On the morning of Friday 23 August 2024, the annual Year 9 and 10 speech competition commenced in the school’s auditorium.
Eleven contestants were selected as the top speakers from each class: Myiesha Enriquez, Nelle Villeran, Shaylee Fonua, Jaydn Borromeo, Inez Robinson, Zoe Martis, Ayesha Joby, Ruiqi Jiang, Kayla Jones, Jade Howse, and Lusia Koloamatangi. Moreover, each student delivered an impactful message through their carefully constructed speeches and outstanding delivery. However, the judges could only select one individual from each year group out of the abundance of talent.
Here are the winners and runners-ups from each year group:
Year 9
1st: Shaylee Fonua (9CLE)
2nd: Inez Robinson (9DNN)
Year 10
1st: Ruiqi Jiang (10BRN)
2nd: Lusia Koloamatangi (10GNS)
- Shaylee Fonua’s speech captivated and enlightened the audience about the Māori whakatauki, “Piki atu ki te taumata o tōku maunga Ka kite au i te mana, i te ihi o te whenua nei nō ōku tūpuna.” (I climb to the summit of my maunga, to see the lands of my ancestors.) Her topic about understanding/honoring your heritage was aided by her confident tone and compelling body language.
- Ruiqi Jiang discussed dual identities, growing up as a Chinese New Zealander – a banana.
Congratulations to Shaylee Fonua, Ruiqi Jiang, and all those who participated. Good luck to Shaylee and Ruiqi who will compete in the upcoming interschool competition on Thursday 29 August. Furthermore, thank you to Mr Naicker, Ms Croxford, and Mr Gedge for offering their time to judge the speeches; thank you to Ms Du-Blom for organising this event.
