Forty students from classes 4A and 4B underwent regular practice sessions in
preparation for the Secondary 3 and 4, Mixed Voice Choral Speaking competition in the
70th Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival (English Speech). The poem chosen for
the class was How to Ask for a Hamster written by Valerie Bloom. It offered a youthful
enactment of the various strategies employed by a child to secure a pet, in spite
of a mother’s skeptical predisposition. Training was spread over a three-month period,
leading up to the competition date on 19th December, 2018. Seasoned adjudicator, Mr.
Jonathan Owen, complimented the S.4 students on their delivery of the poem.
He attributed “lovely control, pace, focus and energy, shared with skill and
precision” to the winning group. The announcement of the team’s first place award
was a pleasant and welcome surprise to all students. Assistant Principal, Mr. Brian Ho,
applauded the students for delivering the best rendition of the poem that he had
seen them perform during rehearsals, on the day of the competition. By participating in
the competition, the QCOBASS students have earned recognition for the efforts they
made and gained experience in performing on stage. They can look ahead with a
sharpened focus and the knowledge that achievement comes when one fully applies
one’s self.