Students at Virginia Beach City Public Schools’ Bayside Sixth Grade Campus competed in an exciting competition last week that tested their poise under pressure and their conversation skills. Nearly 25 students competed in the second round of The Amazing Shake competition, a contest that places an emphasis on teaching students manners, discipline, respect, and professional conduct.
Through The Amazing Shake, a competition originally created by the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, students are introduced to the nuances of professional human interaction as they are taught various skills such as how to give a proper handshake, how to provide high-quality answers in interviews, and how to remain composed under pressure. The students are scored while interacting with representatives from local businesses and organizations.
The competition allows students to develop skills through a fun and memorable experience and introduces them to networks, roles, opportunities, and career paths that they may not have been exposed to before. The Virginia Beach students at last week’s competition completed tasks including short interviews, impromtu speeches, brief sales presentations and more. Each task had a time limit of 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Once all the scores were tallied, 10 students advanced to the next round of the competition. They will be competing for two coveted spots that will advance to the national competition in Atlanta, which will be held in March 2023. Bayside Sixth Grade Campus is the only Virginia school competing in this year’s competition.
“We thought this was a great way to connect our community with our kids,” said Principal Shampriest S. Bevel.
Several of the students commented that they were very nervous as the competition began, but they had fun completing the tasks. Though not everyone could advance to the next round, all of the competitors enjoyed the occasion to practice skills that will ensure they are able to present themselves exceptionally well for opportunities today and in the future.
Learn more about The Amazing Shake competition.
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