Students at Lighthouse Christian Academy were delighted to have a professional public speaker, their MLA, among the judges who graded them during their speaking contest Monday.
MLA Kerry Towle was joined by Lisa Greentree and Neil Williamson on the judging panel while teacher Katrina Swart acted as timekeeper.
The junior category, for Grade 6 and 7 students, was won by Noah Wilson while Jordan Smith placed second and Brooke Smith third.
Julie McDonald was first in the senior category for Grade 8 and 9 students, while Josh Canning was second and Ethan Mearns was third.
All the speeches were well done with thought provoking topics selected and researched by the students.
Following are the participants and their topics. Julie McDonald - Fairytales 101; Josh Canning - War Crimes; Ethan Mearns – Are Sasquatch real?; Andrew Armstrong -Should we travel in space?; Jesse Saysongkham - Importance of finding a career; Jaedyn Hanson – Parents should stay married for life; Logan Howard - What Life would be like if superheroes were real; Shyla Hindes Why we should go back to horse and carriage; Kyson Williamson - Gambling addiction; Noah Wilson – The Endless Void; Brooke Smith - Should homework be banned?; Jordan Smith - Bullying; Keelan Armstrong - Eclipses; Kylie Berger - Cellphones; Tannin Zinger - Why fame is bad for children; Nina Eisenbarth - Cliques; and Alea-Jaye Williamson – Teen Pregnancy.