Student Achievements

EISM – Division 1 Athletics Carnival

On 18 May, over 100 Huntingtower students from Years 7 to 12 competed in the EISM Athletics Carnival at Lakeside Stadium. Although Huntingtower participates in this event every year, this year we achieved particularly exceptional results.

With the support and outstanding efforts of the Athletics Captains, students, and all Sports Staff, Huntingtower won the Under 13 Boys, Under 14 Girls, Under 15 Boys, Under 16 Girls, Open Girls, and Open Boys Age Group Pennants.

In addition, the school secured the Girls’ Aggregate Trophy for a third consecutive year and, for the first time in its history, won the Overall Carnival. A truly significant achievement for Huntingtower Athletics. This has never been won before!

Through early morning training sessions and ongoing support from coaches, we were able to build a strong and supportive environment in which students could thrive and develop their athletic abilities to a high standard.

We also saw outstanding individual performances, with multiple students placing in the top three and several records being broken. 

Special mention goes to Lachlan C. (Year 9), who broke the Boys Under 15 100m Hurdles record with a time of 13.93 seconds, and to Jack D. (Year 10), who broke the Boys Under 15 Discus record with a throw of 37.93m.

A sincere thank you to the Huntingtower Sports Staff and especially – David, Angela, Peter, Isabella, Ben, George and Ethan, who consistently supported the team, not only on the day but throughout the months of training leading up to the event.

We would also like to extend a special thank you to Mrs Baynham and Ben for going above and beyond to ensure all students were supported throughout the journey and for managing the many behind-the-scenes tasks that helped the day run smoothly.

This was an outstanding day and a historic accomplishment for Huntingtower. 

Written by

Jonathan, Micah, Sayuri and Tonia 

Sport Captains

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FIRST PLACE WINNERS

World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships

Congratulations to Grace T. and Elle D. on representing Australia at the 2026 World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships. Elle was a finalist in Persuasive Speaking, and Grace was a finalist in Impromptu Speaking and Debate, where she finished ninth in the world in each event.

Student reflection:

Representing Australia on an international stage at the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships was an experience like no other. After travelling to London for a few days of sightseeing and bonding with the Australian team, we drove down to Bristol for the competition.

 

Here we competed in two preliminary rounds of debate, persuasive speaking, interpretive reading and impromptu speaking, each event requiring different skills, like logical or creative out of the box thinking, and of course, a lot of arguing. 

 

Competing against the best of the best from so many countries around the world meant that we were pushed beyond our limits every day, achieving more than what we dreamed of. We learnt so much from his competition; in the lead-up, we put in hours upon hours of preparation which paid off in our results, and during the competition, being around so many like-minded and extremely talented individuals from all over the world is something we will carry with us forever. The new experiences, lifelong friendships, and not to mention the Lithuanian phrases of South African games we learnt and can now look back at and smile. 

 

No matter how hard goodbyes were at the airport we are so grateful to have had an opportunity like this one. 

- Elle D. & Grace T. (Year 12)

Rotary Ainger Peck Award

Well done to Anay G. (Year 10) who won the 2026 Rotary Ainger Peck Award.

The State Final was hotly contested by the top ten speakers from the competition (two speakers from each of the previous heats), with over a hundred students from over forty schools taking part. The competition was extremely strong this year, with speakers coming from all corners of the city. 

This year, Huntingtower had two students - Anay G. and Lara L. (Year 10) - who both won their heats and qualified for the grand final, making us the only school to get multiple students through. 

The competition focusses on a speaker’s ability to use their skills in delivery to convey a message, whatever that message is, and it results in a wide range of very talented speakers. The State Final had some particularly exceptional speeches, and it was extremely hard to separate those at the top.

Both Huntingtower speakers performed exceptionally well, with Anay presenting a heartfelt reflection on the challenges of racism, while Lara performed a humorous and crowd-pleasing speech about the dangers of getting ‘hangry’ when you’re hungry. 

The Grand Final was held during a dinner and was greatly supported by various schools, parents and members of the Rotary community. 

In a very exciting result, Anay came out on top and was named as the state champion and winner of this year’s Award. 

Rostrum Voice of Youth

Congratulations to Varun S. (Year 11), who was the winner of the Senior Semi-Final, and Amelia W. (Year 9) who as the winner of the Junior Semi-Final. They both go on to represent Eastern Melbourne in the Rostrum Voice of Youth State Final.

Student reflection

On the 24th of May, Amelia, Chloe, Kylie and I represented Huntingtower at the Rostrum Voice of Youth public speaking competition. Throughout the day, we delivered prepared speeches on topics we felt strongly about to audiences consisting of Year 7 to 9 students, judges, and family members. Although public speaking can be intimidating, the experience pushed all of us to step outside our comfort zones and develop greater confidence in communicating our ideas. 

 

Before presenting my speech, I remember feeling extremely nervous. My heart was racing, my palms were sweating and my brain was hyperactive. Speaking without cue cards was a challenge for me. However, once I began, I realised how important it is to trust your preparation and focus on connecting with the audience rather than striving for perfection. The competition taught us that public speaking isn’t necessarily about perfection but rather about authenticity, confidence and the ability to communicate your ideas clearly under pressure. 

 

Following the prepared speeches, five students were selected to progress to the semi-finals, where they were required to present an impromptu speech. In this round, competitors were given a topic and only 15 minutes to prepare a 3-minute speech before presenting it in front of the audience and judges. We were incredibly proud that three of the five semi-finalists were Huntingtower representatives: Amelia, Chloe and me. The impromptu round was particularly challenging because it required quick thinking, adaptability and strong organisation skills while speaking spontaneously. 

 

The day ended with an exciting result for Huntingtower, with Amelia placing equal first overall and me receiving runner up. Beyond the results, the competition was a valuable learning experience that strengthened our confidence, resilience and ability to express our ideas effectively. We would also like to thank Mr McDonald and Jade for their support and guidance throughout this competition. We are very grateful for the opportunity to participate and represent Huntingtower! 

- Adria H. (Year 8)

Monash Asia Studies Debating Competition 

Congratulations to our two teams who won their Finals debates in the Monash Asia Studies Debating Competition, arguing either side of whether China should abandon its space program. They are now two of the final four teams left in the national competition as they move into the penultimate round.

Student Reflection

Competing in the Monash Asia Studies Debating Competition this year has been an incredibly valuable experience and one that has involved a lot of learning about debating. Reaching the quarter finals was something I was really proud of, especially considering the high standard of competition and the strength of the teams involved throughout the tournament, which really pushed us to work better as a team. 

 

One of the highlights of the competition has been the opportunity to debate against so many talented teams from a wide variety of schools. Every round has involved strong arguments, detailed rebuttals, and a wide range of perspectives on complex issues that offer a deep insight into the unique debating styles of each individual. 

 

Another really memorable part of the experience has been meeting other debaters from different schools. Although the competition itself is intense, the overall environment has been really supportive and respectful. It has been interesting hearing different approaches to debating, discussing motions before and after rounds, and seeing how much variety there is in style and strategy across teams, which helped my team grow as well. These interactions have made the competition feel much bigger than just the rounds themselves. 

 

As an individual, the feedback provided by the adjudicators has been extremely insightful and has helped me grow as a speaker. Apart from the competitive nature of this tournament, the most rewarding aspect has been being able to enhance this craft and expand upon my knowledge of debating, specifically centred around Asia-related topics. 

 

As a team, we are now really excited heading into the semi-finals and looking forward to seeing how the competition continues to progress. It’s been rewarding to make it this far, and I’m keen to take on the next round and see how far we can go against such strong opposition. 

 

Overall, MASDC has been an amazing experience. Reaching the quarter finals has been a highlight, but the opportunity to learn from other teams, improve skills, and be part of such a competitive and engaging environment has been the most valuable part of the journey so far. I would highly recommend this competition to anyone interested in debating, as it’s a great opportunity to challenge yourself, improve your skills, and meet other passionate debaters. 

- Shivika V. (Year 11) 

Bond High School Mooting Competition

Well done to Mia P., Sophia G. and Dylan S. (Year 11), who represented Huntingtower in our first ever moot: the Bond University High School Mooting Competition. Both Mia and Sophia received Honourable Mentions for Advocacy from the Law Faculty at Bond University in recognition of their oral advocacy skills.

Student Reflection

The Bond University National High School Mooting Competition was a great opportunity to utilise a range of brand new skills and put the content we've learned so far in Legal Studies into a real case. The competition is to argue complex legal questions before a simulated appellate court; however, unlike mock trials, it is more focused on legal application and applying a range of research and writing skills. This means that the judges could interrupt us during our speeches to ask questions, and we had to adapt what we were saying on the fly!

 

Our team of three (two barristers and a solicitor) competed in the preliminary round, dedicating significant time to preparation to learn the specific aspects of law and how to apply them. This involved researching case law and drafting oral submissions so we knew the content and could prepare for questioning.

 

Overall, this competition required a lot of dedication and hard work, but it became so exciting when we got to apply our preparation on the day. We would definitely recommend mooting to anyone who is dedicated and adaptable since it's such a great experience and an engaging competition to deepen legal knowledge and understanding. 

- Sophia G., Mia P. and Dylan S. (Year 11)