Oratory Article
Competition Debating
Cranbrook had a mixed result in its debates against Kambala on Social Issues last Friday night but continued to turn out success stories. Wins for the 8s, 10s and Senior As, with the 10s now undefeated after four rounds!
See below the ISDA topics, for which Cranbrook was affirmative in all debates:
| Division | Topic Area Round 4 ISDA: Social Issues |
| 7 | That celebrity activism has been good for social justice. |
| 8 | That celebrity activism has been good for social justice. |
| 9 | That we should offer a wage to primary domestic caretakers. |
| 10 | That schools should actively subvert gender roles. |
| Senior B | That schools should actively subvert gender roles. |
| Senior A | That schools should actively subvert gender roles. |
See below the updated tally:
| ISDA Division | Round 1 vs SACS | Round 2 vs St Caths | Round 3 vs Kincoppal | Round 4 vs Kambala |
| 7 | WIN | Loss | WIN | Loss |
| 8 | WIN | TBC | WIN | WIN |
| 9 | WIN | WIN | WIN | Loss |
| 10 | WIN | WIN | WIN | WIN |
| Senior B | WIN | WIN | WIN | Loss |
| Senior A | WIN | WIN | Loss | WIN |
Eastside R2 results Cranbrook vs Scots
Cranbrook had a successful evening against our Bellevue Hill rivals, Scots, in Round 2 of the competition. Wins were had for the 8s, 9s, 11s and 12s. Congratulations to the 9s and 12s, who are undefeated after two rounds!
See below the Eastside pre-season round topics:
| Division | Topic Area Round 2 Eastside: Law and Justice |
| 7 | That the government should provide a lawyer to all plaintiffs and respondents in civil lawsuits. |
| 8 | That the government should provide a lawyer to all plaintiffs and respondents in civil lawsuits. |
| 9 | That we should abolish purely aesthetic requirements for housing construction (e.g. requiring neighbouring houses to look different, regulating window position, regulating colour choices). |
| 10 | That all regulation of Artificial Intelligence should be created by a technocratic body. |
| 11 | That all regulation of Artificial Intelligence should be created by a technocratic body. |
| 11 | That all regulation of Artificial Intelligence should be created by a technocratic body. |
See below the results for Cranbrook:
| Eastside Division | Round 1 vs Sydney Grammar | Round 2 vs Scots |
| 7 | Loss | Loss |
| 8 | Loss | WIN |
| 9 | WIN | WIN |
| 10 | Loss | Loss |
| 11 | Loss | WIN |
| 12 | WIN | WIN |
This Friday 15th March sees the following debates take place:
| Details | ISDA | Eastside |
| Round | Round 5 | Round 3 |
| Venue | Shore | Reddam |
| Address | Cranbrook (Home) | Cranbrook (Home) |
| Entry via | Rose Bay Avenue pedestrian gate. On entry, make a sharp right and go down to Level V4 of the Vicars Centenary Building. | Hordern Oval New South Head Road gate. On entry, walk past the Rotunda and go into the Senior School Library. This will be the meeting point. |
| Years 7-9 debate / finish | Debates start 6.30pm / Debates finish 7.30pm | Debates start 6.15pm / Debates finish 7.15pm |
| Years 10-12 debate / finish | Debates start 7.30pm / Debates finish 9.00pm | Debates start 7.15pm / Debates finish 8.45pm |
| Topic area | Not advertised | Education |
| Spectator policy | Spectators welcome | Spectators welcome |
A reminder that all Years 7-9 debaters must be collected by a parent or guardian at the end of the night.
Cranbrookians attend Model UN State Conference
Last weekend, the following students attended the Model UN State Conference:
- Kernel He
- Jack Kelly
- Archie Talib
- Hunter Wild
- Oscar Simich
The students travelled to Collaroy, where they connected with students from across Sydney and beyond within the state for a weekend of international debates. Students engaged with a range of UN-worthy issues, including the impacts of decolonisation, overseas slavery and political censorship. It wasn’t just all about debates, the students had opportunities to socialise with like-minded students, re-connecting with those they’ve met at other events and even making new friends.
An account of students’ experiences will be published in our next article.
Upcoming oratory events
- Social Debating (Years 7 and 9), Rostrum Public Speaking Prep, and Mock Trial this Thursday 14th March from 3.30-5.30pm
- ISDA Competition Debating R5 vs Shore (home) and Eastside Competition Debating R3 vs Reddam (home) this Friday 15th March
- Public Speaking next Monday 18th March from 3.30-5.00pm, with Rostrum students staying until 5.30pm
- Social Debating, Mooting and Mock Trial next Thursday 21st March from 3.30-5.30pm
- ISDA Competition Debating R6 vs Scots (away) and Eastside Competition Debating R4 vs Sydney Boys (away) next Friday 22nd March
Oratory programmes above are fully subscribed for Semester 1
There has been a lot of recent interest in participating in one or more of our oratory programmes listed above. However, close date for sign-ups have long passed and we are presently fully subscribed across all debating, public speaking, and Model UN. We are therefore unable to accept new enrolments. However, students keen to gain access to our resources and prepare themselves for Semester 2 sign-up are welcome to reach out to me (note, we only accept expressions of interest from students directly). Sign-up for Semester 2 offerings will circulate via student email in mid-June.
AMEB Voice and Communication being introduced
Starting after the Easter break, Cranbrook will be introducing the AMEB Voice and Communication syllabus to students in Years 7 and 8 who find speaking publicly a challenging experience and who are eager to develop the confidence and skill to express themselves with purpose, clarity and flair. The AMEB course may be familiar to those whose children work through grades of Music for their chosen instrument. For Voice and Communication, it will involve engaging with a range of text types like prose and poetry, speaking in a range of contexts (some favourites include performing a magic trick to an audience or presenting a verbal media report) as well as learning good vocal exercises and posture techniques to communicate well.
Students involved will be led by a public speaking coach and teacher with experience in this field, receiving small group tuition and support so they can prepare for the formal external assessment component of the AMEB. This involves speaking in small groups and individually to a panel of assessors, who will provide marks and feedback. Involvement in Voice and Communication is designed to be long term, with students moving up grades (levels) each year, eventually having the opportunity in senior years to try their hand at the Voice and Communication Certificate course. More details can be found on pages 71-92 of the syllabus guide.
It is planned to host weekly prep sessions for students on Friday afternoons at Cranbrook, 3.30-5.00pm. There will also be a weekly lunchtime check-in for students. The formal assessments by the AMEB are typically held in August-September each year, with back-up dates in the final months of the academic year. Preference will be given to students not already involved in our programmes and numbers will be limited.
This will be a paid extra for those students who ultimately participate. The cost will include tuition throughout the year, a light afternoon snack each Friday, and the fee for the formal assessment (cost will exclude having to re-sit an assessment for any reason, which will be charged extra).
A webinar with more information will be held via TEAMS at 6pm Monday 25th March. If you and your Year 7 or 8 child are interested in attending, please register your interest here.
Contact
Should you or your son have any further questions about any of Cranbrook’s oratory programmes, you are welcome to reach out to the Head of Oratory and Student Journalism, Mr Benjamin Smith, at bsmith@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au. In the first instance, students should be making contact about getting involved.
Essential information and highlights for parents will be posted here on Cranbrook Connect as part of the Thursday Link. Students involved in oratory programmes will receive updates via their respective Canvas or TEAMS channels.
Benjamin Smith
Head of Oratory and Student Journalism