To end the health unit they started in December, the Spanish IV classes gave speeches at their annual Health Fair on Monday.

“I am extremely proud of these students,” Spanish II and IV teacher Julie Sturm said. “They’ve worked so hard preparing all facets of their presentations: from writing the research paper last semester to putting together elaborate posters and practicing their speeches over and over again, preparing the event.”

The students gave four-minute presentations to around 20 to 25 Spanish students during first period and sixth period as well as before and after school. At the end of the speeches, the listeners and the presenters asked each other questions.

“[The Spanish IV students] have expanded their health and science vocabulary a great deal in doing this project,” Sturm said. “They also have improved on their presentational skills as well as spontaneous speaking abilities by fielding questions from their classmates and other students.”

The students had to research the causes of their particular topics and present solutions and advice to their listeners.

“The topics vary greatly, but all relate in some way to health and wellness,” Sturm said. “Students chose the topic that most interested them. Some have personal experience with it and others were just curious to learn more about an issue.”

The topics at the fair ranged from mental health, like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, to physical health, like obesity, to general wellness, like drug addiction. “I did mine over insomnia because I’ve had insomnia for over a year now,” junior Camden Perez said. “That’s why I feel so strongly about it.”

The students had to demonstrate that they could communicate with students all levels of Spanish. Perez explained that it was difficult to ask Spanish I students questions that they could understand, but when he presented to Spanish III students it was easier because they understood. He also presented to two Spanish-speaking students.

“[They] completely understood and answered my questions perfectly,” Perez said. “It was nice to just have a conversation.”