Teaching and Learning

Year 9 & 10 Debating

In 2026 Lyndale SC entered three teams into the Victorian Debaters Association online schools debate competition. On Wednesday 4th March our Year 9 teams participated in their first debate. The topic was ‘That it should be free to camp in all national parks in Australia’, both Year 9 teams were assigned to the affirmative.

Team 1 (Lily Fletcher, Sarah Sanjievan and Merin Beljo) debated against St Paul’s Anglican Grammar and Team 2 (Olivia Fletcher, Hala Refaieh and Vigashni Murugananda) were due to debate Home Education Victoria. Both teams worked together to prepare their speeches and attended a number of debating meetings at lunchtime throughout the term. Team 2 were scheduled to debate Home Education Victoria, however HEV forfeited on the night. Team 1 narrowly lost their debate by one point.

Thank you to the Year 10 students who also attended the debate and supported the Year 9 students. A fantastic effort by all everyone! We look forward to our next debate on 22nd April.

Ms Quayle and Ms Nguyen

Chinese – Term 1 Highlights

It has been an engaging start to the year in Chinese classes. To celebrate Chinese (Lunar) New Year, Year 7 and 8 students decorated our Chinese classrooms by creating traditional spring couplets (春联) and writing auspicious wishes, building both their language skills and cultural understanding.

During our recent whole-school Cultural Day, students across the school participated in Chinese calligraphy, using brush and ink to write characters and experience this traditional art form.

These activities have provided valuable opportunities for students to connect language learning with culture, and we look forward to more exciting learning ahead.

Kind regards,

Chenfei Bian

Youth Leadership Conference

Written by Merin Beljo 9C

Recently, on the 19th of March, a group of fortunate leaders from our school (me included) got the opportunity to attend YLAA (Youth Leadership Academy Australia). From the moment we walked in, the energy was upbeat and unreal. There was vibrant music (thanks to DJ Ollie) and activities that made us rethink what leadership really meant.

Hundreds of students from schools across Victoria packed into the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, bringing together a huge number of eager young leaders ready to learn. I’ll be honest: going in, I fully expected to be seated and talked at for the next three hours. But the minute we sat down, I was proved very, very wrong.

They had a series of guest speakers come up, each with their own story. One of the standouts was Lexy McDonald, the CEO and founder of HerHelp, who created the app after teaching herself how to code. Her story highlighted personal struggles and her passion for helping other women. We also heard from Lucy Thomas, the CEO and co‑founder of PROJECT ROCKIT, Australia’s leading youth‑driven anti‑bullying organisation.

During the snack and lunch breaks, we actually got the chance to mingle with students and leaders from different schools, which was way more fun than I expected. The workshops and activities kept the momentum going, especially the Friendship Lottery. At the beginning of the event, every student was given a booklet, and one page had a series of questions, my favourite being: What meme describes your week right now? During our first break, we had to ask students we didn’t know the questions and fill up our page. Once it was completed, we submitted it to a staff member, and at the end of the day, one lucky winner was randomly selected to receive a gift.

Overall, this experience has been both memorable and inspiring, and I’d like to personally thank the school for providing young leaders with opportunities like this. I can confidently say I walked away with new ideas, a renewed sense of confidence, and even a few new friends.