1995 School Magazine

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6ir(s' @rammar Srloot 16ridbsnc 1995

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- W*M-J/) tuffifr4 PUBLIC SPEAIilN G

l)ub1ic Speaking continues to ofler a challenge and an I opportunity to acquire an essential skill for life to those girls who participate. Early in the year, a series of competitions such as Lions Youth of the Year, the Plain English Speaking Award and the Rostrum Voice of Youth, saw entrants from the senior school speak successfully, gaining confidence and valuable experi- ence. Some advanced through several heats. The girls find they must work hard to gain knowledge of cuffent affairs and our system of government before many of these contests as the criteria require that the competitors are not only convincing speakers but also responsible and knowledgeable citizens of Australia. A seminar on the skills and techniques of good Public Speaking was held for the entire Year Tweive cohort, to help them approach this "real life" task with less trepidation. \\f/ednesdaythe eighth of Marchwas the beginning of an W eight week Scuba diving theory course taken by eleven BGGS girls from Year Eight to Year Twelve. The first week was spent in the classroom doing theory work. For the second week we were divided into two smaller groups. For the pool we had to put on all the gear. Once all of this was on, we felt as if we had put on several hundred kilos and were about to fall over backwards. Of course nothing like this actually happened and everyone got into the pool safely. \fhen you are underwater (or as much as the pool will 1et you) the experience is one that can not be matched. It feels very unusual to be able to breathe underwater for approximately an hour if not longer. Unfortunately the v'eather started to cool down and when we went into the pool most of us turned blue within the first four

The current trend is to involve younger students in compe- titions later in the year as pressures on Year Twelve students increase. Our students competed successfully in the CPS Credit Society Year 10 Students Public Speaking Competition. For the first time, The Quota Student of the Year Competi- tion involved oniy Year Eleven students. This quest involves broad general knowledge and community involvement as well as ski11 in speaking as criteria for success. This year Kirsty Dodsworth (11R) won this title. The Merle \Teaver Public Speaking Competition, at both Junior and Senior level, is the Interhouse Speaking Contest within the school. Impromptu speeches and prepared speeches enterlain the audience and give the girls a forum to express their views. ril/inners are awarded on Speech Day. Open'W'ater certificate. Seven of us were eager to do so and were divided into lwo groups of three and four. I was in the group of four so I will tell you of our adventures. The Open 'Water course was held over a weekend and for ours we went to Kippa River on Saturday. This was a fairly uneventful dive with us only seeing a few schools of fish and some stingrays. But that dive was just to teach us how to dive with limited visibility. On Sunday, however, we were up at the crack of dawn to go on the boat to Flinders Reef. The weather looked pretty dismal but what doesn't at6:30 in the morning?'We were certain it was going to clear up but it stayed dismal aII day. But we did not let this get to us. On the way to Flinders Reef we passed a doiphin which turned into one of the highlights of the trip. As we got further out it got choppier and Ailsa and I saw our lives

SCT]BA DIVING

flash before our eyes when a wave knocked the boat sideways so the water was literally in fiont of our faces. By the time we got to Flinders Reef it was too choppy to dive so we went to the Tangalooma Wrecks. \il/hen we went down we did the basic skills and saw noth- ing but goatfish. \7e had better luck at the "Graveyard" where lots of fish have made their homes. \7e would like to thank Miss Lockwood for giving us the op- portunity to experience this fasci- nating sport. ALANNA CHAPMAN

seconds of contact with the water. \fhen we told our instructors, Brett Jones and Anders Paulsen, they laughed at us but then they said they would try to get us into the heated pool that Pro-Dive owns at Milton. It was beautiful! At the end of each theory class we had ten multi-choice questions to answer. To pass to the next 1evel we had to get seven or more right. At the end of the course we had a massive multi-choice test. (It was easy if we'd studied.) After we had passed the test (we kept on doing it until we passed) we received a cerllficate and then we had an option of going on to complete our

SCI,'BA GROUP Back Roto (L-R): A. Wagstaff, C. tx/hiting, R. Beagle1,, ./. Crone, A..[obnson Front Rou (I-R): F Hanger, A. Kerswell, A. Hal| D. Wadley Absent: A. Cbapman, M. Flabeny

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