On Thursday, May 11th at 8:15 am nearly 70 sixth-grade students began walking the hall from the elementary to the gymnasium at Hicksville Schools. These students were being cheered on by hundreds of elementary and middle school students. This “walk” signaled the official start of the 2023 Hicksville Middle School Shake Competition or The Shake.
The Shake is an annual competition that allows Hicksville Middle School to evaluate students on specific professional skills they practice throughout the year. These skills place an emphasis on teaching students manners, discipline, respect, and how to conduct themselves in a professional environment. Students are put through different challenges and interviews while being evaluated by judges. The competition is meant to be a fun and memorable experience for the participants but is also designed to push students out of their comfort zones.
The first round was a series of timed question-and-answer sessions. By 1:00 pm, the Top 12 finalists were announced: Eli Guilford, Mya Haggerty, Boston Tribble, Kaitlyn Lauer, Gabby Hernandez-Ovando, Vaida VanHorn, Faith Sholl, Beau Yeaser, McKenna Bergman, Cohen Johnson, Lydia Trzynka, and Addiston Vetter.
Day 2 with the Top 12 began Friday, May 12th at the Huber Opera House in downtown Hicksville. Here students were put through 4 rounds of challenges that focused on teamwork and collaboration. After the scores were tallied for this round, the Top 5 were announced: McKenna Bergman, Beau Yeaser, Kaitlyn Lauer, Mya Haggerty, and Faith Sholl.
Soon after the announcement, the Top 5 were taken to lunch at Two-Bandits Brewing Company. Here they were met by different judges that would join them for lunch. After lunch, Community Memorial Hospital hosted the final round. In this round, students were asked to present their business plan for a business they would want to create. Judges were considered investors and the goal was to get the investors to invest in your company.
After this activity, scores were tallied and the winner was ready to be announced. At an assembly for all Hicksville Middle Schools students, the winner was announced. Kaitlin Lauer, the daughter of Julie Trok and Joshua Lauer was named the 2023 Hicksville Middle School 6th Grade Shake Champion. She was awarded a $250 scholarship, courtesy of The Hicksville Bank.
