Finding Their Voice: 9th Grade Orations

At Pacific Ridge School, some of the most meaningful moments of learning happen when students are invited to step forward and be heard.

In many ways, schools are designed to provide structure, clear expectations, guided learning, and steady support. And while those elements are essential, just as important are the moments when we intentionally step back and allow students to take ownership of their learning and their voice.

Our grade-level projects in the Upper School provide powerful examples of this philosophy in action—none more so than 9th Grade Orations.

For 19 years, every ninth grader at Pacific Ridge has taken on the challenge of writing and delivering an original speech about something that truly matters to them. It is no small task. Even for adults, speaking vulnerably and authentically in front of an audience can feel daunting. Yet, year after year, our students rise to the occasion.

“Year after year, we hear from our alumni that Orations was one of their most valuable and memorable experiences at PRS,” shares Kelli Griffis, ninth-grade dean. “Our ninth graders not only have the chance to dive deep—for over two months—on a topic of great personal interest, but they also learn how to speak and present themselves confidently before an audience.”

The journey begins in January, as students wrestle with one deceptively simple question: What is worth saying? From there, they begin to shape their ideas—asking themselves what feels meaningful, how they want to be seen, and what message they want to share with others. Over weeks of drafting, revising, and refining, students develop not only their speeches, but also their sense of voice.

The culmination of this work is both deeply personal and profoundly communal. Each ninth grader steps onto the stage in Community Hall to share their speech with an audience of peers, teachers, and other members of the school community. Classmates listen intently. Older students return, remembering their own Orations experience. Younger students attend, anticipating the moment when it will be their turn.

The week builds toward a final celebration, when a select group of student speakers—chosen by their peers and teachers—deliver their Orations before the entire school community.
What makes this experience especially meaningful is that no one goes through it alone.

Throughout the process, students support one another, offering encouragement, listening deeply, and celebrating each other’s courage. In doing so, they create a shared experience that strengthens both individual confidence and the bonds of their class. As a community, we pause together to listen, really listen, to what matters most to our students.

For faculty, the experience is just as powerful.

“My favorite part is the week of Orations in Community Hall,” shares Griffis. “I use the same vocal warm-up activity with my students throughout the year, so that by the time we reach Orations, we have an established tradition to channel their nerves and excitement. By the end of each session, the sense of accomplishment and pride is incredibly strong. I am always moved by how students support one another and celebrate each other’s success.”

That sense of care and connection reflects the broader culture of the Upper School and the English department, where collaboration, creativity, and student growth are at the center of the work.

Teacher Spotlight

Kelli Griffis has been teaching English at Pacific Ridge for the past 4 years. Before coming to PRS, Griffis taught at a number of schools across the country, including the Oxbow School in the Bay Area. 

Griffis earned her B.A. in philosophy and later received her M.A. in English from Georgia State University.

“I hope my students know that they can persevere through any challenge, and that what they have to say to the world truly matters.”

“We have an incredible department of caring, creative, and dedicated people,” Griffis adds. “I am so glad every day to be part of it.”

In a world that often encourages young people to seek the “right” answer or avoid vulnerability, Orations offers something different—and more enduring. It invites students to take risks, to embrace challenge, and to discover the power of their own voice.

And each year, as ninth graders step onto the stage and share their stories, they remind us all of a simple but profound truth: what they have to say matters.