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HWDSB Speaks Festival Accepting Classroom Registrations

Dictionary.com describes joy as “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying.” A dictionary definition can be quite different than what it means to an individual person though, and we want to know what it means to you!

Teachers, if you have a student who would like to express what joy means to them, please visit myHWDSB and sign up using the Intention to Participate form by the end of the day on March 31, 2023. You will need to enter your name, your school’s name, which category/categories of participation your student(s) would like to take part in and acknowledge this year’s theme of joy.

There are six categories of participation you can choose from depending on your grade:

• Traditional Live Audience Elementary (Grades 4-8: English)
• Traditional Live Audience Secondary (Grades 9-12: English)
• Pre-Recorded Digital Elementary (Grades 4-8: English or French)
• Pre-Recorded Digital Secondary (Grades 9-12: English or French)
• Concours D’Art Oratoire Elementary (Grades 4-8 : French)
• Concours D’Art Secondary (Grades 9-12: French)

Students can incorporate the theme of joy into their speech in any way they would like. The contents of their piece should be informative and contain some element of research, while ensuring the message remains in their work. The length of the speech should be 2-4 minutes.

Microphones and lecterns may be used, as may visual aids that are age-appropriate and considerate of all audience members.

There are three levels of participation in this festival. The first is the classroom level, which is planned by the teachers (and the Canadian Parents for French (CPF) in the case of the Concours D’Art  and Concours D’Art Oratoire). The second is the school level, planned by the principal, teachers (and CPF in the case of the Concours D’Art and Concours D’Art Oratoire) and the third is the Board Level, planned by the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) Speaks Committee.

If you are interested in this event, ask your teacher to sign up today! We look forward to hearing what joy means to you!