On 8 May, three of our Senior students – Amber Chapman (Year 12), Sophie Seng Hpa (Year 12) and Emily Sutherland (Year 10)  took part in the Rotary: Ainger Public Speaking Award. The rigorous competition saw 18 competitors from 13 different schools vie for a place in the Finals on 22 May, with a range of interesting topics ranging from the discrimination of Indigenous Australians to sexism in sport.

We are pleased to announce that Amber Chapman was selected as a Finalist, and we congratulate her on her selection. Her speech on the difficulties of political correctness was humorous and thought provoking. Having just completed performances as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Amber’s presence, composure and personal organisation for this altogether different type of performance, was impressive.

Sophie Seng Hpa presented a warm, insightful reflection on the impact of media and personal expectations on the experience of childhood and adolescence entitled, ‘Forever Young’ while Emily Sutherland spoke engagingly about the power of the mind and the impact of placebos.

For all students, the competition was an opportunity to hone their capacity for delivering content with flair. Competition aside, a number of audience members praised the quality of our students’ speeches. All girls presented confidently and earned the respect of the adjudicators who reiterated the importance of gaining as much practice as possible in public speaking. We would also like to thank Ms (first name )McKenzie for accompanying the students to this event, for meeting with them regularly, and for helping them develop their speeches.