St. Luke’s 2020 Eighth Grade Declamations

When you work with middle schoolers, you learn to be flexible. So when current events meant we could not gather to celebrate Eighth Grade Declamations in our traditional style, we started brainstorming. Aided by the incredible support of Teach Tech, particularly Matt Bavone, we explored the possibilities and found the answer to be what was most accessible and equitable for our students. Like all the broadcasters on TV these days, our students learned to use their computer as a home studio, including testing sound quality and uploading their speech to a digital teleprompter.

At the heart of this signature eighth grade program are research, writing, and public speaking skills. This year, students had additional options for their Declamations, including arguing for a cause close to their hearts or sharing a meaningful personal story. Each student spent weeks researching, organizing and revising, practicing their speaking, and dedicating themselves to perfecting their message. They care deeply about their words and how their ideas will be received.

Instead of a single ceremony, individual recordings of the speeches are being explored and celebrated throughout our final week of school, with friends, family, and faculty all sending praise to our speakers. The ceremony is definitely different, but the pride our students feel, and the public recognition of their writing and speaking skills, are still there. We are so happy for all of them, and we hope they take the lessons of this unique experience – lessons about perseverance and flexibility – with them to ninth grade.

All St. Luke’s families are invited to view the St. Luke’s 2020 Declamations. (You will need to log into the SLS website to access the videos.)