Debating Grand Finales - Year 5/6

Report of the Advanced Presentation Skills Debating “Grand Finales” - 10th June and 19th June 2025

Congratulations to all the senior students who graduated from the Advanced Presentation Skills Debating Program. We held five separate debating classes and were delighted to have so many parents and grandparents attend to witness the debating skills of these very capable students. 

The topics for the Grand Finales were as follows: 

5/6N: “That Skittles should be banned in Australia.”

5/6O: “That the Housing Shortage in Australia can easily be fixed.”

5/6J: “That Skittles should be banned in Australia.”

5/6A: “That Australians should shop for Australian made products where possible.”

5/6L: “That kids who do chores end up being smarter kids.”

All debaters were very well prepared, demonstrated excellent team work and had interesting research and facts. The delivery from all of the speakers was strong and persuasive. What I liked best were the effective rebuttals and the inclusion of humour. We all appreciated not only the amount of teamwork of the students, but also how they make formal arguments FUN! 

All students received a Certificate of Completion and Trophies were awarded to:

I would like to acknowledge the amount of work the teachers put in behind the scenes. A huge thank you to Miss Neofit, Miss O’Halloran, Ms Ann Maree, Mr Kumar and Miss Kinnish. I am sure the students impressed you and made you very proud. Thank you to Mrs Porto and to Mr Mullaly for helping with the Judging. 

I cannot finish without thanking all the parents who supported the students’ work, discussing various debating topics and encouraging them to do their best. 

I finished the days feeling very proud of every students' work and feeling appreciated. Thank you for all of your efforts and thank you for your very kind feedback. I hope this training stands you in good stead for the future.

Sandra de Geest

Advanced Presentation Skills