by Briana Persley
As you know, the Office of the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney is big on service within our community. Today, I had the pleasure of representing our office at The 2nd Annual Great Shake!! This Partners for Youth sponsored program, led by Jamie Wright, of Northern Elementary School, targets the four domains of language (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), as they become more connected to the seven dimensions of wellness (physical, social, emotional, environmental, spiritual, intellectual, and financial).
Children came dressed for success and ready for a mock interview!! During interviews, myself and other community volunteers scored students on Handshake Firmness, Eye Contact, Poise, Confidence, and Je Ne Sais Quoi. To be so young, you would never guess that they could stay focused on the questions at hand, but they did. It was so nice to see children as young as six years old thinking about their futures and what career path they wanted to choose when they grow up.
Once all the interviews were complete, the scores were tallied. One young lady broke the record with a score of 207! She was awarded the 2017 Great Shake Award.
What an accomplishment!
After such a rigorous schedule of three, 10 minute interviews, the students and interviewers worked up an appetite, so lunch was served in the cafeteria. While eating, positive feedback was given about their interviews, and their table manners and conversational skills were reinforced. We finished up with a ceremony in the library where five students read their opinion pieces on, “How Can Northern Elementary School Be Improved?”, and the whole group sang us a song that focused on equality and celebration of all people.
Taking part in shaping future generations and preparing them for success was such a wonderful experience! We wish them all the best and hope that all of their hard work pays off!!