Speech Competition 2024
Juniors
Every year it is such a positive experience to attend the Y7/8 speech competition and watch our junior students battle it out for the overall winner. It can be a daunting prospect to speak in front of a hall full of people, but our students handle it with grace and poise. Each student delivered a speech they could be proud of. We were regaled with topics such as questioning whether we live in an alternative reality, the benefits of laughter, the Canterbury Black Panther, and then more hard hitting speeches on AI, and the point of life. Paddy Guild’s winning speech on sports that should be in the Olympics was delightfully delivered, and was clearly enjoyed by the audience. Congratulations to every contestant for a job well done!
Results:
3rd Stephanie Lill
2nd Henrietta Cairns
1st Paddy Guild
Intermediate
It was outstanding to see so many students put their name forward for the Y9/10 speech competition this year. Due to numbers, we had to hold a semi-final round and choosing the finalists was incredibly challenging. Ten speakers went on to the finals, and their speeches not only entertained, but persuaded the audience to think. From personal topics such as living with eczema, to persuasive speeches on social media, lessons from sport, and lotto, students delivered convincing oral presentations. It was an afternoon well-spent listening to students who had stepped out into the spotlight to share their ideas. It would be awesome to see the semi-finalists, and finalists, continue into the speech competitions next year.
Results:
3rd Sophia Lyons
2nd Jeziel Lopez
1st May McCaw
Seniors
The senior speech competition was small, but mighty, with three students competing. As they say, good things come in small packages and this was true of this year’s competition. I will include some quotes that show just how thoughtful and reflective our students are.
“It’s in the development to perfection that you find something better, peace. Leaving behind the stress and the emotional toll of trying to be perfect and instead focusing on your reason for doing something not only makes you less anxious about failure but also makes your progression easier.”
“I’m seeking progression rather than perfection.”
“Setting expectations based on someone else's ideals is never going to give us the feeling of accomplishment that we may have hoped for. Instead, we should focus on what we have completed and the challenges set ahead, by the paths we have chosen.”
Results:
1st Morgan Welsh
Miss Jenna Chenery
