AMS students compete in public speaking competition

Submitted by Anneke Fischer-Fay

The Ahkwesahsne Mohawk School’s (AMS) Annual Public Speaking Event was held April 15 for the Grades 3 to 6 students at AMBE.

Every year students at AMS prepare and deliver speeches on topics of their choice in an annual competition. Judges are given the task of scoring the students based on different criteria categories. For many students it is their first experience with structured public speaking and while some are scored higher than others, all the participants are gaining the same valuable experience.

AMS would like to thank the judges: Sandi Barnes, Helen Edwards, Scott Peters, Michelle Smoke, Norma Sunday and Rosemarie White. They would also like to thank the sponsors: Village Currency Exchange, and AMBE Parent Committee.

There were twenty-six (26) class finalists who participated, and they were all winners. The top finishers were:

Grade 3

1st Shawennakaráti Jacobs, Tehanerahtaténies Mitchell and Kanenhakáien Wells – students in the Skahwatsira Program: a short skit and Hee Haw song in Mohawk

2nd Mallory Sunday, My Trip to Toronto to visit the King Tut exhibit

3rd Keely Thompson-Cook, Paper Clip Tricks

4th Skylar Mason, My New Nephew

Grade 4

1st Mitchell Oniehtase Laffin Roller Coasters

2nd Darrin Cook-Grignon Skateboarding

3rd Gracey Katsi’tsiakwas Martin- a student in the Skahwatsira Program-reciting the 50 chiefs and sang a song in Mohawk

4th Ryan Francis-Forgues, School Bullying

Grade 5

1st Sequoyah Thompson, My Grandmother Esther Square

2nd Tehaienkwarentohs Thompson, My Favourite Things

3rd Tehatenonkwaratens Thomspon, My Autobiography

Grade 6

1st Dalton Thomas, The World’s Greatest Lie

2nd Hannah Sawatis, The Debate over School Uniforms

3rd Aidan Lazore, George St. Pierre, MMA fighter

4th Aidan Francis-Forgues, Recess for All Grades