Contest teaches manners, discipline, respect
Marion County elementary school students learned some valuable skills and had some fun during the local edition of a national competition.
Students from Elgin, Pleasant, Ridgedale, and River Valley participated in the local version of the Amazing Shake, a nationwide program dedicated to teaching young people “manners, discipline, respect, and how to conduct themselves in a professional environment.” It was created by teachers at the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, and has become a national and international phenomenon.
According to its creators, the Amazing Shake introduces students “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. At the end of the contest, the school aims to prepare their students to present themselves exceptionally well for opportunities today as well as those that will come in the future.”
Sandy Stevens, a writing and social studies teacher at Elgin Elementary School, said her school has been using the Amazing Shake to teach soft skills to elementary students for several years, but was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. This year marked the first competition since it was postponed due to the pandemic.
Stevens said the competition involves having the children use soft skills that seem to missing or at least lacking in today’s society.
“They shake hands. They introduce themselves. Maintain eye contact. Kind of work a room,” said Stevens, who teaches fifth grade at Elgin and is scheduled to retire at the end of the 20222023 school year, wrapping up 35 years in education. “They have to improvise a lot of the time, so we talk to them about how sometimes in life you have a plan, but it doesn’t always work out and you have to come up with a different plan. We also talk to them about leadership and citizenship and teach them about the importance of being good leaders and good citizens.”
Each of the local elementary schools involved in the Amazing Shake held its own competition and then they all came together on May 16 at the Elgin Local Schools administration building for the countywide competition, Stevens said. Various stations were set up and students were required to visit them to be “interviewed” by representatives of many local businesses and organizations in Marion County.
“We had lots of people from the Marion community who helped us this year,” Stevens said. “We had bankers, health professionals, college professors - lots and lots of different people. And they do all of the judging for the competition. It’s very interesting to see how the children interact with the adults. For a lot of the kids, it’s new experience. But it’s a lot of fun and the kids learn a lot. We very much appreciate all of the people from the local business community who help us.”
Lt. Ed Brown, coordinator of the Marion Police Department’s MPACT (Marion Police and Community Together) program, conducted interviews at one of the stations during the Amazing Shake. The question he asked students was, “If money wasn’t any issue, what you do to make the world a better place.” He said he was quite impressed with the answers the children provided.
“The one answer that I found really interesting was from a girl who said she would do away with social media,” Brown said. “She said there’s too much drama on social media and people just want to fight because they don’t like things that are posted. I thought that was impressive coming from a young person. A lot of the kids talked about helping people who live in poverty and helping homeless people. Many of the kids talked about helping first responders and improving safety in our community. That was a big issue. Concern for the environment was a hot topic for some of the kids, too.
“One girl said that (the country) needs a good leader and that she would give money towards helping the country find a president who is a good leader for the people. I was just really impressed with the thought that many of the kids put into their answers. I had a great time meeting the kids and spending time with them. It’s a great program.”
Students from River Valley Local Schools claimed the lion’s share of the top prizes handed out at the countywide competition. Seven River Valley students walked away with honors. Following are the students who finished in the top ten, which included a tie for tenth place:
● Kinlee Weston, Ridgedale
● A.J. Niederkohr, Pleasant
● Alexa Schertzer, River Valley
● Lyle Shore, River Valley
● Mary Lynn Martindell, River Valley
● Emmerson Burns, Pleasant
● Akira Stover, River Valley
● Piper Mustard, River Valley
● Dominique Mask, River Valley
● Ovidia Greenleaf, Elgin
● Clarissa Hoffman, River Valley In addition to the top ten students being honored, certificates were presented to students in the following categories: Best Conversationalist, Best Handshake, Best Manners, Most Enthusiastic, Best Smile, and Best Dressed.
For information about the Amazing Shake, go to its website www.theamazingshake.com.
Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @Andrewaccarter