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Elementary Students Hone Valuable Skills in Debate Club
Reno, NV (Nov. 29, 2011) - Washoe County School District's youngest learners will sharpen their argumentative skills Tuesday evening as they get together for a meeting of the Washoe County Elementary School Debate Club, an extracurricular activity designed to build a child's self-confidence and develop his or her speech, critical thinking, research and presentation skills.
The Elementary School Debate Club is open to all WCSD students from kindergarteners to sixth graders and meets at Double Diamond Elementary School on Tuesdays. Tonight's meeting will kick off this year's session but students are welcome to join the club during any meeting. There is no cost to join the debate club.
During the debate club meetings, students take a position on an issue and then do research throughout the week to gather support for their position. Club meetings start with warm-up drills to help their pronunciation and team-building exercises. The students then divide into groups to discuss topics of interest and they choose a side of the issue they want to debate. Parent leader Lauren Klein and UNR Debater Kelli Brill are co-facilitators for the club.
"Communication, collaboration and constructive criticism are important for children to learn as part of the core skills they will need to develop for their futures. This program is a small stepping stone to help students build this important foundation," Klein said.
Double Diamond fifth grader and debate club co-leader Maya Reyes Klein said, "The number one fear is talking in front of crowds, so this club will make people better with their speaking skills so that they can be good speakers. It's very fun and you have a good time and learn strategies to make yourself be good at talking in front of other people."
Event Details
What: Washoe County Elementary School Debate Club - 1st meeting of the year
When: Tuesday, Nov. 29 from 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Where: Double Diamond Elementary School (1200 S. Meadows Parkway)
Who: Kindergarten to sixth grade students in the Washoe County School District
Note: The Elementary School Debate Club will meet every Tuesday at this same time and location.
If you have any questions regarding the Washoe County Elementary School Debate Club, please contact Lauren Klein at 336-8204 or 850-6212 or by e-mail at info@laurenklein.net.
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About Washoe County School District: The Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every child career and college ready. For more information visit www.washoecountyschools.org. Follow us on Twitter at WCSDTweet.
Washoe County School District
425 East Ninth Street
Reno, NV 89520
