Posted 12 September 2022 by Catholic Education in News
After a two year hiatus, 100 courageous students from schools across the Illawarra, Southern Highlands, Shoalhaven and Macarthur regions put their fears aside to participate in the 30th Annual South Coast Public Speaking competition, hosted by Holy Spirit College, Bellambi.
The competition resulted in four students from Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW) systemic schools receiving first place honours in their year groups - Elizabeth Sacco and Jessica Smith, Holy Spirit College, Bellambi; Bridget Fairs, St John the Evangelist, Nowra; and Clayton Van Leeuwen, St Joseph’s, Albion Park.
Like many events that were postponed due to the COVID pandemic, the return of the competition was welcomed by both students and teachers alike.
The competition, run and adjudicated by the Wollongong section of ToastMasters International, giving students experience in drafting, rehearsing and presenting their chosen speech to a live audience.
Students explored concepts such as the destructive power of lies, and the nature of fear and courage. All students presented well prepared speeches that were both entertaining and thought provoking.
‘Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful' was the topic of discussion for Clayton Van Leeuwen, a Year 11 student from St Joseph’s Catholic High School, Albion Park who was awarded first place for his group.
"The environment was competitive yet welcoming and served as a platform for growth and discovery," he said. "Everyone performed incredibly and were equally deserving of winning".
Smiths Hill High School, Wollongong was awarded the overall winner, with Holy Spirit and St Mary's, Wollongong awarded equal second place.
See below the full list of award winners
Year 7
1st Place | ||
Group 1 | Angelina Li | Smith's Hill High School, Wollongong |
Group 2 | Daniel Morozov | Edmund Rice College, West Wollongong |
Group 3 | Isaac Mitrevski | Edmund Rice College, West Wollongong |
2nd Place | ||
Group 1 | Ashleigh Whiddon | Corrimal High School |
Group 2 | Charlotte Hertzberg | St John the Evangelist, Nowra |
Group 3 | Adeline Ahern | Frensham, Mittagong |
3rd Place | ||
Group 1 |
Madeline Plunkett |
St Mary’s Star of the Sea, Wollongong |
Group 2 |
Holly Garbutt |
St Patrick’s, Campbelltown |
Group 3 |
Mikayla Gaudiosi |
Holy Spirit College, Bellambi |
YEAR 8
1st Place | ||
Group 1 |
Elizabeth Sacco |
Holy Spirit College, Bellambi |
Group 2 | Finn Alexander | Smith's Hill High School, Wollongong |
Group 3 | Jessica Smith | Holy Spirit College, Bellambi |
2nd Place | ||
Group 1 | Dali Martin | Wollondilly Anglican College, Tahmoor |
Group 2 | Katie Russell | Wollondilly Anglican College, Tahmoor |
Group 3 | Anika Marsh | Corrimal High School |
3rd Place | ||
Group 1 | Hamish Nutt | Smith's Hill High School, Wollongong |
Group 2 | Elena Och | Bulli High School |
Group 3 | Rebecca Murphy | St Patrick’s College, Campbelltown |
YEAR 9
1st Place | ||
Group 1 |
Raphaela O’Neill Siambis |
Frensham, Mittagong |
Group 2 |
Codie Weber |
St Mary’s Star of the Sea, Wollongong |
Group 3 |
Holly Burfitt |
St Patrick’s College, Campbelltown |
2nd Place |
||
Group 1 |
Alyssa Jeffries |
The Illawarra Grammar School, West Wollongong |
Group 2 |
Ashley Weston |
Corrimal High School |
Group 3 |
Claudia Henderson |
Frensham, Mittagong |
3rd Place |
||
Group 1 |
Oreoluwa Ajani |
St Patrick’s College, Campbelltown |
Group 2 |
Kye Lockridge |
Corpus Christi, Oak Flats |
Group 3 |
Ruby Hoffman |
Holy Spirit College, Bellambi |
Year 10
1st Place | ||
Group 1 |
Bridget Fairs |
St John the Evangelist, Nowra |
Group 2 |
Scarlett Hill |
Smith's Hill, Wollongong |
Group 3 |
Maeve Bradbury |
Smith's Hill, Wollongong |
2nd Place | ||
Group 1 |
Tania Kalsi |
The Illawarra Grammar School, West Wollongong |
Group 2 |
Ishe Chibanda |
The Illawarra Grammar School, West Wollongong |
Group 3 | Kate Clifton | |
3rd Place | ||
Group 1 |
Tallulah Rogers |
Holy Spirit College, Bellambi |
Group 2 |
Shelby Luppino |
Wollondilly Anglican College, Tahmoor |
Group 3 |
Savannah Kesby |
Corpus Christi, Oak Flats |
YEAR 11
1st Place | ||
Group 1 |
Juliette Thornberry |
St Mary’s Star of the Sea, Wollongong |
Group 2 |
Katie Short |
Smith's Hill, Wollongong |
Group 3 |
Clayton Van Leeuwen |
St Joseph's, Albion Park |
2nd Place | ||
Group 1 | Caitlin Fairs | St John the Evangelist, Nowra |
Group 2 | Isabella Staub | Bulli High School |
Group 3 | Leila Thompson | St Mary’s Star of the Sea, Wollongong |
3rd Place | ||
Group 1 | Meg Jones | Frensham, Mittagong |
Group 2 | Arabici Talty | St John the Evangelist, Nowra |
Group 3 |
Lani Taylor |
Bulli High School |
All students represented their respective schools with the utmost respect and sportsmanship, and we congratulate them on their outstanding achievements.