On the last Friday of Term 2, the English Department held their annual Junior Speech Competition.  The Year 9 competition topics were based on inspirational quotations from children’s and young adults’ books. We had a lovely and impressive range of speeches from which the audience was challenged to reflect on how we treat people, kindness, and seizing opportunities. 

The winners were:

1st – Aria McFelin

2nd – Renee Geddes

3rd – Nadia Te Kanawa

Our Year 10 competition comprises of three categories – Speech, Spoken Word and ‘Poetry Out Loud’, based on a unit entitled Mana Wahine. Again, we were treated to a very accomplished array of topics and styles addressing this theme. Each student encouraged us in different ways to be proud of who we are, to be steadfast in adversity and to challenge harmful perceptions of the roles of women in society. 

The winners were:

Speech - Frankie McAuliffe

Spoken Word – Jaeda Fortunato

Poetry Out Loud – Amy Clarke

Congratulations to all our winners and to all our Year 9 and 10 participants. Being able to construct and deliver a presentation to an audience is one of the most valuable skills you can master.