Lee Trawick
Reporter2@riverbendnews.org
On Monday, Dec. 12, Branford Elementary School (BES) held its highly anticipated annual Florida 4-H Public Speaking Contest between the fourth and fifth grade classes. As the curtains were pulled back, and the lights were turned on, a total of nine students were asked to step up to the podium at centerstage to present an essay they had prepared.
The winners from each class grade will have the opportunity to represent BES in the district contest at the Suwannee County School Board office in January. However, in order to achieve such an opportunity, students first had to manage their nerves while navigating their speech with the proper tone, tempo and momentum. Competitors were graded on the strict grading scale of the BES judges. Although nine students competed, only two would be selected – one from each grade.
Academic Coach Lisa Flowers opened the event by presenting each student to the judges and audience, along with a set of rules and what the judges would be grading on. As the students presented their essays, fourth-grader Anabelle Garcia and fifth-grader Jasmine Nunez proved to stand out among their classmates. Each gave excellent presentations and claimed first place in their respective grades, earning them the opportunity to advance to the district competition, where they will represent BES.
Congratulations to these students and to all who participated for their hard work!