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Debate
Coral Park’s competitive Speech and Debate Club offers fourth and fifth-grade students the opportunity to improve their public speaking skills by presenting a competitive piece of literature at four county-wide tournaments throughout the school year. Team members compete in the North Area Elementary After School Tournaments (E.A.S.T.) where they are judged and ranked against other elementary-age students based on their stage presence, delivery, timing, and memorization. Medal winners can compete in the Elementary Championship Tournament in the spring.
Club members must select one speech to work on throughout the year. Students who are passionate about a specific topic can choose to write an informative essay to present in the Original Oratory (OO) category. Others can choose to participate in the Interpretation (INTERP) category where they memorize and present a short story, a folktale, a myth, an excerpt from a story, a scene from a movie or drama, or a selection of poems centered around one theme. All speeches must be between three to five minutes in length and memorized. During our club meetings, members learn various memorization techniques, time management skills, and how to speak before an audience.
If a student is interested in learning how to capture an audience’s attention through speech, boost self-confidence, create positive peer interactions, receive constructive feedback, and prepare for public speaking, Speech and Debate is the place to be! Join us after school on Wednesdays from 2:00 – 3:00 PM.
Advisors: Mrs. Parra and Mrs. Gruskin
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Music
Coral Park offers before-school music programs for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. In our music club, students practice singing and playing instruments such as ukulele and Orff instruments. Our musical ensembles perform winter and spring concerts as well as perform at various local events throughout the year.
Music students visit assisted living centers in the community where they participate in an intergenerational music therapy program. Students learn to engage with their "new senior friends." They practice social skills such as introducing themselves, and they learn the importance of community service. In the music therapy sessions, the students encourage the elderly to participate in singing, movement, and playing instruments rhythmically. Both the residents and students receive many benefits from this program.Advisor: Dr. Lathroum
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Play Pals
Coral Park’s Play Pal Club consists of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students that are peer mentors to students who are 'differently-abled'. At the beginning of each school year, select students that exhibit traits such as: leadership, responsibility, the ability to make up classwork missed, and kindness go through a training program that teaches them how to work with children with autism and other special needs. Students who have low self-esteem, or have a special need themselves, also have the opportunity to be a “Play Pal” as well since this has shown to have a significant increase in self-confidence.
Once the students are trained, they are assigned to go into classrooms, recess, lunch, and specials on a regular basis to work with, play with and model social skills for these students. The benefits of such a peer buddy system are exponential.
Children with autism struggle with initiating and maintaining peer relationships. Play Pals encourage and guide students to interact in a social way that may not come naturally. By making connections with typical peers, the feelings of isolation and loneliness, that are characteristics of autism, are decreased. Although the Play Pals are of great help to students with special considerations, the Play Pals benefit as well. The Play Pals become leaders amongst their peers. They are able to educate their friends and family members about the differently-abled. This can decrease potential bullying situations or discrimination in the school. It gives them the ability to generalize acceptance of others out in the community. Some of the Play Pals have even expressed an interest in becoming a teacher someday. Coral Park Elementary has found that by integrating the Play Pals into the school day, the special needs population has increased their social skills, their communication skills, their cognitive skills, and their self esteem. Play Pals has given them a sense of being a part of a group.
The Play Pal program is a "Win-Win" situation for typical students as well as those with special considerations. Coral Park is extremely proud of their program and hope that other schools will mirror this program at their site.
Advisor: Ms. Aran and Ms. Letvinchuk
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Safety Patrol
Coral Park is proud to offer the Safety Patrol Program, sponsored by AAA. The primary purpose of the program is to enhance the safety of our students. In addition, this program promotes the development of leadership skills and good citizenship qualities. A safety patrol’s job is to model for students the safety rules that have been taught in the classroom and to assist students in safe transitions throughout the campus. Coral Park's Safety Patrol is available to 5th Grade students who are willing to dedicate time to helping other students in the school. Students must be reliable, able to work independently, and be service-oriented.
Advisor: Ms. Panchoo
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WCPE Morning News Crew
Each morning, our WCPE News Crew produces a campus-wide live television show highlighting the events and activities at Coral Park. The Fifth-grade students, supervised by the Media Specialist, are in charge of creating the script, operating the A/V equipment, and being punctual each morning to ensure the Morning Announcements start on time. This responsibility is reserved for our Fifth graders, as it is an important part of Coral Park's daily routine.
Advisor: Ms Lentoski
