Best 2024 Graduation Speech, by Iván Cruz: "Be happy without hurting anyone"

 

This year's best graduation speech is by 4 ESO A student Iván Cruz Fragueiro, who has not only written a brilliant commencement address, but he has delivered it in style and grace, with excellent pronunciation, intonation and stance, and with remarkable composure, serenity and good spirit. Congratulations!

As usual, this student was the chosen one to speak on behalf of their 4 ESO classmates at the graduation ceremony on Friday 21st June.

 

BE HAPPY WITHOUT HURTING ANYONE

 

Good afternoon, parents, classmates and teachers. Thank you for being here.

Today is a very special day for me and my classmates, so I will try to treat it like that, even being as nervous as I am about speaking in front of you all. Sorry for my possible babbling, by the way.

 

First, I would like to ask you something: have you ever felt scared? Not scared of a horror movie, but scared of the future, of the changes... Well, I have felt that way, and I am sure that most of you also have. So, what do you think if we try to fight that fear? When we were kids, we played to be adults. We wanted to grow up fast because we thought that adult life would be incredible, but now that we have grown, we are worried about the future. I am not one to give you advice, but I have seen that there is something that some of us curiously ignore: the present, and to understand the present, we need to remember the past first.

I hardly remember my first day at school, but I remember my first friends, my first teachers, my best and worst moments... All of these moments have something in common, the people you share them with. Because even in the worst moment and even if you are someone introvert, reserved, or shy like me, I can promise you  that you will find somebody determined to help you, someone who tells you to go ahead because if things get tough, he or she will be with you. I am lucky to have a mentor like that: she is my mother because I couldn't have got where I am without her, so thank you, mum.

 

I would also like to thank some people for their support, their trust and their help. Thank you, Santi, for telling me what homework we had when I didn't have it written down; thank you, Diego, for all those times you made me laugh; thank you, Raúl, for your support in my bad moments; thank you, Paula, for being the best teacher; thank you, Pilar, for your History classes; thank you, Raquel and Álvaro, for trusting and believing in me; and thanks to all the teachers, classmates and everybody who, although I don’t have time to mention, I want you all to know that nothing of this would be possible without you.

 

And now, leaving this aside. I supposedly have to talk about the future, but do you remember what I said at the beginning of the speech? We have to live in the present without forgetting the future, because now that we remember the past, we know that in future troubles someone will be there to help us, and if there is no one, there will certainly be.

 

Also remember that you are your best partner, so don’t stay with people you don’t want to be with only for fear of being alone, and if you make a mistake, you can always try again, because even if it doesn’t turn out well, it’s worth trying.

 

After saying that, I have wishes and one more piece of advice: I wish you a happy and safe end-of-school trip, I wish you the best future you can imagine, I wish you a good summer... be happy without hurting anyone, that is my advice.

 

And finally, after this dense speech, I hope you enjoy the snacks and drinks served on the school yard.

 

Thank you so much for your attention.

 

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only. 

Graduation Speech: ESO 4 2023-24 3rd Term PBL Assignment

ESO 4 Students,

This is your PBL assignment for the 3rd term. It is a VOLUNTARY PBL.

You have to WRITE and DELIVER your GRADUATION SPEECH. You have to imagine you are going to stand in the school Assembly Hall before your teachers, classmates, parents and guests at your ESO graduation ceremony and deliver your speech, which must be at least 350 WORDS LONG.

The best student will be offered the chance to deliver his or her speech at your graduation ceremony... in English!! Of course, he or she will get extra points in the final mark for that effort.

The King's Christmas Broadcast 2023

 

Last year, King Charles III adressed his first Christmas speech to his country and the Commonwealth. Pay attention to his pronunciation, rhythm and entonation. Read the full transcript down below.

"I'm standing here in this exquisite chapel of St. George at Windsor Castle, so close to where my beloved mother the late Queen is laid to rest with my dear father. I'm reminded of the deeply touching letters, cards and messages which so many of you have sent my wife and myself, and I cannot thank you enough for the love and sympathy you have shown our whole family.

Christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones. We feel their absence at every familiar turn of the season, and remember them in each cherished tradition.

Best 2023 Graduation Speech, by Lucas Antón: "Mistakes"

This year's best graduation speech is by 4 ESO A student Lucas Antón Cortés who has not only written a brilliant commencement address, but he has delivered it in style and grace, and with excellent pronunciation, intonation and stance, and with remarkable composure, serenity and good spirit. Congratulations!

As usual, this student is the chosen one to speak on behalf of their 4 ESO classmates at the graduation ceremony to be held at 1 pm on Wednesday 21st June.

MISTAKES

Good afternoon to everyone and thank you so much for coming on such a special day!

Today is an exciting day, exciting because we are finally graduating in this amazing school. But it´s also a sad day, sad because we are leaving a place we all have shared for the last 13 years.

First, I want to say sorry because, as you can see, I´m nervous and I´ll probably make some mistakes. Well, you know what? I don’t care because that’s life, life is made up of mistakes. I’m sure that none of you is where you are thanks to making no mistakes, I’m completely sure that all of you are where you are thanks to loads of mistakes.

I still remember when I was a child and wanted to grow up, because when you’re a child, growing up is the most exciting thing in life and you just want to grow. Now that I´m not that young, I´ve realized that growing up is not as exciting as it was and that we must stop thinking about tomorrow and start thinking about today. We must enjoy this time of our lives because the teens are the best years in life. I’m sure that your best anecdotes are from your adolescence and that, if you could, you’d give anything to get back to your teens, even only for one day.

Putting memories aside, I would like to say thanks, obviously, to my mother and my father. They´ve raised me to be a good person and have always helped me always with any problem. To my brother and my sister. They are everything for me, they have always been there when I needed them. I’d also like to thank all my friends; in part, this wouldn’t be possible without them. I’d love to thank them individually, but that would take all day.

I’d also like to thank some teachers: Álvaro, thanks for teaching us the importance of English and that we have to translate ideas, not words. Javi, thanks for those whole classes talking about the bitcoin. Pilar, thanks for teaching us History and for those classes telling you our anecdotes. Manolo, thanks for teaching us Physics and Chemistry and that when being clean and organised you´re half way to pass. Leo, thanks for 2 teaching us Technology, Technical drawing, etc. And why Microsoft Word 2003 is the best one in life. Of course, Marta and Hugo, because even though we haven´t known you for a long time, it looks like we do. In general, I’d like to thank you all for being so patient with us in these 13 years here and for being, instead of our teachers, our friends. 

But let´s stop talking about the past, let’s talk about the future. Well, I don’t really know what to say about the future, because I don’t know what I want. I thought that I knew, but I was wrong, but that´s OK, life is made up of mistakes. It doesn’t really matter if you fail, nobody is going to remember your mistakes in the future, so fail once, twice, no matter how many times, just fail. You learn more from mistakes than from success.

I don’t like to say this, but this is probably our last day together, in this amazing school, so I can only wish you one thing, good luck in life my friends, I’m sure life will smile at you.

But don’t get sad, as I’ve said before, we have to live the present, so please enjoy the snacks and drinks served on the schoolyard.

Thank you so much for being here today. So long.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Graduation Speech: ESO 4 2022-23 3rd Term PBL Assignment

ESO 4 Students,

This is your PBL assignment for the 3rd term. All of you have to WRITE and DELIVER your GRADUATION SPEECH.  You have to imagine you are going to stand in the school Assembly Hall before your teachers, classmates, parents and guests at your ESO graduation ceremony (to be held, if COVID-19 protective measures permit it, on a date yet to be determined) and deliver your speech, which must be at least 350 WORDS LONG.

The best student will be offered the chance to deliver his or her speech at your graduation ceremony... in English!! Of course, he or she will get extra points in the final mark for that effort.

Asperger Day 2023

February 18th, International Asperger's Day. Can you feel it (too)?

Asperger is a show that visualizes the emotions of people with Asperger, a condition of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Krister Palo is a 15-year-old student at the International School of the Hague who just happens to have Asperger's syndrome. In his talk, he shares misconceptions about people with Asperger's syndrome, and breaks down some of these popular stereotypes and assumptions.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Coming Up Roses

 

Keira Knightley sings "Coming Up Roses" in a scene of the 2013 movie "Begin Again".

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

The King's Christmas Broadcast 2022

 

King Charles III adresses his first Christmas speech to his country and the Commonwealth. Pay attention to his pronunciation, rhythm and entonation. Read the full transcript down below.

"I'm standing here in this exquisite chapel of St. George at Windsor Castle, so close to where my beloved mother the late Queen is laid to rest with my dear father. I'm reminded of the deeply touching letters, cards and messages which so many of you have sent my wife and myself, and I cannot thank you enough for the love and sympathy you have shown our whole family.

Christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones. We feel their absence at every familiar turn of the season, and remember them in each cherished tradition.

Feelings & Emotions

How are you feeling today?

Turn this coloured wheel (click on the image to download it or to see it enlarged) and find the right adjective to express and describe your feelings and emotions accurately:

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial pursposes only.

Best 2022 Graduation Speech, by Jakob Cabaleiro: "What do I know?"

This year's best graduation speech is by 4 ESO B student Jakob Cabaleiro who has not only written a brilliant commencement address, but he has delivered it in style and grace, and with excellent pronunciation, intonation and stance, and with remarkable composure, serenity and good spirit. Congratulations!

As usual, this student is the chosen one to speak on behalf of their 4 ESO classmates at the graduation ceremony to be held at 1 pm on Wednesday 22nd June.

WHAT DO I KNOW?

Good afternoon, everybody!

Thank you very much for attending this ceremony. I’ve practiced this speech in class and at home, but… gosh, it’s just not the same with all you here. And, I mean, why shouldn’t it? Today’s the day! Today’s the fricking day! Now, where was I? Right. I hadn’t even started yet. So, what I was about to say is that… I don’t know. I may have thought I knew when I wrote this, or when I practised it… I may even think I know it right now. But the truth is that I don’t. In a few minutes, days, weeks, months or years, I’ll look back at this speech and think: “what the hell was I saying there?” Let me explain:

You’ve probably heard the stories of kids who wanted to be cowboys, astronauts or aristocrats, later football stars, firefighters or aristocrats, and now scientists, teachers or, you guessed it, cryptobros. You can see a gradual change from cool to normal, except for the ones who just want to be rich and do nothing. Don’t get me wrong, that’s cool, but not very realistic, and… I’m drifting away again. So, for me, it was a bit different.

First, I wanted to be on the telly, then I wanted to be a sports journalist, after that, I wanted to write about movies, and now I want to make movies. You can see that change there too, just into another direction. Instead of going from the most to the least cool, it goes from the most to the least rich. The funny thing, however, is that, back when I still wanted to just be on the telly, I was asked if I ever wanted to make movies. And my answer was: “Of course not, why would I?” But what did I know back then?

Looking back now at that chain of desires, you can see a thread uniting all of my ideas. The thing is: I’ve always loved stories. And even though I also liked to tell them, I preferred hearing them. And even so, it wasn’t one of my main hobbies. Audiobooks were rare, books were acceptable, movies were okay, and comic books just existed. That changed in 2016, when I was invited to the cinema for someone’s birthday. I’m sorry I don’t remember whose it was, but I think it was Beltrán’s or Victor’s. One of the

two invited me to his birthday and the other one spent the entire movie answering my questions about who that guy was, or that other one. The movie, I remember. Captain America: Civil War made me love a movies like never before. It’s not a perfect movie, but at that time it was a lot better than other movies I’d watched at the cinema, say Mall Cop 2 or the Annie remake. Additionally, it made me want to know more about the characters I’d seen. That’s how I got into superhero movies, which eventually led me to the entirety of cinema.

But these superhero movies also had another effect on me. I started comparing my choices with those these characters would take. And, since then, this moral compass is something I’m deeply grateful for.

And all these superheroes go back to Superman, the ultimate archetype. So one could say that the ones responsible for how I am right now are, besides Víctor and Beltrán, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of the Big Blue.

But that’s of course not everything. It’s impossible to get through sixteen  years of life without any help whatsoever. That’s why I’d like to thank my mum, my dad and especially my brother for always trying to answer my ridiculous questions. Then I would also like to thank my friends. The… the seven of them. They know who they are. Also, my teachers, all of them. That’s too many to name one by one, and I’d probably forget some, so I’m only going to highlight Lorena, the first teacher I had in my entire life, and Cándido, who still was teaching us with all his energy less than a year before his passing. Additionally, saying that my classmates were of no importance would be a lie, so thank YOU too. And congratulations for graduating (if you did) and have a nice end-of-year trip (if you’re coming).

Wow, graduation. Saying the word out loud and knowing it’s the day, knowing it’s your turn… makes you feel all grown-up. But, considering thaI will spend the next years of my life studying and learning even more, I see that I’m really not that grown-up. I think I’ve learned stuff in these thirteen

years here, but what do I know? Nothing.

Well, actually, there’s one thing that I DO know. I know for a fact that we have some nice drinks and desserts here, so please enjoy them, now that I’m done. Or am I? What do I know? I think I am. That’s all, folks!

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Graduation Speech: ESO 4 2021-22 3rd Term PBL Assignment

ESO 4 Students,

This is your PBL assignment for the 3rd term. All of you have to WRITE and DELIVER your GRADUATION SPEECH.  You have to imagine you are going to stand in the school Assembly Hall before your teachers, classmates, parents and guests at your ESO graduation ceremony (to be held, if COVID-19 protective measures permit it, on a date yet to be determined) and deliver your speech, which must be at least 350 WORDS LONG.

The best student will be offered the chance to deliver his or her speech at your graduation ceremony... in English!! Of course, he or she will get extra points in the final mark for that effort.

Asperger Day 2022

February 18th, International Asperger's Day. Can you feel it (too)?

Asperger is a show that visualizes the emotions of people with Asperger, a condition of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Krister Palo is a 15-year-old student at the International School of the Hague who just happens to have Asperger's syndrome. In his talk, he shares misconceptions about people with Asperger's syndrome, and breaks down some of these popular stereotypes and assumptions.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

The 2 Minute Rule Will Quickly Change Your Life

 No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

"Fear of falling", by Michael Kofuzi

 

There comes a point in adulthood where we develop a fear of falling. It is perhaps related to a fear of failure. But the fear of falling is much more debilitating. We worry about getting hurt. We worry about looking foolish. For fear of developing a blister later maybe, we stay on the high and dry ground. For fear of looking foolish in the water, we relegate ourselves to the sidelines of a pool deck.

But we all have to start somewhere. And how you look when you start something new, that is exactly how it’s supposed to look. It’s not supposed to be pretty. And that is the point. You’re learning. And that’s an incredible thing. The older we get, the less grace we give ourselves to figure things out as we go. We instantly look to find a coach, review film, and regression analyze the heck out of every minute of our new endeavors.

And in the process, we lose sight of the beauty of trying something new. We suck the fun right out of it. We have forgotten how amazing it is to try something we’ve never done before. We have forgotten the intoxicating mystery of new adventure.

So no matter how old you are, I say, try something new. Fall on your face. Look foolish in front of your kids, and in front of your friends, and in front of complete strangers. And have the best summer of your life!

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only

Best 2021 Graduation Speeches, by María Aguiño and Alicia Fernández.

This year's best graduation speeches are by 4 ESO A student María Aguiño and 4 ESO B Alicia Fernández, who have not only written brilliant commencement addresses, but they have delivered them with passion, in style and grace, and with fine pronunciation, intonation and stance, and with remarkable composure, serenity and good spirit. Congratulations to both of them!

As usual, these students are the chosen ones to speak on behalf of their classmates at the 4 ESO graduation ceremony to be held at 1 pm on Monday 21st June.

Keep Trying, by María Aguiño Enero (4 ESO A)

Good afternoon everybody, classmates, families and teachers; welcome to our graduation and thanks for being here today.

After 13 long years at this school, the day has finally come. I’m not going to lie, I’m feeling a little bit homesick, but at the same time I’m very excited to see the changes that this new stage will bring.

Well, I really don’t know how to start, 13 years is a looong time, and I have so many memories, it’s very difficult to choose the best ones! Some are funny, some are boring, and some… are best left unsaid.

I remember my first class with Vallejo, and how scared I was; or the day when some girls from my class and I got stuck in the elevator with María Barbosa. And I have to confess that when Celia and I were 9 years old, we cheated in our exams; we felt very cool and a little scared, nobody knew it… until now, I’m sorry mom. Now that I have mentioned her, my mother told me that on the first day of school, when I got to the playground, I said very excited: I’m finally here!! Then we started secondary school, we were the little ones again, and the teachers were more strict. But suddenly, it turned into 4 years full of laughter in class, fear of having the irregular verbs exam, and a pandemic that has changed our life, and, sadly, our last years at Labor. But at the end of the day, I guess it’s part of our history.

Now that our chapter at Labor is finally closed, I would like to thank my friends and classmates for all the happiness we have shared, I wish you all the best for your future; I would also like to thank my family, my amazing parents and my two little brothers; all of the teachers, but especially a few: Ana, Vallejo, Leo, both Pablos, Pilar, and Cándido. I wish he was here today, I’m sure he would have pulled our ears; something I would like to mention is that Cándido was the one who told me to study Science, because he said that he could see that I like it, and well, he was right.

And last but not least, I would like to thank Celia, my partner in crime since we were 3 years old, probably one of the people who knows me best; she has always been there for me; it sounds very typical, but it’s true!

Now, I have to give you one piece of advice, I usually don’t like giving advice because what do I know that you don’t? When I started my way at this school, I was a little girl who wanted to be a Winx. Then, at 10, I wanted to be president. But, at 13, I didn’t know it; I was saying: “I don’t belong to no city, I don’t belong to no one, I’m free and I do what I want”. It looked like I knew who I was, but I was so wrong, because I was going to forget who I was and then I was going to find her again, and forget who I was and find her again… Like this through all my adolescence; if you could see my DinA5, you’ll see that I’m not lying; in fact, our teacher Leo can confirm it. But I think I have learned to stop being so hard on myself, for changing, for growing and for learning. So, if I do give you one piece of advice right now is that if you lose yourself or if you don’t know which way to go, it’s never too late to find yourself again, even if you fail, because that means that you are trying. Oh, in case you were wondering, now I think that if you ask me, I want to be a psychiatrist, but don’t pay too much attention to me, maybe tomorrow I’ll want to be an influencer.

Thanks for your attention, and enjoy the snacks that are waiting for us. And remember: keep trying, even if you fail.

When a door closes, another one opens up, by Alicia Fernández Framiñán (4 ESO B)

Good afternon,

I would like to thank my family, teachers and friends for coming here today to our graduation.

I am very happy today because we finally graduate and we begin a new stage in our lives, in which I will meet new people, discover new things and countries.

“When a door closes, another one opens up”, this is my motto, the end of something is the beginning of something new, a new stage in my life is about to open now.

I remember when my sister Carla and I took part in the dance competitions at school, we loved dancing, and we always finished in a good position, we got an applause from the public, diplomas, medals and recognition; it was great! What beautiful memories!

My role model is my mum because she has helped me and has always been there, and because of her permanent effort, I love you! I would not have got where I am today without my effort, my teachers’ support and specially the help of my family, my mum and my grandmother: thanks for being there!

Thanks to my parents, family, and friends for being here today with me sharing this very exciting moment. Thank you, Jose, for supporting me and for being a good friend, thanks for everything.

My expectations for the future are getting a vocational training degree in Trade and Marketing. I see myself working for a company, making adds, designing campaigns, selling products and services, helping clients and customers, I am very excited to start. “When a door closes another one opens up”, this is my motto.

I would like also to thank my classmates, I wish you a good end of the schoolyear; I hope we could be together again in the future; let's keep in touch. I hope that you will have a nice life, reach your objectives, make your dreams come true and be the same person you are: I love you, guys!

This last year has been affected by Covid19: wearing a mask in class and keeping social distance without touching anything was horrible. I would like to kindly remember our teacher Candido who is no longer with us, I specially remember when he pointed out a finger, shouting at us, during Chemistry class: “First signs, then numbers”.

I feel ready for a new life that is starting today! Thank you all and take care!

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Graduation Speech: ESO 4 2020-21 3rd Term PBL Assignment

ESO 4 Students,

This is your PBL assignment for the 3rd term. All of you have to WRITE and DELIVER your GRADUATION SPEECH.  You have to imagine you are going to stand in the school Assembly Hall before your teachers, classmates, parents and guests at your ESO graduation ceremony (to be held, if COVID-19 protective measures permit it, on June 21st) and deliver your speech, which must be at least 350 WORDS LONG.

The best student will be offered the chance to deliver his or her speech at your graduation ceremony... in English!! Of course, he or she will get extra points in the final mark for that effort.

Asperger 2021

February 18th, International Asperger's Day. Can you feel it (too)?

Asperger is a show that visualizes the emotions of people with Asperger, a condition of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Krister Palo is a 15-year-old student at the International School of the Hague who just happens to have Asperger's syndrome. In his talk, he shares misconceptions about people with Asperger's syndrome, and breaks down some of these popular stereotypes and assumptions.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Why incompetent people think they're amazing?, by David Dunning

How good are you with money? What about reading people’s emotions? How healthy are you, compared to other people you know? Knowing how our skills stack up against others is useful in many ways. But psychological research suggests that we’re not very good at evaluating ourselves accurately. In fact, we frequently overestimate our own abilities. David Dunning describes the Dunning-Kruger effect.

Lesson by David Dunning, directed by Wednesday Studio, music and sound by Tom Drew.

View full lesson at https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-incompetent-people-think-they-re-amazing-david-dunning.

 No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

President Barack Obama's Graduation Speech to the Class of 2020

ESO 4 Students,

In less than a fortnight you will have to submit your links (remember, no videos to download, only links to some video platform) with your graduation speeches. If you need any ideas on rhythm, speed, pause, intonation or pose, please watch President Obama's Graduation Speech to you... to the Class of 2020. You won't regret it.

Read the full transcript here:

Hi, everybody. Congratulations to HBCU class of 2020. Michelle and I are so proud of you.

Graduating from college is a big achievement under any circumstances. And so many of you overcame a lot to get here. You navigated challenging classes, and challenges outside the classroom. Many of you had to stretch to afford tuition. And some of you are the first in your families to reach this milestone. So even if half of this semester was spent at Zoom University, you’ve earned this moment. You should be very proud. Everybody who supported you along the way is proud of you – parents, grandparents, professors, mentors, aunties, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins, second cousins, and cousins who you aren’t even sure are cousins. Show them some gratitude today.

ESO 4: Graduation Speech New Plan

ESO 4 students,

Due to the current lockdown situation, your previous graduation speech plan and schedule must be modified. This is the new plan.

You still have to write your graduation speech in English and follow the same formatting rules already stated (the font must be 'Century Gothic', size 12; 1.5 line spacing, justified text, page numbers at the bottom centre of each page.)

Before 23:59:59 on Friday 15th May your speech in a PDF file has to reach our e-mail. Your file name MUST be as follows:

Class_Number_Name_1stSurname.pdf - Example: 4A_1_Alfonso_Carballo.pdf

Then you must record a video of yourself delivering your speech (you may use a mobile phone, a camera, etc.) and upload the clip to YouTube, Google Drive, WeTransfer, etc. and send the link to me by e-mail (all you have to do is make sure you create a private channel on any of those platforms so that only you and I can have access to your videoclip and keep it completely private.)
Do not send your videos, only their link.
I must be able to watch the videos online without downloading them!!
I WILL NOT DOWNLOAD ANY VIDEOS WHATSOEVER.

The deadline is Friday 29th May at precisely 23:59:59.

Remember: