23 Jun 2018
Congratulations to Oscar Booth (Hay SOTA) and Sean Johnston (Hay Public School) who received highly commended at the NAIDOC Public Speaking Contest held in Griffith last Thursday. The duo competed against multiple teams from eight primary schools around the region; competition was strong!
Oscar and Sean presented a speech based on the 2018 NAIDOC theme, ‘Because Of Her, We Can'. Through powerful rhetoric, they delivered the message that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women play active roles at community, local, state and national levels and they are key to building a strong future for our country.
Oscar and Sean referenced powerful women such as Barangaroo, Cathy Freeman, Lauren Jarratt and Jeannie Gunn. They explored the strength and quiet perseverance of such Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and the strategies that they have employed to overcome mental hardship. Oscar and Sean urged the audience to see these women as positive and powerful role models.
Distance was no barrier for the boys when preparing for the competition. Oscar and Sean showed dedication and commitment, preparing their speech during integration and engaging in rehearsal over REACT satellite. We would like to sincerely thank Fleur Cullenward for sharing her writing expertise and supporting these students to build their confidence in public speaking. The Hay SOTA community is proud.