Welcome

This Sunday, December 7, Stoneleigh-Burnham School students competed at the Buckingham Browne & Nichols Public Speaking Tournament, an event sponsored by the Debating Association of New England Independent Schools. The tournament brought together students from across the region to compete in a range of public speaking disciplines.

The team delivered an impressive performance, earning multiple individual awards across several categories. In Persuasive Speaking, Valentina Hernandez ’27 placed third overall. Maeve Noble ’26 earned a tied third-place finish in Interpretive Reading and first place in Impromptu Speaking. Maeve also received the tournament’s highest overall honor, placing first as Top Speaker of the event.

The Top Speaker award carries special significance, as it qualifies the recipient to compete at the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships to be held this April in Bristol, England. This marks Maeve’s second first-place overall finish of the season and her second Worlds qualification this year.

Adding to the celebration, alumna Becca Knapp Tsao ’85, herself a former Worlds qualifier during her SBS days, has generously donated to support the debate and public speaking program. This gift will help fund student participation in competitive speaking opportunities, including Maeve’s trip to Worlds this spring. “Best of luck to Maeve, and kudos to SBS for helping another girl find her voice,” Becca said.

Stoneleigh-Burnham School is proud of all of our student competitors, and the incredible community rallying behind them on every step of their journey.