A Strong Start To The Public Speaking Season for Catherine McAuley

Catherine McAuley students who took part in Round 1 of the CSDA Public Speaking Competition (3 students absent from photo)

Catherine McAuley students have had a strong start to the public speaking season with a McAuley student winning the Clift Public Speaking Competition on Monday night and five McAuley students winning Round 1 of the Catholic Schools Debating Association (CSDA) Public Speaking Competition held on Friday, 1st March.

Congratulations to both Siya P. and Olivia A., Year 9 students, who took part in the Rotary Club of Parramatta Clift Public Speaking Competition on Monday night. This event was held at Club Parramatta and saw students from the Parramatta area compete against each other as they gave two speeches. Each student presented a prepared speech to the topic of, ‘Better To Give Than Receive’ and were then given three minutes to prepare an impromptu one minute speech to the topic, ‘What’s One Important Message’.

Mr Thomas Fraser, Public Speaking and Debating Coordinator, said that both students performed extremely well with Siya winning the prepared speech and Olivia winning the impromptu one. Siya was then announced as the overall winner of the competition with both the adjudicator and the Rotary Club members impressed by her speaking capabilities.

Mr Thomas Fraser and Year 9 students Siya and Olivia being presented with the Clift Public Speaking Shield by Rotary Club of Parramatta members

The Clift Public Speaking Competition is an annual event run by the Rotary Club of Parramatta in honour of the late Ern Clift, a rotary club member for 63 years.

The CSDA Public Speaking Competition commenced on Friday night with 12 students from Catherine McAuley taking part. Round 1 was held at St Andrew’s Marayong with students from Catholic schools across Sydney competing against each other. Well done to all students for participating and to the five Catherine McAuley students who have made it through to Round 2 - Alyssa A., Year 12; Veronica F., Year 12; Siya P., Year 9; Crystal M., Year 8 and Heidi S., Year 8.

Mr Fraser said that the CSDA Public Speaking Competition is of great benefit to those students who take part. “Students benefit from interacting with students from other Catholic schools in the area and it also gives them the opportunity to put together an engaging and persuasive speech in a competitive environment. This helps further develop their literacy and oratory skills”.

Good luck to the five students competing in Round 2 of the CSDA competition on Friday, 8th March.