“Pollution, recycling and the great Pacific garbage patch. How do these things make you feel? I know they make me feel worried, frustrated and determined all at once,” said Emily Harper as she competed against 12 schools in the eastern zone and went on to win the Howick and Pakuranga Times Zone Speech Finals Cup 2017.
The speech competition is hosted by the Howick and Pakuranga Principal’s Association (HPPA) – a collective of Principals of around 40 schools in the local area.
“Our latest school topic of recycling really made me think about the world and all the rubbish within it and what I could do to make a difference,” said Emily, a Macleans Primary School student.
The 11-year-old’s speech hosted at Owairoa Primary School, was on recycling and how we can save the planet.
Emily says she completed a lot of research and feels passionate about the subject after she did recycling, composting and tidying up at school and at home, located near a creek.
The young house captain, who enjoys organising events at school, says she also wrote to Auckland Council about recycling and cleaning the creek at the back of Howick Club.
“There is so much of rubbish and shopping trolleys left behind,” she says.
Emily’s mother, Melanie Harper who is a teacher at Macleans Primary, says that while the Howick and Pakuranga Times Cup has been awarded to different schools since 2005, their school had not won it for a very long time.
“It was a huge surprise for us and we are thrilled that she won it.”
