Each year the Wellington Speaking Union hosts The Stockley Cup and Dunsheath Plate - the premier public speaking competitions for secondary school students in the Wellington region. The competition brings together the best public speakers and orators from dozens of schools to speak on a wide variety of subjects.

The Dunsheath Plate challenges Year 9 and 10 students to prepare and deliver a 4-6 minute speech on a topic of their choosing, with a focus on oratory skill and presentation. 

St Catherine’s was represented by Alice Ormandy (Year 9) who explored the twisting of the theme in her provocative analysis of “Barbie and Feminism”; and by Avalani Wright (Year 10) who shared her family’s fight for justice over the Dawn Raids of the 1970s,  Avalani was awarded second place for her eloquent speech.

In the Stockley Cup, senior orators spoke passionately for 8 minutes on subjects close to their heart.

Lylaina Young-Yen took us on the journey of her navigator ancestors across le Vasa Pasifika to understand that, while her world was different, she was as much a navigator and wayfinder as her Samoan forebears and ready to take her own journey into the future.

Lylaina was awarded second place for her compelling oratory.

Congratulations to Alice, Avalani and Lylaina for your beautiful words and powerful messages.