Debating

Grade 6 public speaking competition

For the first time in nearly twenty years, our grade 6 public speaking competition was hosted online. Our topic was ‘What Cows Think about?’ and we had entrants from Alphington; Bell; Carlton North; Fairfield; Fitzroy North; Merri Creek; and Northcote Primary schools. 

There was a variety of responses to the topic including alarmist political fantasies, bizarre dreamlike fantasies about a bovine takeover, some facts and figures about how much cows eat and drink on a daily basis as well as a more Mills and Boon type approach to the topic.

Basically the students did a fantastic job rising to the challenge and made the topic their own.

Thank you to the grade 6 teachers and to our judges, Year 10 debating students Joel Taylor, Zara Baglioni and James Pinder who provided feedback to the placegetters as well as taking on the difficult role of choosing the winners. This year the results were as follows:

3rd  Ethan Willey (Alphington)

2nd  Archie Barker (Carlton North)

Equal 1st Raihan Ameur (Carlton North)

Equal 1st  Niamh Hogan (Alphington)

Year 7 versus Year 12 debate

In one of our last activities for the year, the Year 12 debating team; Alice Brown, Greta Bush, James Roseman Gannon and Louka Pocock have thrown down the gauntlet and decided to take on one of our Year 7 debating teams. 

The Year 7 debaters taking them on will be Lily Sibillin, Annabelle Grage-Perry, Ella Taylor, Elena Cooke

To give the Year 7s a ‘chance’ the Year 12s will be given one hour to prepare their case. The Year 7s will have one week to prepare their.

The topic will be ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’ and the Year 7s will be affirmative.

Not sure the Year 12s know what they have got themselves into!!!

Martin Ramsay

Public Speaking and Debating coordinator