Debating and Public Speaking

A Grade training session, Senior Debating

Unlike other activities, Debating and Public Speaking holds the capacity to transcend COVID.  

No matter how many lockdowns we faced, our numerous debaters and public speakers pursued their topics with passion – creating new legacies and numerous achievements. 

B Grade training session, Senior Debating

It was difficult to go through, yet another confusing and strange year filled with uncertainties, but there is no doubt that the community of debaters and public speakers at St Catherine’s remained strong. Our Senior girls were able to train and assist the girls in the Junior School to learn about Debating and Public Speaking and for it to become a passion for them also. 

A massive thank you to Ms Keratiotis for her utter devotion to our Debating and Public Speaking community. For inspiring us as well as many others to pursue this empowering activity and, most of all for providing a culture of love and support within Debating and Public Speaking at St Catherine’s! 

Jessica Yang and Victoria Patsakos 
Debating and Public Speaking Co-Captains  

Environment Club

“When you put your hand in a flowing stream, you touch the last that has gone before and the first of what is still to come.” This reflects the generational culture of the Environment Club, as we think about our past, our present, and our strong sense of purpose for what we can achieve collectively to preserve nature’s beauty for generations to come. 

It was timely that the role of Environment Captain was reintroduced in 2021, as we kicked off our participation in the Sustainability Victoria Schools Program. I was excited to lead the initiative as I have been passionate about our impact on the world around us since Barbreck. 

Environment Club met every second Friday and started the year brainstorming ideas to reduce St Catherine’s carbon footprint. We were rapt with the response from the whole School to implement our Reduce, Reuse, Recycle campaign with actions such as, turning down the air-conditioning, collecting bottle caps to be recycled into prosthetic limbs, recycling toothbrushes, toothpaste and mobile phones and replacing single-use goods with a re-useable alternative. 

Despite 2021 being an unconventional year with COVID restrictions and snap lockdowns, our team gained a following across the students, teachers and stretched into their homes with our campaigns.  

I sincerely thank our Environment Club of 2021, Ms Jackson-McRae, Mrs Midgley and St Catherine’s School for reducing both our personal and School carbon footprints. 

Madeleine Hardy 
Environment Captain