Speaking & Debating Club

Year in Review

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

Considering that we started the year with little experience in public speaking or debating, we have had a very successful and rewarding year. This is largely due to the hard work and dedication the team has shown throughout 2018: attending regular lunchtime meetings, researching and writing speeches at home, practicing and competing. Debating is a team sport, so we would like to thank the school, teachers and families for their support in making it all happen! Below is a summary of this year’s highlights:

Rafia Backhouse: Encouragement Award, Plain English Speaking Award

Beth Gray: Preliminary Finalist, Legacy Regional Public Speaking Award

Estela Seit: Best Junior Debater, DAV Regional Competition, Nathalia

Shepparton High School Junior Debating Team: Winners, DAV Regional Competition, Nathalia

Most recently, the Shepparton High School Year 8 Debating Team were very excited to win the DAV Regional Debating Competition held on 5th December in Nathalia after lots of hard work and preparation. The team (Estela, Beth, Mahdi and Roj) was under the pump to prepare for two debates in a short space of time. Topics debated were 'That the Olympics should be expanded to include non-sporting events' and 'That emojis reduce our ability to communicate'.  We won the first debate and lost the second to Wanganui.

After lunch, students had one hour to prepare a secret topic: 'That children should not be paid pocket money'. This was an excellent opportunity for students to put into practice some of the excellent feedback they had received from the DAV adjudicators during the day and we won this debate also.  Congratulations especially to Estela Seit, who shared the Best Junior Debater Award for the day! What a great way to end the year! 

THE 2018 TEAM

Suzie McPherson, 12                           Rafia Backhouse, 11

Baba Ali Hussaini, 10                           Alaa Saadi, 9

Eleyna Aydin, 9                                      Beth Gray, 8

Estela Seit, 8                                            Rojhat Sahin, 8

Mahdi Ghorbani, 8                                Holly Thomas, 8

Kesalini Muli, 8                             

Emma Johnston

Debating