The children are all busy preparing for our annual Public Speaking Competition. This was held for the first time last year and we heard some excellent speeches from all classes from U1st up. This year is promising to be the same judging from all the hard work and preparation that is being put into it by the children. Each teacher chooses a topic related to a unit that the class has been studying, and the children then must write their own speech, which is delivered to the class. The benefits of this exercise are far reaching for the children. Writing the speech gives the children an opportunity to learn how to effectively convey their own ideas, and giving the speech develops confidence and the ability to present themselves to an audience in a formal and dignified way.