Celebration of Learning Induces Confidence in Students at Harlem Academy

Young students learn the art of public speaking at Harlem Academy’s Celebration of Learning. This event is a fusion of school performances, interactive community gathering and a term project for the students. It nourishes presentation and public speaking skills in young children at Harlem Academy's lower school. It’s held every trimester with proud family members witnessing each different theme or project joint together by an academic unit. This year, first graders transformed the common room into an art gallery of their own work and their own representations of Claude Monet and Piet Mondrian. Grade Four presented as Greek Gods and Goddesses displaying their own myths, legends and performances based on  their study of Greek mythology. Celebration of Learning pushes students into a new way of expressing their ideas. The art of performance and public speaking must be integrated together in order for them to efficiently convey a message as well as complete the assignment. It’s a great way for students to have fun doing a project while also boosting their confidence to speak in front of an audience. “To see a student that would barely speak above a whisper in class be a really vivacious character, that’s a huge transformation,” said Harlem Academy's Lower School Director Lashonda Davis.