Thursday, October 31st marked this year’s Junior Speech Cup, with a strong lineup of Year 9 and 10 students delivering engaging and thought-provoking speeches. The Year 9 participants included Grace Steele, Hana Burns, Ashton Perham, Aisha Wakefield, and Freya Walsh, while Year 10 was represented by Kate Henderson and Zoe Holloway. Each student brought their own perspective and persuasive style, tackling topics from procrastination to animal testing.

The judges—Rose Struthers, Neave Bruin, and Isla Divan—had a tough task selecting winners from such a talented group. The Year 9 contestants started things off, setting a high standard. Ashton Perham took runner-up with a convincing speech on the dangers of vaping, and Aisha Wakefield ultimately claimed first place with a strong, confident delivery on lying that resonated with both judges and peers alike. The competition was tight, with only a three-point difference between the top and bottom Year Nine speeches.

The Year 10 competition was equally close. Zoe Holloway earned the runner-up spot by encouraging cruelty-free choices to help end animal testing, while Kate Henderson won first place with a powerful speech on the often-overlooked struggles of anorexia. Her sincere, insightful delivery highlighted a critical issue, earning her the Year 10 Junior Speech Cup.

Overall, this year’s Junior Speech Cup highlighted the growing talent among students and showed just how compelling these young speakers can be.