winners (laughs).