The standard of the Year 9 speeches was excellent this year and we are always proud of the resilience that the girls show in completing their speeches in front of the audience. Congratulations to Olika Sekei (1st) and Molly Mansfield (2nd).

Olika Sikei - Year 9 Speech

Imagine jumping out of a sky diving plane and discovering your parachute doesn’t work. What memories would flash before you? Now, imagine the parachute opened. How differently would you act when you landed or imagine your house on fire. What would you do? Would you just run out the door like a flash or would you just scream your lungs out calling for help? Well if my house was on fire I’d grab the three most important things to me; which are scriptures, Tongan flag and Ta’ovala. If you are wondering what they are listen carefully and you will know.

My first item is the scriptures many of you may know it as the Bible but this isn’t just any regular bible because this was the first and last present I received from my grandpa before he passed away, so I not only use it as a memory of my grandpa but also as a spiritual and parental guide. One of my favourite bible verses would be John 3:16.

Have you ever felt true happiness? Have you ever experienced some thing so memorable? This leads me to my second item – The Tongan flag. It holds a lot of heart-warming memories that have happened throughout my life but the one that I will cherish forever is my first ever rugby game because ever time Tonga got a try I would stand on my seat and shout Mate Ma’a Tonga while waving the flag up in the air with full pride and honour and 101% faith that we will win. My 101% faith comes from my flag. You must be wondering what the I am talking about but hear me out the cross that you are able to see right now represents all the different types of churches and religions and the white next to the cross epitomises purity while, while the red evokes the sacrifice of the blood of Christ which he shed during his crucifixion. So, I don’t only wave my flag in the air with pride and honour but with my 101% faith.

Tradition- look to your right and ask the person next to you ‘what is your tradition?’, now turn to your left and ask the same question… Ok what is your tradition? Could it be going on holidays to Hawaii every year or having a feast from Sunday or something you may even wear, well the last item I’d grab is my Ta’ovala. From this the hands of my ancestors to the hands of my mother making this would probably be the hardest thing to make with bare hands especially when weaving flax from morning till noon. Ta’ovala is a Tongan dress, a mat wrapped around the waist of men and women at all formal occasions like a wedding, a 21st birthday or like me, my first ever Tongan traditional dance. Everytime I put the Ta’ovala on it makes me feel like my whole nations hugging me. It makes me feel really safe and proud to be a true Tongan and honestly it makes me feel like a queen just like Moana from Motunui, every time she put on her grandmas’ necklace, it made her feel like a queen. A true queen who feels confident in everything she does like saving the world or even proving to her own father that even a girl can do anything a man does.

I am proud, I am honoured, I am confident, I am strong, and I am pure. These three items I have shared with you today makes me whole, makes me ME! Makes me Olika Sikei. Thank you

Molly Mansfield - Year 9 Speech

My Special Items

You wake up to alarms bellowing down the long halls, you see massive hot flames racing towards you, your family screeching to get out and your animals yelping desperately for help, you only have time to grab three things, what would your three things be?

You're probably thinking, Ahhh, another boring, long speech to sit through, trust me, I don't exactly want to be up here either.

My special items probably won't make an impact on you, but these things are very special, they made me who I am, and most importantly they remind me of special times in my life.

My first special item is this green stone bracelet. You're probably wondering why a bracelet is so special? Well my grandma died in 2014 when I was seven, which was really hard because I was young and didn't really understand why. Back in 1972 my Grandma won Mrs Otago which was a beauty pageant, only realising later in her life she was challenging her sister in law. So how does a green stone bracelet fit into a beauty pageant? Well my Grandma wore the green stone bracelet when she won the pageant. 2 years ago my Grandad gave me this bracelet with a similar award.This bracelet is really special to me because it reminds me of all the special happy times I've had with my Grandma.

My second special item is my glasses. Ahhh, now that I can actually see your faces, not as just a blur, I think this is going to be easier. Since I was about seven I have had glasses, and it has opened the world to me. Finally I can clearly see, although I did not mind not having glasses, because I had an excuse to not do my homework.

My glasses give me an opportunity to learn, focus and see. I can finally see my friend far away. Imagine not being able to recognise my friends across a field, I’m glad that I don’t have to worry about that anymore.

My third Item, and probably the most special to me, is My dog (Blaze). She is a GSP, a German Shorthaired Pointer. We have had her for two years and she is part of the family. I know some of my friends have said,

“Seriously, it's just a dog.”

I have so many farm dogs at home, how is she different from the rest? Well Blaze is different. I feel like she understands me, she cares about me and she is always there when I cry, licking up my tears. My friends are stunned when we go boating. Blaze goes on the biscuit or calmly sits in the front seat of the boat with her head out the side, tongue out her mouth, enjoying life. And how I can't forget when Mum says bedtime, she comes trotting down the hall up onto my bed and keeps me warm all night, and never leaves my side.

Honestly, that wasn't as bad as I thought. Those three items are really important to me. They remind me of happy memories I will treasure forever. These items may not seem to have any sentimental value to you, but they mean the world to me. Here's a quote from a very inspirational person, Dr Seuss,

“Sometimes the smallest things, take up the most room in our hearts .”

Thank you.