Year 9

Election Program, Debating Team Round 4 Results

Election Program

Oxley’s annual Election Program has long been a highlight in the school calendar, and this year was no exception. Students were busy for three full days preparing debates, writing speeches, designing badges and websites, editing promotional videos, learning about politics and democracy, and much more. The focus of this year’s program was on debating. The issues discussed were AI, lowering the voting age, and the power of young people to bring about change in society. This all led to an election in which the Year 6s, Year 9s and Oxley staff voted.

We were thrilled to see how our Year 9s enthusiastically threw themselves into their work. Great leadership, attitudes of excellence, generosity of spirit, and a sense of community were all on display. The democratically elected party leaders worked well to set the vision for their respective parties while also enabling and serving their classmates.

This year each Home Group was allocated a colour and encouraged to develop their own name, policies, slogan and logo.

HG	Party Colour / Name	Slogan
9.9	Green - The Vine	Rooted in faith, growing in grace.
9.10	Red - The Red Sea	Red means power, we mean change.
9.11	Yellow - United in Gold	More voice, more choice.
9.12	Blue - Generation Blue	Vote true, vote blue.

Winning Party Website: Generation Blue

Party Rooms

Students were treated to an inspirational visit by Nicole Werner MP, the state member for Warrandyte. She shared her journey from school to volunteering to politics, including insights into the challenges of maintaining a Christian faith in politics, life as a young MP (and new mum), and how volunteering and serving remain as significant values in Australian society. On behalf of the Victorian Parliament, Ms Werner presented Steffan S with the inaugural Civics Leadership Award for his passion for civics and strong commitment to making a difference in our school community.

Civics Leadership Award with Nicole Werner

The winner of this year’s election was 9.9 The Vine. It was a close-run election, with 95 votes required for a majority victory. All parties achieved healthy first-round vote tallies, but after the count was completed and preferences distributed, The Vine narrowly came out on top to win 96-92 ahead of 9.12 Generation Blue. Congratulations to 9.9, brilliantly led by Nicole M and Steffan S. Certificates were presented to high-achieving students from all parties by our Principal, Mr Bond, and Year Level Coordinator, Mrs Robinson. This year, we revealed a new perpetual shield, awarded to the winning party. On hand to present the shield was former Oxley teacher, Mrs Judith Backholer, who created the original program, and after whom the shield has been named.

My thanks go out to the Oxley community, including the many teaching and administration staff who worked with our Year 9 students throughout the program, providing support and encouragement.

Stephen White

2025 Election Chief Electoral Officer

Student Reflections

Many students provided thoughtful and honest reflections on the program in the exit survey, and also provided many great ideas for improving the program further. Here is a selection:

I had such a lovely time learning more about elections and how things work around it. I think that it was run really well and that everyone who participated all had a great time. I liked how my Home Group came together, worked and talked to people we don't usually do, from learning new things about our country and state, and how it is run, to learning about each other. I encourage future Year 9s to look forward to it and have fun. Vote for the Red Sea!

Elise W (9.10)

I really enjoyed getting to know and bond with the girls in my classroom. I think this was a great experience and made learning very fun. I liked all the different roles and opportunities I had to contribute and help out my Home Group. I learnt a lot about politics and the different values and policies that parties may stand for. Overall, I enjoyed this interactive learning opportunity as well as helping with baking and decorating our classrooms.

Ella G (9.12)

The Year 9 Election program was a fantastic opportunity for me to learn more about civics and entrepreneurship in a fun way, as well as different parties and the preferential voting system in Australia. Prior to the program, I hardly had any knowledge about the political field, and was worried that that would impact my experience in the three days that the program ran. However, with support from peers and teachers, the program turned out not only to be educational, but a fun experience.

Sharan G (9.11)

This week, the Year 9s had the opportunity to partake in an election simulation between the four classes. It was extremely exciting, and I enjoyed getting involved in the promotion of our party and the preparation of the morning tea. Overall, I am very grateful to my classmates for being able to come together, work hard, and create valuable memories that we will definitely cherish.

Sherah S (9.9)

The Year 9 Election Program gave me a great insight into how democracy works and the importance of being informed voters. It was interesting to see how campaigns are run and how different ideas can influence people’s decisions. Overall, it made me appreciate the responsibility that comes with voting and participating in elections.

Jonathan H (9.10)

This program was a very eye-opening experience. I learnt a lot of new things about the Australian government and how the voting system works. I enjoyed putting up decorations and making cake pops for the morning tea with my friends. The process of creating and designing everything was somewhat difficult, but the end result was worth it. This program was different from what we usually do, and it highlighted the importance of teamwork and communication. If I could do this program again, I would!

Cherry K (9.9)

This week’s Election Program was a great opportunity to see how the voting process works in Australia, which I am not familiar with as an international student. I enjoyed engaging with others and learned a lot about how different roles can contribute to a fair election, as it gave me a deeper understanding for democracy in Australia.

Cerise L (9.9)

I enjoyed improving my public speaking skills in debating, although it was scary at the time. I learnt about preferential voting amongst other interesting things about Australia's political system. It surprised me how different it was from other democracies around the world. I also liked preparing for the morning tea and eating the food afterwards.

Mitchell W (9.11)

Debating Team - Round 4 Results

Our Year 9 Debating Team continues to maintain a successful record in the Interschool Debating Competition. In Round 4, Team 1 was victorious against Vermont Secondary College.

Congratulations to Priscilla P (9.12), Zia B (9.12) and Jonathan H (9.10) for an outstanding performance. Team 2, consisting of Elijah L (9.10), Sherah S (9.9) and Diana F (9.11), unfortunately lost their debate against Yarra Valley Grammar by just two points. Our Year 9s are currently in first and second position on the Interschool Ladder for our Region. This is an incredible debut by our Year 9 students.

Team 2 will compete against Tintern Grammar in the Grand Final for our region on Wednesday 13 August. Team 2 will be represented by Priscilla P (9.12), Jonathan H (9.10) and Nicole M (9.9). Furthermore, Team 1 will compete against Tintern Grammar for the position of second place. Team 1 will be represented by Joanna G (9.10), Leah C (8.5) and Elijah L (9.10). We wish both teams the very best as they prepare for their final round.

Rebekah Paul

Debating Coordinator