Applause Abounded Amongst JK-8 Students at Father Daniel Zanon Catholic Elementary School
It was a wonderful afternoon at Father Daniel Zanon Catholic Elementary
School. Upon arrival, I met Zurita, who welcomed me to the school. After
signing in, Zurita escorted us to the gymnasium. There I met Ms. Podobnik, the
school Principal. She was busy with a couple of grade eight students, Alice,
and Ritzie. Together, they were helping to set up the technology for my
motivational public speaking presentation. Before long, there was a number of
students helping to set up chairs too. With all this wonderful help, it did not
take me too long to be ready for all the students to come in.
Shortly after the students finished their lunch period, and did their
respective class’s attendance, the students started coming into the gym. First
the older students, the grade eights, and before long even the junior kindergarten students were
present.
Ms. Podobnik gave me a beautiful introduction. Shortly thereafter, I began
my motivational public speaking presentation. Students were kind and attentive. Throughout
my presentation, students applauded me. It made me smile that they cared so
much. Their applause abounded amongst these junior kindergarten to grade eight students. Not only was I encouraged by it, but I was flattered by their generosity.
Following my public speaking presentation, there was a short question period. Ms. Podobnik was very kind and facilitated it. As students raised their hands, Ms. Podobnik approached them with the wireless microphone. I happily answered each one.
Before the students left the gymnasium, Ms. Podobnik thanked me and she highlighted some of the key messages from my presentation.
As students left the gymnasium, they returned to their classrooms, where they completed their Exit Tickets. I was walking, just outside the gymnasium, when Ms. Podobnik returned with most of these completed Exit Tickets for me. It was impressive! Before I left this blessed school, I received all of the completed Exit Tickets. Here are excerpts from many of these:
Today, I heard / saw … “We learned from you Giselle that … 1. We are all people of God 2. You taught us to be better. 3. Don’t worry because God will be by your side. Thank You Giselle.”
Today, I heard / saw … “I heard about self.”
This made me think … “how can I perform self?”
Now, I wonder … “how does she do self?”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw her walking and happy.”
This made me think … “This made me think of my brother and my bird.”
Now, I wonder … “if she can still stand up for her life. Will you still be happy even tho your still like this?”
Today, I heard / saw … “She was so confident”
This made me think … “Love”
Now, I wonder … “Can you talk?”
Today, I heard / saw … “that even though you have problems you never gave up.”
This made me think … “that when I have problems I gave up.”
Now, I wonder … “If I should never give up.”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw her walk.”
This made me think … “sad.”
Now, I wonder … “If she will come back”
Today, I heard / saw … “I heard a speech.”
This made me think … “This made me think about me.”
Now, I wonder … “what is your favourite …”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw Giselle skating.”
This made me think … “of when I have a nice dream.”
Now, I wonder … “What is your favourite ice cream flavour”
Today, I heard / saw … “a presentation”
This made me think … “to be kind”
Now, I wonder … “to be kind”
Today, I heard / saw … “I heard that she was a muted person.”
This made me think … “that it was hard for her to speak.”
Now, I wonder … “How hard is it to not speak.”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw Giselle.”
This made me think … “That you have to try hard.”
Now, I wonder … “If she can walk a little bit.”
Today, I heard / saw … “That she was sitting on a special chair.”
This made me think … “Did she go here?”
Now, I wonder … “Was she born like this?”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw Giselle. I hear the clapping.”
This made me think … “that she is doing a wonderful job”
Now, I wonder … “What is she doing right now”
Today, I heard / saw … “Great work! A person speak to us about self love”
This made me think … “How is she able to come up with this way of sharing this message”
Now, I wonder … “Are the words spoken in the presentation generated by Giselle how does she control what the computer says?.”
Today, I heard / saw … “Things about God.”
This made me think … “What do I do now.”
Now, I wonder … “What those the whole world look like.”
Today, I heard / saw … “A beautiful speech telling how important you are.”
This made me think … “how special we all are.”
Now, I wonder … “what other people are going through”
Today, I heard / saw … “that every child matters.”
This made me think … “that she will never give up.”
Now, I wonder … “she has good progress.”
Today, I heard / saw … “You are positive.”
This made me think … “Do you have to walk with dad / mom?”
Now, I wonder … “Where are you from?”
Today, I heard / saw … “Today I saw her walk.”
This made me think … “How she is independent.”
Now, I wonder … “Where she is from?”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw her walk.”
This made me think … “how does she accomplish things?”
Now, I wonder … “Why can’t she talk?”
Today, I heard / saw … “my friends.”
This made me think … “Is she okay?”
Now, I wonder … “How it’s like to be her.”
Today, I heard / saw … “Today I heard that every kid matters.”
This made me think … “That she is Amazing.”
Now, I wonder … “If she is feeling good.”
Today, I heard / saw … “today I saw a public speaker in have thinking about your self”
This made me think … “that I am a good person.”
Now, I wonder … “How I can improve myself.”
Today, I heard / saw … “You had a lot of challenges”
This made me think … “How hard it must be”
Now, I wonder … “Where is she from”
Today, I heard / saw … “What happened with her”
This made me think … “it may be hard for her”
Now, I wonder … “I can help to be nice”
Today, I heard / saw … “Public Speaking …”
Now, I wonder … “to stop bullying people”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw a different person not like me”
This made me think … “That I could be more stronger”
Now, I wonder … “How did she not die”
Today, I heard / saw … “Someone push another person”
This made me think … “Why did he do it?”
Now, I wonder … “if he might do it again.”
Today, I heard / saw … “people fighting”
This made me think … “Why people fight.”
Now, I wonder … “Why do people fight”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle”
This made me think … “how hard is it”
Now, I wonder … “how do you work”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle talk today”
This made me think … “How she is”
Now, I wonder … “How people get disabilities”
Today, I heard / saw … “I heard Giselle explaining about her life.”
This made me think … “that we have to be kind to another.”
Now, I wonder … “What’s your favourite snack?”
Today, I heard / saw … “that you should believe in yourself”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle talk about herself”
This made me think … “People should treat others nicer”
Now, I wonder … “how hard is it for her”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw Giselle Gaylie”
This made me think … “what disability does she have”
Now, I wonder … “why people get disabilities.”
Today, I heard / saw … “the life of a person with disabilities”
This made me think … “about people live”
Now, I wonder … “What we can do?”
Today, I heard / saw … “That it doesn’t matter if you are different”
This made me think … “we have to treat people equally”
Now, I wonder … “how do people with special needs live?”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle”
This made me think … “everyone is human”
Now, I wonder … “we have to treat people equally”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle”
This made me think … “Why does someone so nice have to go through that”
Now, I wonder … “how does that happen.”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle Gaylie”
This made me think … “What happened?”
Now, I wonder … “How many friends does she have?”
Today, I heard / saw … “story of Giselle”
This made me think … “anyone can do anything”
Now, I wonder … “what is your favourite animal”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle”
This made me think … “how positive people are”
Now, I wonder … “how nice and happy people are”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle talking about herself and how positive she is”
This made me think … “Anybody can do anything if they try.”
Now, I wonder … “does Giselle play video games like Fortnite”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle, a presentation about herself”
This made me think … “This made me think anybody can do anything”
Now, I wonder … “I wonder what her favourite hobbies.”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle speaking with an ai voice.”
This made me think … “That if she could talk she can be smarter.”
Now, I wonder … “If anyone bullied her in high school”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle”
This made me think … “of how long it took to make the presentation”
Now, I wonder … “How I can help others.”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle talking about her life”
This made me think … “-Anybody can accomplish anything”
Now, I wonder … “If she went to college or university”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle”
This made me think … “what it’s like living in her life”
Now, I wonder … “how people think of her”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle standing”
This made me think … “if some day she can run”
Now, I wonder … “if she could learn to stand can she learn to speak or control her hands”
Today, I heard / saw … “that she was born 1997”
This made me think … “how was it 1997”
Now, I wonder … “is it hard in the 1997 compare to 2024.”
Today, I heard / saw … “girl”
Now, I wonder … “wishes”
Now, I wonder … “are you happy”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw Giselle Gaylie”
This made me think … “that we are unique”
Now, I wonder … “How do they write”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle”
This made me think … “that she’s brave”
Now, I wonder … “how she overcame her challenges.”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle’s speech and her nice presentation”
This made me think … “how positive we should be and living your life to the fullest.”
Now, I wonder … “what is Giselle’s favourite hobby?”
Today, I heard / saw … “I heard that God made us who we are and that God doesn’t make mistakes.”
This made me think … “that everyone is special in their own way”
Now, I wonder … “What is Giselle’s gift that God gave her.”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle sharing about her life.”
This made me think … “this made me think that anything if they try”
Now, I wonder … “If Giselle can play video games”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle”
This made me think … “about myself.”
Now, I wonder … “how I can help others.”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw Giselle Gaylie”
This made me think … “that everyone is special.”
Now, I wonder … “do you like video games.”
Today, I heard / saw … “That you should love yourself.”
This made me think … “how long did it take to make that presentation”
Now, I wonder … “how does the tech work?”
Today, I heard / saw … “an amazing presentation.”
This made me think … “how she feels.”
Now, I wonder … “how the technology communicator works. Thank you!”
Today, I heard / saw … “a presentation about love and relationships.”
This made me think … “about the challenges other people go through”
Now, I wonder … “how the technology works so she can communicate.”
Today, I heard / saw … “Thank you! that she was pressing a few buttons but it came out paragraphs”
This made me think … “how does the machine or her type so fast”
Now, I wonder … “She play any sports”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw Giselle”
This made me think … “How does she use the laptop to talk with”
Now, I wonder … “How she knows how to use it”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle Gaylie who’s a public speaker.”
This made me think … “About her story who took challenges but was able to do them.”
Now, I wonder … “On how to show kindness, love, and self-control to one another.”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw that she can talk from a machine”
Now, I wonder … “How the computer works”
Today, I heard / saw … “good speech”
This made me think … “To reflect on myself”
Today, I heard / saw … “Her abilities growing up”
This made me think … “Was it hard”
Now, I wonder … “What it was like”
Today, I heard / saw … “lots of things that was about love.”
This made me think … “that you stand up to bullies and did not let it hurt you”
Now, I wonder … “how hard it was to stand up to bullies.”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw that anyone can do anything”
This made me think … “that it probably took so much work but she still made it.”
Now, I wonder … “how the computer works? (best of luck)”
Today, I heard / saw … “about Giselle Gaylie’s story.”
This made me think … “what is it like to not have the ability to speak?”
Now, I wonder … “How does her technology work?”
Today, I heard / saw … “About what we can do with our God-given actions”
This made me think … “How people like Giselle overcome their problems”
Now, I wonder … “How people like Giselle communicate in the past”
Today, I heard / saw … “that she was in a wheelchair”
This made me think … “how did she control the technology”
Now, I wonder … “if she can speak”
Today, I heard / saw … “That we should not be what everyone wants me to be.”
This made me think … “that love is important”
Now, I wonder … “How did she eat or play sports or sit down”
Today, I heard / saw … “She couldn’t control herself”
This made me think … “how her technology works”
Now, I wonder … “If she can ever speak”
Today, I heard / saw … “that you love God”
This made me think … “that life is short and live life to the fullest”
Now, I wonder … “that tech is super advance”
Today, I heard / saw … “I heard an AI voice.”
This made me think … “does she type or use some else”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw a girl that can walk.”
This made me think … “How hard it is”
Now, I wonder … “How she feels.”
Today, I heard / saw … “How everyone is different”
This made me think … “Some people are different”
Now, I wonder … “How does she do task”
Today, I heard / saw … “a public speaker”
This made me think … “I can do anything”
Now, I wonder … “what can I do”
Today, I heard / saw … “I heard that I could do anything”
This made me think … “that I could do anything even though I different”
Now, I wonder … “about how people can be different”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw and heard the challenges she had to face.”
This made me think … “about what she had to go through”
Now, I wonder … “about how others can be very unique.”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle”
This made me think … “She is brave.”
Now, I wonder … “If there is anyone else like Giselle”
Today, I heard / saw … “That I could do anything even though I different”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle”
This made me think … “She is really strong”
Now, I wonder … “If she saw anyone like her”
Today, I heard / saw … “not everyone is the same”
This made me think … “I should be grateful for what I have”
Now, I wonder … “If she was ever made fun of for it”
Today, I heard / saw … “that you should treat yourself, you best friend”
This made me think … “that I should love myself”
Now, I wonder … “what will happen what I do”
Today, I heard / saw … “Motivational words”
This made me think … “How I can improve”
Now, I wonder … “If I can be better”
Today, I heard / saw … “I heard with love you can do it”
This made me think … “I can do anything”
Now, I wonder … “what I can do.”
Today, I heard / saw … “That anything is possible”
This made me think … “no matter who you are you’re special”
Now, I wonder … “if they’re more people like Giselle”
Today, I heard / saw … “The outcomes of being loving”
This made me think … “about her”
Now, I wonder … “how she feels”
Today, I heard / saw … “A disabled person who graduated and told an audience an inspiring story of how she got there.”
This made me think … “If she can graduate having a life long illness, others, sick or not could graduate like her.”
Now, I wonder … “During her life, if she was bullied, how often was she bullied? Did she make any friends?”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw a lot of pictures of her as a kid”
This made me think … “how she grew up and how her family help her”
Now, I wonder … “how she gets along day to day”
Today, I heard / saw … “A person with cerebral palsy”
This made me think … “More people with that disorder”
Now, I wonder … “How she articulates words or types”
Today, I heard / saw … “Many motivational quotes and heard Giselle’s story”
This made me think … “about certain people who don’t have as many opportunities. Giselle didn’t get many opportunities so she made her own”
Now, I wonder … “How does your technology help you speak and how does the system work.”
Today, I heard / saw … “what I saw was that she had a care-ful family.”
This made me think … “that people can still care for people even if they had a lot of disadvantages.”
Now, I wonder … “have people had this effect and gotten family care.”
Today, I heard / saw … “Someone with a disability talk to everyone”
This made me think … “how hard my life would be if I was disabled”
Now, I wonder … “How she talks through the machine.”
Today, I heard / saw … “a girl who had problems since she was a baby and she didn’t quit trying”
This made me think … “This made me think she is very mentally strong which is amazing”
Now, I wonder … “I wonder how she uses the washroom”
Today, I heard / saw … “The story Giselle”
This made me think … “This made me think how lucky we are to have God.”
Now, I wonder … “I wonder how it feels to present to different schools.”
Today, I heard / saw … “A public speaker talking to us about her.”
This made me think … “how she was swimming very good”
Now, I wonder … “I wonder how she talks and thinks.”
Today, I heard / saw … “The family on walking and canoe trips”
This made me think … “How can someone with so many physical needs do this?”
Now, I wonder … “Not really anything”
Today, I heard / saw … “I saw a girl in a wheelchair”
This made me think … ” She is a strong person and she keeps on trying”
Now, I wonder … “what are you first gonna do when you are able to walk?”
Today, I heard / saw … “I heard about her story”
This made me think … “of how happy it made her feel when she went on a trip with her family”
Now, I wonder … “I wonder how hard her life has been”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle Gaylie’s presentation on who we are and how we can love and never give up.”
This made me think … “It made me think about how she’s prevailed even though the odds were against her.”
Now, I wonder … “Has she been out of Canada or a different province.”
Today, I heard / saw … “She went to Loyola”
This made me think … “Did she have special helpers for her at Loyola?”
Now, I wonder … “How long did she have to train to learn how to walk”
Today, I heard / saw … “Important messages to fight back social pressure.”
This made me think … “How someone like her in that perspective live.”
Now, I wonder … “Why others discriminate of people with struggles.”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle I heard her story.”
This made me think … “This made me think that anyone can do anything.”
Now, I wonder … “I wonder how she can hear us”
Today, I heard / saw … “how important it is to live your life to the fullest”
This made me think … “That if I live my life to the fullest will I become more happy?”
Now, I wonder … “how do you talk with the computer”
Today, I heard / saw … “A family who loves greatly.”
This made me think … “How love can make such a powerful impact.”
Today, I heard / saw … “ways to have self love and encourage yourself”
This made me think … “How I can have self love and share it with others”
Now, I wonder … “How challenging or easy was it to learn to walk.”
Today, I heard / saw … “’treat yourself like you treat your best friend’ This will stick with me for long.”
This made me think … “what sacrifices did she have to make, even if it was for the better.”
Now, I wonder … “how did the technology benefit her? How does it work?”
Today, I heard / saw … ” Giselle’s experiences with her family, and all the activities she did.”
This made me think … “how amazing her and her family are, and how they always help her with her tasks.”
Now, I wonder … “has she ever taken a few steps by herself?”
Today, I heard / saw … “a strong independent woman who’s been through some challenges.”
This made me think … “You can accomplish anything if you just give it a try.”
Now, I wonder … “has Giselle been through some tough times during her childhood. PS. You’re very pretty”
Today, I heard / saw … “about Giselle’s difficulties in her life.”
This made me think … “about all the people who were there to support her during these times”
Now, I wonder … “How people handle their personal problems.”
Today, I heard / saw … “Giselle’s life story and how she was able to pass many obstacles.”
This made me think … “That there are people to support us everyday”
Now, I wonder … “How other people cope with conflicts in life. With love …”
Today, I heard / saw … “Ms. Giselle.”
This made me think … “that Ms. Giselle was brave.”
Now, I wonder … “You did great What more does Ms. Giselle want to achieve?”
Today, I heard / saw … “about not giving up”
This made me think … “of helping others”
Now, I wonder … “what amazing things you will do in the future?”
Today, I heard / saw … ” * I saw someone graduating. *We saw a girl smiling.”
This made me think … ” * of friends”
Now, I wonder … ” * can she walk”
Today, I heard / saw … ” * We heard about Giselle * She was brave * She did not give up. * She believes in herself * Even though she is sick she works very hard * She believes in God * She has a strong faith”
This made me think … ” * It was amazing when she stood by herself. * She is amazing * She believes she can do lots of things. * She wants us to believe in ourselves”
Now, I wonder … ” * If she will be able to talk and walk because she tries so hard and she does not quit. Thank you for such an amazing learning experience.”
The one primary class signed their first names at the back of the Exit Ticket sheet. That was so sweet of them all.
While walking from the gymnasium to the main foyer of the school, I met some wonderful teachers, who gave me some wonderful feedback from their students. I met Ms. Fernandez, Grade One Teacher; Ms. McNamara, Special Education Resource Teacher; and Ms. Terminesi, Grade Two Teacher.
Before leaving the school, Ms. Podobnik thanked me again for coming to her school. It truly was my honour to be invited by her to speak to all her wonderful students on this marvelous magnificent Monday.
