Prepared Speech Finals 2019 - Year 7 and 8

Each boy had to choose a health topic and present a two to three-minute speech of their own on how we can live better. The subjects covered by these finalists were pleasingly wide-ranging and very thought-provoking. Leaving all who heard them with good advice and plenty to contemplate. The finalists were Daniel Joint (Mental Health), Ben Casey (Water Alternatives), Samuel Ussher (Sleeping Habits), Ruairi Gillon (Benefits of Sleep ), Caleb Ung (Benefits of Sport), Jonty Riley (Stretching), Joey Kang (Cyber Bullying), Daniel O'Brien (Poverty), Harvey O'Neill (Technology Use) and Wei-Hun Loh (Sleep Deprivation).

This year's finals were judged by Ms Kimberley Fridd and Dr Brad Martin. Both leading figures in the performance of arts here at school, they were able to appreciate not only the content matter but how it was presented. They both highlighted how confidently the speeches were delivered and how very well the topics had been researched. These two skills have certainly been a noticeable feature of all the speeches presented in class too. The judges urged the boys to command the stage, be mobile and to work on their breathing to help project their voices as skills for the boys to further develop from here. To call on two such competent and experienced judges as Brad and Kimberley, who both gave up their time to do the marking, was very much appreciated. It is a strength of the College that such able personal can be easily found and who are more than happy to help. An emphatic thank you goes out to them both.

In the end, Wei-Hun Loh's fantastic speech was named as the overall winner, with Harvey O'Neill second and Jonty Riley coming in a deserved third place. A great effort from these boys and indeed all the finalists. They did themselves proud, speaking with plenty of skill and authority.