Successful public speaking competition for western schools

Over four days at the end of May in the Orange CWA Rooms, the Central Western Group CWA conducted its annual public speaking competition for schools.

Both public and private schools can enter students from Years 3 to 12.

Schools entering this year ranged in size from small such as Meadow Flat and O'Connell Public to large such as Scots All Saints and MacKillop College in Bathurst and Kinross Wolaroi and James Sheahan in Orange and everything in between.

For the second time, a separate section was held for Students with Additional Needs, sponsored by the Orange Primary Principal's Association.

This Public Speaking competition has been organised and conducted by the Country Women's Association of NSW for over 40 years, with each year group being given three choices of topics to prepare for.

Cowra Evening CWA members Ann Apthorpe, Kaye Kilby, Maureen Knight, Cheryl McAlister and Ros Ryan were some of those involved in organising, judging, chairing sessions, time keeping and other roles over the four days.

Cowra schools were well represented by talented students from Cowra Public School, Mulyan Public School and St Raphael's Catholic School.

Congratulations to all Cowra students who took part, all were excellent representatives of their schools and spoke very well.

Notable achievers were Bella Starr of St Raphael's Catholic School who was second in Years 9 and 10; Thomas Medway of St Raphael's Catholic School who was Highly Commended in Year 3; Fletcher Smith of Mulyan Public who was Highly Commended in Year 4 and Flynn Cleary of Cowra Public who received a Collins Book Voucher in the Additional Needs Section.

- Cheryl McAlister (Cowra Evening CWA and CW Group Public Speaking Committee)