Our Roots, Our Voices, Our Future

This year’s Rehu Tai Festival of Oral Language encouraged our girls to reflect on where they come from, what matters to them now, and what kind of future they want to build. The prompt inspired a range of talks from deeply personal to boldly political.

Year 4 were the first to speak, with poster-board talks on personal experiences. Caitlin Chan spoke of her trip to Barcelona, Hazel Huang instructed the audience step-by-step through making her favourite pizza, and Chloe Liang shared the exciting undersea creatures she saw at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom. Sophie Fernandez took the win with Jeju Island, an account of a unique family holiday destination. 

The Year 5 Flashtalks leaned into the festival’s theme directly. Annie Li spoke on the dangers that seabirds face, Erin Campbell tackled fossil fuels, and Samar Alavi vulnerably opened up about her homeland, Iran. Julia Jamieson took first place with a tribute to her grandmother, a verbal trip down memory lane.

Many of the Year 6 speeches turned toward the future. Alice Swan admonished the audience for purchasing fast fashion, Adeline Scott made the case against smartphones for children, and winner Harriet Yeoman spoke on electric cars, warning of the climate effects of petrol-fuelled vehicles.

Across the Senior School, students could choose from two categories – Speech, and Spoken Word. In Year 7, the speech winner was Yasmine Rosen with By the Click of a Keyboard, a sharp look at how technology shapes identity. In Spoken Word, Jayda-Belle Gonzalez-Smith took first with My Words Were a Whisper That Became a Roar. Her perspective was littered with personal experience, inviting the audience to join her in boldly speaking up. 

Year 8 tackled pressing issues head-on. Irene Wendt-Latu won the Speech category with Until She Is Heard, part of a strong line-up that included themes like Women Are Worthy, fast fashion, and climate change. In Spoken Word, Tyana Maka's Our Voice Is an Echo took the win over Mei Hyatt-Smith's Diamonds Are Made Under Pressure and Noor Kaur's Tangled.

Across every year group, our girls spoke about the people and places that shaped them, the causes they are ready to fight for, and the future they intend to have a say in. Adjudicators Stephanie Caisley, a Speech NZ examiner, and Jodie Rowe, Saint Kentigern College’s Head of Year 12 and 13 English, judged the Year 5 and 6 and Year 7 and 8 finals respectively. The winners are now preparing to represent the school at upcoming zone competitions.