This year’s extended period of Debating has concluded with three of our Senior Debating Teams making it through to the Finals. They are our Year 11 B Grade, Team 2 (Cece Newton-Brown, Georgina Vote, Victoria Patsakos, Lucy Campbell, Elodie Ferrali and Sophie Gough); Year 10 C Grade Team 3 (Summer Balla-Kellett, Maddie Hooker, Emilia Searby, Cara Uzunovski and Lan-Tian Yen-West); Year 9 D Grade Team 2 (Jemima Wilcox, Anise Imam, Catherine Karas, Zara Peele and Claudia Sowerby). We congratulate these girls and wish them well as they prepare for the Finals series, which will include three playoff Finals before the Grand Final.

Each year we have a strong number of students nominated as Best Speaker, and this year has been no different. Across the internal and external online competition, the Best Speakers have been: Year 12, Isobel Tanner, Alexandra Shergold, Jennifer Madgwick; Year 11, Jessica Yang, Sophie Williams (twice); Year 10, Lan-Tian Yen-West (three times), Ciara Jenkins (twice), Annabelle Green, Eloise Rudge, Rosie Bogdan, Madeline Powell (twice), Emilia Searby (twice); Year 9, Zara Peele (twice), Mia Krongold, Flora Du, Jemima Wilcox, Ava Colosimo.

We now usher in the DAV Junior Debating season online with 26 eager Year 7 and 8 students being mentored by our Year 10 and 11 debaters. The topics which have now been released are: That schools should enforce consequences for students who participate in strikes during school hours; That we regret the use of participation awards; and That we should incentivise people to relocate to the country. These topics are designed to test students’ broader awareness of issues and include them in the wider conversations occurring today in our society. We know that our students will be suitably challenged by them and wish them well as they refine their Debating skills.