What's Happening in the Middle School?
A Middle School Milestone: Declamations
On Monday, May 24, and Tuesday, May 25, eighth grade students and their families gathered for the annual St. Luke’s Eighth Grade Declamations. Guided by Middle School English teachers Kirstie Tobler and Jim Carroll, students learn the challenges and power of a well-planned, practiced, and executed presentation. Kirstie Tobler shares more about this year’s event.
This year’s Declamations, though a departure from our traditional ceremony, were a rousing success, especially since we were able to celebrate together on the Hilltop. With COVID-19 restrictions lightening but still present, we needed to be flexible., Requiring the students to deliver their Declamations while wearing masks is not what we hoped for, the show must go on!
The center of the Declamations experience is the writing. This year’s students have set the bar high for future eighth graders. They wrote with skill about a wide variety of intriguing topics, including climate change, CRISPR, holocaust remembrance, identity issues, the state of our health system, and summer camp. They told stories of impressive figures, expressed their opinions on important topics, or shared a personal tale. Then, on the big night, they delivered their stories with confidence and poise. This culminating accomplishment to the Middle School experience fosters important skills and creates memories that will serve the students well as they set off on their high school adventures.
Click here to view the recordings from the Class of 2025 Declamations and view photos from the event (not all presenters were photographed).
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
