It’s been a year since YHS hosted the International Independent Schools Public Speaking Championship (IISPSC), and this year, the tournament was held in Okotoks, Alberta, at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (Oct 28-30, 2012). YHS was represented by six students: Leila M., Jasmyne K., Artemis S., Constance L., Muhan Z., and Marisa D. For all but Jasmyne, this was the first time competing at a public speaking competition of this magnitude!
We didn’t quite get the results we had hoped for, but Jasmyne qualified for the Interpretive Reading finals, and Leila narrowly missed the Cross Examination finals. Though the girls may have been somewhat disappointed in their results, they should be incredibly proud of their hard work and the quality of their speeches. Their coach, Ms. Boteju, was especially proud of the way they carried themselves throughout the tournament, as they truly embodied the spirit of community and friendly competition YHS showed when we hosted. Perhaps the highlight was seeing that our girls were the only ones who had the confidence and sense of fun to start the ‘Gangham style’ dance-off at the Saturday night social event!
One of the most rewarding parts of our experience this year was the number of comments and commendations we received from people about our hosting of the tournament last year. Several people (including this year’s tournament organizer) raved about our sense of community, the special touches, and the incredibly warm atmosphere of our school. This just goes to show what an impressive community YHS is, thanks to all its parents, staff, and students!
