Students from the language schools of the Greek Community of Melbourne excelled at the Oral Speech Festival 2020, which was organised by the Association of Modern Greek Teachers of Victoria.
The winners based on the category in which they participated are:
Poems of 1st Category: Year 3 and 4
1st place: Angelina Dimitrakopoulou from the Narra Warren Year 4 class with her recital of the poem ‘The Tsoliades.’
Poems of 5th Category: Year 11 and 12
1st place: Year 11 student, Katerina Liappi, from the Doncaster class, with her recital of the poem ‘They fell to Ioannina’ by Aristotle Valaoritis.
2nd place: Year 11 student, Angeliki Kaye, from the Doncaster class, with her recital of the poem ‘They fell to Ioannina’ by Aristotle Valaoritis.
3rd place: Year 11 student, Vangelis Tomaras, from the Doncaster class, with his recital of the poem ‘The Old Man of Moria.’
“I’m excited to win! When my teacher gave me the poem, the truth is that I was stressed and I was thinking how to say it…” Angelina Dimitrakopoulou, who won first place in the primary school category, says.
“I was not so excited when I was given the poem, but learning it put me in the process of having a good time with my family, because it eventually became a family affair, and I also learned new words in Greek. It is definitely something I will remember with joy for the Greek school!”
The purpose of the Festival is for the children to enjoy the Greek language through testing it in practice and to gain or strengthen students’ self-confidence in oral speech.
This year, the theme of the Festival was also dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the start of the Greek Revolution.
The teachers and students of the Community Schools welcomed, as every year, the Festival with enthusiasm. After studying the poems to be recited, as well as the topics for speech, they prepared and started shooting because, instead of a live presentation this year due to COVID-19, the students videotaped the recitation of the poem or the presentation of their speech.
“We congratulate all our students who participated and were tested at the Festival. We rejoice in their distinctions and, paraphrasing Cavafy’s poem, what ultimately matters is the journey itself and not the attainment of the goal, the road and not the finish, the struggle and not Ithaca. A big congratulations to all our children! Well done!” the new director of the School of Language and Culture of the Community, Mrs. Maria Bakalidou, said.
READ MORE: Maria Bakalidou appointed President of the Greek Community of Melbourne’s Language Schools.
