Our Elementary School Speech Contests were held on Thursday, October 1, for Grades 2 and 3, and on Monday, October 5, for Grades 4 through 6.

Each grade had its own theme, and the students delivered speeches on a wide variety of topics. Grade 2 students spoke about insects, describing the ones they had chosen and expressing their thoughts and feelings about them with great enthusiasm. Grade 4 students talked about countries they would like to visit, Grade 5 students created advertisements, and Grade 6 students delivered persuasive speeches. Each presentation showed creativity and thoughtful preparation.

I had the pleasure of serving as a judge at both contests, and I must say that choosing the winners was an incredibly difficult task. Every speech was original, creative, and engaging. The students put so much thought and effort into getting their messages across, and I found myself deeply moved on many occasions. In fact, I honestly wished I could have awarded first place to every student who had made it through the classroom preliminary rounds.

A speech contest is about much more than speaking English accurately and fluently. It involves thinking carefully about what you want to say, gathering relevant information, organizing your ideas, and finding effective ways to communicate them to an audience. It also takes courage to stand in front of a large group of people and share your thoughts. This entire process truly reflects the AMICUS philosophy of “Think, Learn, Act.”

In the world our students are growing up in, simply acquiring knowledge will not be enough. They will increasingly need the ability to use that knowledge to develop their own ideas, support their opinions with evidence, communicate clearly, and sometimes persuade others. The opportunity to develop these skills in English from an early age is something that I believe will be a tremendous asset to our AMICUS students in the years ahead.

Above all, I would like to recognize not only the students who took part in the final contests, but also every student who worked hard to write, prepare, and deliver a speech in their own classroom. Each and every one of you deserves a big round of applause.

Thinking about what to say, searching for information, finding better ways to express your ideas, and practicing again and again—every step of that journey was a valuable learning experience. Even if you were not selected to represent your class, that does not make your effort or experience any less meaningful. I am confident that each of you learned a great deal and grew through the process of preparing and delivering your speech.

To all our students, thank you for your wonderful speeches and for the effort you put into them. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to our teachers for guiding and supporting the students throughout the process, and to our parents for their encouragement and support at home.

I hope our students will continue to grow into individuals who think for themselves, never stop learning, and have the confidence to share their ideas with the world in their own words.

Ken Oshiro, Headmaster