Ngā Manu Kōrero Speech Competition was held on Friday 11 June at Ngā Puna O Waiōrea – Western Springs College. This special event celebrates the opportunity for our young Māori orators to compete within our Tamaki Makau Rau secondary schools. The competition supports the use of Te Reo Māori or English as the mediums of expression.
Westlake Girls High School Year 11 entrant Isabella Drummond (Ngāti Maniapoto) participated in the ‘Korimako Trophy’ section for ‘Senior English’ where competitors give a prepared and an impromptu speech.
Isabella’s prepared topic was “Let me be the rangatahi today; I’ll be the rangatira tomorrow” and her impromptu was “Learning te reo Māori via google”.
So powerful were her performances that Isabella was awarded Top Female Speaker, Best Impromptu and Top Overall Speaker, and will now represent the Auckland region at the National Competitions in Palmerston North on 23 September.
This is only the second time in history that a student from the Westlake Schools has achieved this honour, so a good contingent of supporters from both schools will travel to the nationals to support Isabella on this prestigeous stage.
“The Ngā Manu Kōrero speech competition was an incredible experience, and I have grown so much as a person because of it,” says Isabella. “It was so cool to see speakers from across Auckland express themselves in a positive and competitive environment.”
Isabella says she is “beyond proud and humbled” to be representing the Auckland region at Nationals in September. “Ngā Manu Kōrero has given me the opportunity to express myself as a rangatahi (young person),” she says.
“Public speaking can be daunting, but it has built my confidence and I hope that other WGHS students take the courage to give it a go.”
Isabella is pictured with her awards, and at a dress rehearsal for this year’s Polyfest competition.