The finals of the junior speeches were held in the library during Week 10.

The eight finalists, Abigail Kangisher, Angela Du, Emily Parlato, Georgia McNicol, Helna Mathew, Molly Williams, Sanya Singh and Shristi Tamang sustained the attention of two Year 9 classes as they spoke with passion and poise about a range of relevant and interesting issues including The Importance of Gratitude, Redefining Beauty, and The Evolution of Fashion throughout the Decades. Our judges, Mrs Tracy Walker and Mrs Philippa Slade – who between them have multiple decades of oratory experience as both speakers and judges – found the speeches sophisticated and thought-provoking. They urged all of our speakers to continue to find forums where they can use their voices and to continue to develop their speechmaking craft.

Congratulations to Sanya Singh for winning the Junior Speech competition with an arresting delivery of a cleverly constructed speech: Tall Poppy Syndrome – a Call to Action. Second and third place went to Molly Williams and Angela Du respectively. Ka rawe to all of the 30+ students who took part in this competition. Mauria te pono.

Article added: Sunday 06 October 2024