Language Arts

Welcome to Language Arts Term 4 2024. It is shaping up to be a busy term with Have a Go and Festival of Speech next week, IDC, our international debating competition commencing, and auditions starting. On Monday, we hosted a heat for UN Voice of Youth and it was good to see many Pymble girls competing.

Debating

IDC Debating

IDC Teams have been allocated and coaches will now contact girls regarding training times, venues, etc. Debates commence Friday 25 October. We know it will be a great season!

Archdale Representative team

Congratulations to Kitty He, Maya Garg, and Amy Zhang who had a great season on the prestigious Archdale Representative team last term. Pymble debaters made up one quarter of the team! The team came second overall.

Absences

Debaters must inform Mrs Hubbard, their coach and team, in advance, if they will be absent for a Debating round. We do not forfeit, and subs can be arranged.

Debating Auditions

Auditions for 2025 Debating teams commence this week. The schedule is as follows. Students should complete the expression of interest form by clicking here to indicate they would like to audition for a debating team, as well providing their interest for public speaking, mock law, and Model United Nations programs. Parents are required to provide permission for students to attend the audition via the Pymble app following their daughter completing the form. Please contact Co-curricular administration if you have any questions, or if you have missed your audition date and still wish to audition.

The audition for new students to Pymble on Friday 18 October will be held around RV and DK. Any families with siblings starting at the College next year who will be auditioning should meet in the Upper School Hub, located in the lower colonnade.

Other venues will be announced and released to all who have registered prior to their audition.

Thursday 17 October – Current Year 9 girls attending Term 4 Vision Valley long stay
Friday 18 October – All students new to Pymble for 2025
Tuesday 29 October – Current Year 6 students
Thursday 31 October – Current Year 7 students
Monday 4 November – Current Year 9 students not attending Vision Valley long stay
Tuesday 12 November – Current Years 10 and 11 students
Tuesday 19 November – Current Year 8 students
Monday 25 November – Catch ups and call backs
Tuesday 26 November – Catch ups and call backs

External Debating Achievements

Congratulations to Year 7 students Athena Wu and Jing Yuan Liu. Athena attended theTranspacific World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC). This prestigious annual international competition gathered high school teams from around the world to compete in the World Schools format.

The event drew teams from across the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and China, along with participants from Europe and America. Together with her teammates from Kings and Sydney Grammar, Athena achieved the U14 Grand Final Champion title. She concluded, “It was an incredible experience to debate with students from different backgrounds and gain valuable insights from diverse perspectives.”

Athena then met with Jing Yuan Liu, along with other Pymble teams, to participate in the Cambridge Schools ANZ Debating Competition, held on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October. Athena was ranked the sixth best speaker, and Jing was ranked sixteenth. Congratulations girls.

Please email Mrs Hubbard news of any additional Language Arts activities.

Public Speaking

UN Voice Registrations

Pymble hosted a UN Voice of Youth heat on Monday 14 October. In 2022, Jenny Xu (Year 11) was the national winner. Last year, Isis Li (Year 9) was the national runner up and Catherine Shi (Year 11) was a national finalist. Thanks to these girls for running a workshop. Well done to all who competed on Monday. We await results.

Model United Nations (MUN)

Evatt

Maya Garg (Year 11) and Catherine Shi (Year 11) have progressed to the Evatt National final and will represent NSW at the National finals during the next holidays.

57th Session of THIMUN – The Hague, January 2025

The Pymble Language Arts International Tour group have been accepted as the first Australian school to attend THIMUN at The Hague. The 16 Language Arts students and three teachers will depart Sydney on Friday 17 January and travellers will commence Term 1 2025 on Monday 3 February. We are excited for this wonderful travel experience! We are awaiting our country delegation or delegations which are to be announced soon.

Mock Law

Mediation

Congratulations to our Mock Mediators and our coaches! The team was awarded 94/100 in their last mediation, the semi-final. Congratulations on your progression to the grand final. Details to follow.

A Mock Law workshop was held at lunch on Wednesday 16 October to outline the competitions on offer for 2025, prior to auditions. Mediation will be open to students in Years 9 and 10 in 2025, Mock Trial is open to girls in Years 10 and 11, and Mooting is only for students in Years 11 and 12. Places are limited as we only have one mediation team, one Mock Trial team and one Mooting team. Please email Amber Wang (Year 10), Captain of Debating, with any questions awang2026@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

Festival of Speech

The annual Festival of Speech will be held at MLC Burwood this year on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 October. On Friday 25 October, debating (junior and senior), junior and senior readings, and theatresports will be held. All other events including junior and senior public speaking, junior and senior poetry, current affairs, religious and ethical questions, soapbox, and drama will be held on Saturday 26 October.

Competitors should now be working with coaches. A compulsory rehearsal will be held next Wednesday 23 October. All competitors will be notified of venue and timings.

Bronwyn Hubbard

Head of Co-curricular Language Arts