Senior School Link – Week 6, Term 2 2024 - 6 June 2024
Michele Marquet, Acting Head of School
Dear Cranbrook families,
It is hard to believe that we are more than halfway through Term 2! Life across all our campuses continues to be busy and filled with an amazing variety of experiences and activities in which our students may participate. The range on offer is a key way we endeavour to honour and celebrate our students’ individuality.
Last week, the Junior School students thrilled their families with performances at the K-Y2 and Y3-Y6 Music Showcases. Last night, we held a Music Soiree with some of our Senior School students, whilst rehearsals are in full swing across Y3-Y12 for Threads, the upcoming Gala Concert at the Town Hall. This week, our Y3 and Y5 students enjoyed their annual camps, an opportunity to build stronger friendships and challenge their physical risk-taking skills, while Y6 headed to Canberra as part of their inquiry into government. Many of our Junior School and Senior School Debating Teams have enjoyed success making it into the final rounds of various competitions. Auditions are underway for the next Senior School musical, and the cast and crew of the Junior School play production continue rehearsals with enthusiasm. Our students lead busy lives!
With a multitude of different groups and activities running, there are many ways for our students to explore particular interests and passions. We actively encourage participation in a variety of pursuits, drawn from the Arts, the physical and academic domains. It is not necessary to excel at every activity or interest, but rather to foster a genuine and respectful appreciation of these various areas. Breadth of interests is one the best approaches to developing balanced, well-rounded humans.
As students move from childhood into their teenage years, it is vital that as they explore who they are, the adults in their world continue to help them to see beyond our natural tendency to overly focus on those who are most like us, and to only welcome and embrace them. Difference should engender curiosity not derision, something that students between Y5 and Y9 can sometimes find exceptionally challenging. This can be because they are in the peak developmental period for comparing themselves to their peers. It is important we help our children learn to be comfortable in how they are different, as well as how they are similar to others and to extend that acceptance to their peers and others. Thank you to our many families who engage in those challenging conversations that help children develop a respectful attitude to other people, no matter who they might be. This joint work between school and home is some of the most important we can do together. It underpins the ongoing development of character which has at its heart respect.
At different points in your child’s journey to maturity, there can be challenging times. If you ever wish to discuss your child’s development of respect for self or others, please reach out in the first instance to your child’s class teacher (P-Y6) or Head of House (Y7-Y12); our Pre-School Co-ordinator (Abigail McFarlane) for Pre-School students; Deputy Head of Student Wellbeing (Grant Andrews) for Junior School students or Director of Student Wellbeing (Angelique Sanders) for Senior School students.
We look forward to the exciting final month of the term.
Kind wishes,
Michele Marquet Acting Head of School
Bob Meakin, Deputy Headmaster & Head of Senior School
Dear Parents and Carers
Yesterday’s assembly was held in recognition of Reconciliation Week as well as many student achievements. An excellent video presentation for Reconciliation Week: ‘Now More than Ever’ put together by Mr Thomas McDonnell, shared an important message from Auntie Sharon from the Wolgan Valley area as well as some amazing photographs from the recent Central Australia Tour over the Easter break.
We also celebrated the achievements of many students, and I would like to acknowledge Year 11 student Noah Teitler as he received the Youth Volunteer of the Year Award for NSW for his Service to the Surf Life Saving Association. As well as being a competitor, he is also a manager of around 50 surf lifesavers whom he mentors and coaches with distinction. We commend you, Noah.
We also acknowledged our Senior Mooting team of Caspar Nicholson, James Rivlin, Owen Woolford. The finals of the National Competition took place last weekend at Bond University, with over 70 schools from Australia and New Zealand. Caspar, James and Owen finished in overall 2nd position, which is an incredible achievement. Congratulations Mooters!
We also celebrated more Oratory achievements, with our Senior A Debaters making the ISDA Grand Final against Sydney Grammar which takes place next Friday 14 June. We would like to wish Alex Hong, Angus Malcolm, Caspar Nicholson, Jack Stone and Robbie Wyer the very best for this debate.
We also acknowledged the superb charity work of a number of students for the charity Kids Giving Back, who assisted in helping to provide over 6500 meals, snack packs and care packages to support 15 charities across Sydney. These students gave freely of their time with a generous spirit, and I commend the following students; Charlie Griffin Year 8, Charlie Roberts Year 7, Henry Roberts Year 9, Tommy Leigh Year 9, Miles Murphy Year 7.
On the sporting front, we congratulated Cillian Gibney and Zach Crowe for their selection in the CIS Opens Football team. This is the team that represents all Independent Schools in NSW and it is an incredible achievement.
Finally, in assembly we acknowledged and farewelled Ms Kate Allen, our Director of MYP. Since taking on this role more than 6 years ago, Kate has turned the concept of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme into a thriving curriculum programme in the School which has enabled us to be an IB Continuum school. We thank Ms Allen for her dedicated leadership and wish her every success as she moves to London to head up the Arts Faculty at the University College School.
I would like to wish everyone well for their Parent/Teacher interviews tomorrow. Please note, this format is a trial, and we will be seeking feedback after the long weekend. I would like to wish everyone a happy and enjoyable long weekend.
Best Wishes
Bob Meakin Deputy Headmaster & Head of Senior School
Nick Jolly, Director of Academics / Deputy Head of Senior School
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We look forward to hosting Parent Teacher Interviews for Years 7-11 tomorrow. A reminder that there are no classes at school. Year 12 have the opportunity to undertake a day of study, and Year 7-11 can engage with the interviews and make use of some time to undertake set work or study. Students who wish to attend school may do so in the following places for self-study only:
Year 12: College
Year 11: Governors Ballroom
Year 7-10: Library
This this is a new format for parent teacher interviews that we are treating as a trial, and I understand that it may not be the preferred model for all families. With over 1200 students in the school finding the best model that meets the needs of all is rather challenging. We hope the day goes well for parents who have interviews and we look forward to taking your feedback after the event.
Parents with interviews should now have received interview schedules. A reminder that teachers will send meeting links to students, so parents can join the meeting with their child at home or have their child forward links to parents who can connect from work or elsewhere if convenient. I encourage all students to attend interviews and listen carefully to the feedback on offer.
For questions relating to scheduling please email my colleague, Anna Andonovski: AAndonovski@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au . Our teachers are able to make themselves available for alternate times for discussions next week where there is a need. Please contact the teacher directly if this is the case.
We greatly appreciate your support of our all-important parent teacher interviews.
Have an excellent long weekend.
Nick Jolly Director of Academics / Deputy Head of Senior School
Hannah Thomas, Director of Professional Learning
“All behaviour is a form of communication. Distress behaviour can be how a person communicates their distress.”
CPI Verbal Intervention Training, Crisis Prevention Institute
This week’s Cranbrook Teachers Talking Teaching session focused on strategies for de-escalating distress behaviours that may be exhibited during a crisis moment, using a person-centred and trauma-informed response.
Thank you to Peter Young and Lloyd Owusu for sharing key takeaways and strategies from the CPI Verbal Intervention Training course with Cranbrook teachers. The presentation emphasised that every student has their own story – the “precipitating factors” that influence behaviour, and that “challenging” behaviour is often the result of distress. When teachers respond in a supportive manner, they can strengthen trust even during a moment of conflict.
One key takeaway from the session was the need to control what we can control – namely, our own behaviour. It is vital that teachers maintain a calm demeanour to de-escalate the behaviour of a person in a crisis moment, and the session outlined a range of verbal and non-verbal supportive communication strategies to assist with this. For example, in the “Supportive Stance”, the teacher stands to the side and at an angle from the person in distress, rather than face-to-face, demonstrating respect for personal space and appearing unconfrontational.
Overall, this was an empowering session that reinforced the positive impact of being respectful, empathetic and compassionate in all interactions.
Hannah Thomas Director of Professional Learning
Peter Young Director of Students
Dear Parents and Carers,
Student involvement in school initiatives remains strong. The Prefect team is currently in the process of arranging a talent quest which will be held before the end of Term 2 whilst the SRC have planned a House tug of war competition for week 7 during lunchtime. Senior students from Hone and Thomas House have arranged for a combined house movie night on Thursday 6 June whilst the student leadership teams of Perkins and Woodward House have recently conducted successful plain clothes days with the aim of raising money for their identified House charity. A quick view of the school assembly agenda shows an increasing number of student presentations which showcase both student initiatives as well as student achievement.
The streets around the school before and after school hours are extremely busy. Our students are constantly reminded that they must be vigilant around street crossings. Parents are asked to regularly remind their sons about the risks they could face if they do not remain alert when arriving to and leaving school.
Peter Young Director of Students
Matt Grice, Director of Sport
Dear Parents and Guardians,
It was wet… Let’s not beat around the bush as we try to come up with a way to describe Saturday. Comments such as, “This is not fun”, “Haven’t seen a day like this for a long time”, “Gee, the groundsmen are not going to be happy”, “There goes another tent” and “Yep, its finally got inside my boots” were being thrown around all day by the Cranbrook staff (a huge thank you to all staff! Especially those who put in the 10-hour shift). Unsurprisingly, comments such as “ This is awesome”, “I wonder how far I can slide”, and “It’s ok, mum will wash it out” were being echoed by students as they gleefully ran around in the pouring rain. Mr DeBrincat though, summed it up perfectly as he stood in the pouring rain on his birthday… “ Where else would you rather be”.
Despite the rain we had a wide range of great results as we acknowledge the importance of Reconciliation Week, with our top teams in their Indigenous jerseys. By recognising the rich history, culture, and talent of Indigenous Australians in sports, Reconciliation Week helps to bridge divides, promote equality, and pave the way for a more inclusive and harmonious sporting landscape. We thank everyone who helped make Saturday such a special day.
Our 1sts Football, Rugby and Volleyball all had excellent wins, while our Cross-Country team managed to gain 5 of the 8 places in the CAS Opens team to face GPS. It was a fantastic achievement.
Well done to Cillian Gibney and Zak Crowe for their section in the CIS Opens football team!
A big congratulations to Noah Teitler who has won the Surf Lifesaving Sydney Branch’s Youth Volunteer of the Year award! A fantastic achievement.
The Lewis Report. 14A Rugby
Another wet Saturday, with over 60mm falling throughout the day saw some fixtures cancelled, whilst many went ahead, allowing our students to enjoy some wet weather conditions. My match of the round this week goes to the 14A Rugby team, who played against Stannies through puddles on Dangar to come out victorious 17-0.
With 10 minutes to go, and leading 5-0, coach Tom Greig was nervous on the sideline, knowing that in these wet conditions the smallest mistake could be costly. The instruction was simple – repeat phases to gain territory. The strategy worked brilliantly and after successfully getting within 20m of our try line, the boys swung the ball out to the right wing and we scored a second try, easing the nerves of our players, spectators, and coach!
With the win just about secured, the team played with a newfound freedom, managing to play “dry-weather footy” despite the conditions, passing the ball around and getting over the line for a third time. Well done to try-scorers, Theo Wilson, Cody Ogg, and Harry Mavris, and all of the 14As on a brilliant match!
I know everyone is looking forward to a restful long weekend, as we prepare for our first CAS game of the Rugby season, against Knox on June 15th.
The full Term 2 Co-Curricular and Sport Training schedule can be found here.
Please keep an eye out for details of our Holiday Camps and Training sessions.
We look forward to the mini break in the season with the long weekend, which is an excellent chance to rest some weary bones before jumping back into it against Knox in two weeks.
In incredibly wet conditions, Cranbrook hosted a full day of fixtures against St Stanislaus from Bathurst.
However, our boys enjoyed themselves immensely as well as performing very well on the pitch.
Our results were;
Team
Opposition
Result
Win/Loss
1sts
St Stanislaus
17-0
Win
2nds
St Stanislaus
22-0
Win
3rds
St Stanislaus
22-0
Win
4ths
St Stanislaus
19-0
Win
5ths
St Stanislaus
39-15
Win
6ths
St Josephs 11th XV
17-7
Loss
16A
St Stanislaus
12-5
Win
16B
St Stanislaus
15-0
Win
16C
St Stanislaus
39-7
Win
15A
St Stanislaus
17-5
Win
15B
St Stanislaus
30-12
Loss
14A
St Stanislaus
17-0
Win
14B
St Stanislaus
22-17
Loss
14C
St Stanislaus
28-19
Loss
13A
St Stanislaus
38-0
Loss
13B
St Stanislaus
22-12
Win
13C
St Stanislaus
22-7
Loss
Player of the Day: Junior Teams (13s, 14s & 15s)- Ben Barretto (15A)
Player of the Day: Senior Teams (16s & Opens)- Cameron McKenzie (1st XV)
Rugby All Rounder of the Day (for effort/attitude on and off the field): Charlie Swain (3rd XV)
Team of the Day- 14As
Under the enthusiastic tutelage of old boys Mr Tom Greig & Mr Oliver Lamens the 14As recorded a rousing 17-0 win on rain soaked Dangar and are the Team of the Day.
Lawson Gill and Cody Ogg were a formidable combination in the midfield as highlighted by their resolute defence and strong running. Hooker, Matthew Morris was once again a strong contributor both at the set piece and in general play while Tom Dangar and Jonathan Yetton marshalled strongly from halves. Theo Wilson was a tower of strength at the back of the scrum.
Special mention to the 3rd XV.
The 3rd XV fixture saw a tradesman like victory to the tune of 22 nil. Front rower, Max Fogarty was in the thick of the action in the forwards again, scoring a double and demanding a check of the record books of Cranbrook’s top try scorers of all time! Lock Jamie Toll was a tackling machine and superb at the breakdown while Finn Scott enjoyed lots of space on the edge. So too, Tim Molnar was impressive as he displayed an intelligent kicking game to pin the opposition all afternoon.
Our program takes a break for the long weekend before we take on Knox at home to start the CAS competition..
Mark DeBrincat Master in Charge of Rugby
Swimming Report
On Thursday 30 and Friday 31 of May 8 Cranbrook Students represented Cranbrook and CIS at the All Schools championships. The meet is held as a finals only swim meet with only 9 swimmers in each race, 3 swimmers from each area – Combined Independent Schools (CIS), Combined High Schools (CHS) and Combined Catholic Schools (CCC).
Our 14 years relay team consisting of Aidan Park, Noah Kemp, Preston Irawan and Carter McGee continued their record-breaking streak with another new school record in the 4 x 50m Freestyle record, improving their time from CIS by .81 in a time of 1:47.50, which is an incredible 1.90 seconds faster than the previous record set in 2013. They finished 3rd place in this race behind Knox and Trinity. The 14 years team also swam the 4 x 50m Medley relay, placing 3rd, 0.24 slower than their CIS time, however this is the most impressive record of the season, their CIS time is a whopping 11.30 seconds faster than the old school record in 2013.
The Opens relay team consisting of Max Moylan, Marcus Da Silva, Axel Robinson and Tate Sirianni also placed 3rd in the 4 x 50m Freestyle relay, bettering their own School Record by 0.74 seconds. In total across the season, they have beaten the previous school record set in 2021 by 5.45 seconds.
Noah Kemp had a huge programme with 5 individual races and 2 relays. Noah medalled in every race he competed in and set 3 new school records which were all previously set by him at CAS and CIS. Noah’s most impressive swim was his 50m Butterfly, where he won a gold medal in a time of 27.00. Noah’s swim was a great victory after placing second to the Knox swimmer at CAS and CIS, Noah was able to out touch the Knox student on the last stroke and win the race by .09 of a second to become state champion. Noah also won two silvers in the 50 Backstroke & 100 Butterfly, two bronze medals in the 100m Freestyle & Backstroke. Fellow Yr 8 student Aidan Park swam in the 200m Breaststroke, narrowly missing the podium and finished 4th in the competition.
Tate Sirianni had an impressive meet winning two gold medals in the 50 and 100m Backstroke, bettering his previous school records set at CIS. Tate swam in the 17&O races as a Yr 11 student, meaning he battled it out with the Yr12 students and still managed to get a win in both races. Tate was fortunate for a race in the 50m Backstroke as he failed to qualify at CIS but gained a lucky spot due to illness from another student. Tate relished the opportunity and redeemed himself by winning the race from an outside lane in a new school record time.
Marcus Da Silva continued his impressive streak winning gold in the 100, 200 and 400m Freestyle setting new All Schools records in the 100 & 200m Freestyle. Marcus also placed 5th in the 50m Freestyle.
Noah, Tate and Marcus all earned places on the New South Wales team to represent the state at the School Sport Australia competition. Head Coach Bec Wheatley has also earned the position as the NSW Coach for the team. Marcus has withdrawn from the team due to competing priorities with other swimming competitions, however Noah and Tate will represent the School and State in September at the National competition. Cranbrook finished 3rd on the boys point score table behind Knox and Trinity, showing how strong the CAS area is for swimming. Cranbrook School finished 4th on the overall point score behind Knox, PLC Croydon, and Trinity.
Cranbrook has 3 State Champions and 8 State medallist which is an incredible achievement. In total across the season, the swim team has set 36 new school records, 3 CAS records, 2 CIS records and 2 All Schools records.
Daniel Arnanmnart Head of Aquatics
Phil Beverley, Director of Music
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Across two venues this week Performance Plus took centre stage with a follow up on the wonderful work Dr Liz Scott did earlier in the term on the practice of intonation. A special thanks to Martyn Hentschel and Christopher Hayles for continuing to provide and support our instrumentalists and vocalists in being the best they can be. I would encourage every music student to pencil in the keynote and masterclass dates as well as ensure they have signed up to Spring Festival Solo performance for term 3. We have just cracked 200 enrolments which is simply outstanding. I very much look forward to this evening which combines our Oslo Music Performances with the Visual Arts Exhibition.
On Thursday 5 June the Orchestra Room set the stage for some of the most incredible performances I have heard in my time at Cranbrook. Congratulations to the following students for a sensational night of Music:
Elliott Lindley, Ian Wu, Rupert Rust, Huon Groves, Thomas Boyd, Ollie Smith, Matthew Lee, David Tabachnik, George McIntosh, Henry Moore, Liam Crowe, Ashton Corbett, Cameron Lu, Ben Pelly, Julian Baggett, Dash Bouvier, Marcus Chun, Fergus Jones, Kevin Chu, Wesley Woodhouse Alexander Benz.
The repertoire renaged from Billy Joel to Hindemith and each performance showed sophisticated nuance and command of the stage. These students are building capacity through their involvement and backing it up with morning rehearsal the next day as well as commitments to Cross Country and other Cocurricular activities.
They also dedicate time and commit to the broader ensemble programme each week. It is through this programme that we are able to pull the threads to together and join as a community once again at the Town Hall. Tickets are selling fast, and I would encourage you jump online to purchase your tickets. Donations can also be made to the Music and Drama Committee (MAD). These donations go towards funding major projects and collaborations with industry professionals across the performing arts which benefit all students in our programme.
Finally, a big thank you to Chelsea Slender, David Russell and Andrew Benson, for running our first round of auditions for this year’s production of Little Shop Of Horrors. We have had over 100 students audition and call backs will have been received. Congratulations to all these students who put in the work to prepare for this opportunity.
Next week we are hosting the Junior School Soirèe 6pm – 7:30 pm in the Memorial Chapel. NO RSVP required and all are welcome to attend.
Warm regards,
Phil Beverley Director of Music
Shakespeare Carnival
Last weekend Cranbrook filmmakers won the Shakespeare State Carnival for their film ‘Romeo and Julian’.
The film, an appropriation of Romeo and Juliet, created by 10 students Kevin Chu, Andrew Nguyen and Rupert Tait, was chosen above all other entries from schools across New South Wales. The film was praised by the judges for the way the varied camera shots created a sense of dislocation, the use of flashbacks heightened the characters’ sense of loss, and the smooth editing led the film to be coherent and compelling.
Cranbrook thespians from Year 11 also valiantly represented the School in the Group Devised category of the competition, having won their Regional heat. Their comedic scene, about six kings contesting their representation by the Bard, was scripted and performed by D’Arcy Richardson, Felix Malcolm, Thomas Malcolm, Alexander Greenhill, Matthew Lee and Sam Callaghan.
Hannah Thomas Director of Professional Learning
Junior Play Festival
The Cranbrook Short Play Festival features Year 7 and 8 students performing Apostrophes by Bradley Hayward and 40 Plays in 40 Minutes by Kamron Klitgaard. The plays, performed back-to-back in the John Gaden Studio and Drama Performance Room, offer a unique experience as the audience moves between spaces to watch both performances. Our Year 10 students are assisting Cranbrook Drama staff in directing, designing, rehearsing, and editing, helping their peers create and perform the productions.
Join us for another unforgettable Gala Concert showcasing the extraordinary talents of our Junior School and Senior School musicians. Get ready for a night filled with awe-inspiring performances and a vibrant celebration of music at Cranbrook.
Last Friday night saw our Eastside Years 7 and 11 teams progress to the Grand Final of that competition. We congratulate the following students on reaching the heights of their competition, having overcome many incredibly talented teams throughout the preliminary season. Although they both came runners-up, the debates were incredibly close, especially with a split decision for the Year 11s.
Eastside Year 11 team:
Edward Brennan
D’Arcy Richardson
Jax Taylor
Thomas Harnett
These students debated against Sydney Boys High on the affirmative side of ‘That we oppose the narrative that members of opressed groups have special obligations to other members of that group.’
Eastside Year 7 team:
Owen Jarrett
Kyle Liu
Jack Dempsey
Steven Haritos
Max Khan
These students debated against Sydney Grammar on the affirmative side of ‘That there should be a maximum age limit for politicians.’
Last Friday also saw the ISDA Year 8s, 9s, and Senior As all debate in the Semi Final of that competition. Unfortunately, our Years 8s and 9s did not win their debates against Wenona and Trinity, respectively, though we commend them for their strong performances. To reach this level in what is the largest independent schools competition in NSW is a tremendous achievement.
ISDA Year 8 team:
Rahul Loomba
Felix Evans
Finn Dusseldorp
Peter Wang
Ethan Goldberg
ISDA Year 9 team:
Simon Tesvic
Henry Roberts
Henry Moore
Eric Mallam
Nathan Aspres
While the ISDA journey has now ended for these debaters, our Senior A debaters won their Semi Final debate on Friday and now progress to the GRAND FINAL next Friday 14 June. Read below for details and to reserve a seat in Packer Theatre. We’re not just in the debate, we’re hosting it!
Join us for the Senior A Cranbrook vs Sydney Grammar debate on Friday 14 June
We are thrilled to invite members of the Cranbrook community to watch our Senior A debaters take on Sydney Grammar in the Grand Final of the 2024 ISDA Competition. This is a significant achievement for the following Year 12 students, who we wish the very best next Friday 14 June:
Caspar Nicholson
Robert Wyer
Angus Malcolm
Alex Hong
Jack Stone
Use the QR code to book a free ticket for a seat in Packer Theatre – the place to be! Get in quick since Grammar will surely be snapping up tickets for their supporters, too.
Competition Debating remaining this term
Competition debating continues until the penultimate week of Term 2:
Week
Date
Debating that night
6
Friday 7 June
No debating due to long weekend
7
Friday 14 June
CAS trial debates (3.30-6.00pm) and ISDA Grand Final (Home)
8
Friday 21 June
CAS pre-season training evening
9
Friday 28 June
No debating due to end of Term 2
Term 3 competition debating dates will be confirmed following the CAS trial debates on Friday 14 June.
Mooting Nationals Update
On Saturday 1 June, mooting students James Rivlin, Caspar Nicholson and Owen Woolford journeyed to the Gold Coast with their coach, Mr Nicholas Hanrahan, for the finals of the 2024 National Schools Mooting Competition. Hosted by Bond University, the competition saw some 70 teams from across Australia and New Zealand to participate in legal debates.
From their website: “Mooting is the oral presentation of a legal issue or problem against an opposing counsel and before a judge. It is perhaps the closest experience that a student can have to appearing in court. Moots are judged based on the advocacy skills of their participants – your ability to present clearly, construct an argument, outline facts and precedent cases and more – rather than the merits of the mock case itself.”
Owen and James spoke as appellant for Cranbrook, assisted by Caspar. The mock case related to an out-of-control backyard party where petrol was used on a BBQ to “hot things up”. The focus of the two sides was to determine whether an appeal in a case where the individual concerned was found to have been reckless or not. Cranbrook took on Kings (as the respondent) in this round. It was an excellent moot, acknowledged by the presiding panel of judges.
What was most impressive from students – Cranbrook and others – was the way they deftly dealt with interjections from the judging panel throughout their speeches. Having to stop mid-point, listen, evaluate and proceed to answer before returning to prepared material is no small feat. To do so while citing actual legal precedents and principles added much complexity and interest to the event.
Over lunch, the 12 teams who were flown up to the sunny Gold Coast (much nicer weather than the downpour we heard about from family and friends in Sydney) for the Semi Finals learned who progressed to the Grand Final. Cranbrook was selected alongside Fintona School in Melbourne. The quality of speeches given to get to this stage was most notable when one of the judges from the Semi Finals noted they had planned to go home after the Semi Finals but wanted to stay to see Cranbrook compete in the ultimate round.
The Grand Final was a repeat of the same moot – though with different judges – with teams having just 30-minutes to make amendments to their cases. Owen and James spoke their best yet and the decision took the esteemed panel of retired and current judges some 30-minutes to deliberate!
While we did not win in what was an immensely professional and high quality final, Cranbrook has the honour of coming runner-up in this prestigious national competition. We congratulated the team and coach at this week’s Whole School Assembly.
Friends of Public Speaking: save the date
Family and friends of students involved with our Monday afternoon Public Speaking Club are asked to save the time and date of 6-8pm on Tuesday 18th June for a special evening, to be hosted in the Governor’s Ballroom. Students will be showcasing speeches they have been working on.
Upcoming oratory events
Model UN on lunchtimes Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 June
Harvard Model UN Conference on all day at UTS from Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 June
Mock Trial and Social Debating 3.30-5.30pm Thursday 6 June and Thursday 13 June
CAS competition debate trials, followed by the ISDA Grand Final on Friday 14 June
AMEB Voice and Communication group from 3.30-5.00pm Friday 14 June
Note there are no oratory activities on Friday 7 June due to parent teacher evening or on Monday 10 June due to the public holiday.
Annual House Debating Competition continues
We are now into the second round of the junior house debating competition, with the following houses going into verbal battle this Thursday for a chance at the Semi Finals:
Debate
Houses
Sides
1
Hone
Affirmative
Strickland
Negative
2
Davidson
Negative
Cutler
Affirmative
3
Northcott
Affirmative
Chelmsford
Negative
4
Thomas
Negative
Perkins
Affirmative
Teams will debate the topic: ‘That imagining it were possible, we would support a world where every person’s daily online usage was capped (i.e., once a person reached a certain amount of time each day, their ability to access the internet would be stopped. This includes accessing it from someone else’s devices. The internet would not work for them.).’
Our senior division is already at Semi Final stage, with the following teams poised to debate next Tuesday lunchtime:
Debate
Houses
Side
1
Strickland
Negative
Harvey
Affirmative
2
Hone
Affirmative
Northcott
Negative
These teams will debate the topic: ‘That imagining it was possible, we would support a world where it was possible to access every detail of every single personal memory we’ve ever had since birth. Once accessed, it would be necessary to play out the entirety of a specific memory until the end, during which all senses would be evoked.’
We look forward to what will surely be another set of outstanding and entertaining speeches!
Oratory programmes sign up for Semester 2 opens next week
Students interested in signing up for one or more oratory programmes on offer for Semester 2 will receive an email next week inviting them to do so. Programmes on offer include:
Public Speaking every Monday 3.30-5.30pm
Social Debating every Thursday 3.45-5.45pm
Legal Debating every Thursday 3.45-5.45pm
Model UN during lunchtimes and extra coaching opportunity available (timing TBC)
There will also be additional opportunities to participate in debate training workshops and external competitions throughout Semester 2, including the International Debating Championships in Term 4. Details will be passed onto students directly and published in these weekly updates. Please note that we do not accept parent sign ups on behalf of students.
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 & Student Journalism
Articles of Interest
Please find below this week’s articles of interest from the boarding staff:
As our students’ online presence continues to grow, we are faced with new challenges and potential online risks that could impact your child’s safety and well-being. We want to assure you that we take these matters very seriously and are constantly seeking ways to ensure our students’ online safety. We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Qoria and their Linewize portfolio of products, which will enhance our commitment to digital safety and well-being.
In the upcoming weeks, we will extend an invitation for you to join us in this initiative. We will provide you with resources and tools to help you better comprehend and participate in your child’s digital journey. This includes access to the Qustodio parent app, which will allow you to:
• Temporarily disable internet access on your child’s school device (outside of school hours) via your app.
• Receive summary reports of your child’s online activities outside of school hours.
• Access detailed Timeline reports of your child’s online activities, including search terms and videos.
• Obtain expert advice on online safety directly through the app.
This service also enables you to safeguard one personal device (such as phones or iPads) per child attending our school.
Please note that for any BYO devices or school learning devices that do not leave the school premises, parents will not have oversight or control of these outside of school. However, we strongly encourage parents to link to their child’s school account to avail the offer of protecting one personal device for each child enrolled in our school.
Furthermore, all school-managed student learning devices will be equipped with a basic level of content filtering. This should prevent access to harmful or inappropriate websites, ensuring that your child’s learning device is safe and ready for learning.
We are enthusiastic about this new initiative and your involvement in fostering a culture of online safety and well-being for all students. This will empower each child to navigate their digital journey successfully. You will shortly receive information on how to set up your Qustodio parent account.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the ICT service desk.
Becoming a Member of Cranbrook School
Cranbrook School is a public company limited by guarantee which was established to provide students with a well-rounded, liberal education based on Christian beliefs.
It is governed by the School Council in accordance with its Constitution and has a membership comprised of eligible persons who have made significant contributions to Cranbrook or who are key stakeholders in its mission.
Parent of students in Kindergarten to Year 12 attending Cranbrook are eligible to become a Member of Cranbrook School for so long as they have a child attending the School.
The Members of Cranbrook School play an important role in the governance of Cranbrook. Being a Member entitles you to attend and vote at general meetings of Cranbrook School. This includes attending and voting at the Annual General Meeting, where the matters considered include receiving the statutory financial reports and electing members of the School Council.
If you are not already a Member of Cranbrook School, and wish to become one, please indicate your willingness to do so by completing and returning the application form which can be found on Cranbrook Connect here.
Applications are subject to approval by the School Council, and will be considered at the next possible School Council meeting after receipt of your completed application.
If you have any questions regarding membership of Cranbrook School, please contact Sarah Deveson, Company Secretary, by email on councilsecretary@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au.
