Language Arts
DEBATING
Archdale – Shield and Invitational
Our Senior Invitational team have now progressed straight to the grand final to be held at MLC on Tuesday 2 September. Other breaking Shield teams were 7B, 8B, 9, and 10, who ranked first out of 24 Year 10 teams. These teams attended quarter finals across three venues on Tuesday. To those who will not progress, thank you for the season and for your commitment. Details for future finals will be forthcoming.
More Debating Activities and Opportunities
Chinese Debating Auditions for the 2026 team
These will be held after school on Monday 22 September, in IH rooms. Co-curricular Administration will manage all registrations, and further details will be sent shortly. Pymble entered this competition for the first time earlier this year and placed in the top ten teams. The competition will be held across weekends in the 2026 Easter break. All debates are held in the Business school at Sydney University.
PLEASE NOTE – This Friday (tomorrow) Bootcamp and Social Debating will continue in KM.
Social Debating Student coaches – Thank you to those who assist university coaches with Social Debating Competition coaching and adjudicating. We value your help.
Social Debating Classes/Duke of Edinburgh opportunity – Thank you to the Duke of Edinburgh helpers who are assisting coaches with Junior classes. Your help is invaluable.
International Debating Championships (IDC)
Thank you to the girls who have registered teams internally for IDC. Girls who registered as individuals, thank you for your patience as we finalise teams for this Term 4 online competition. We will try to accommodate you. We currently have thirteen teams registered.
Cambridge Schools ANZ Competition
Students are invited to join the Cambridge Schools ANZ competition, which will take place on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 August at Riverview and/or via Zoom. Applications close Saturday 23 August.
The competition is a British Parliamentary competition. This year a fifth preliminary round has been added, meaning all teams will get more opportunities to debate. As always, the top four teams at the competition will be invited to compete at the Cambridge Schools ANZ global finals in March 2026, at Cambridge University.
Registrations can be made by clicking here, and any questions should be directed to the event organisers (contact details in the link). Co-curricular Administration have sent details of this competition to all 2025 debating students.
Garden Party – Saturday 20 September
Language Arts will present some Soapbox and some TEDx speeches at Garden Party. Please contact Mrs Hubbard if you have presented at the TEDx online showcase and are interested. Likewise, please contact Mrs Hubbard if you are interested in presenting a fun Soapbox speech on a pet peeve. We are also hoping to restage our Antigone Mock Trial.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
TEDx
Semester 2 classes continue each Saturday at 10.30am to 12.30pm, 1.00pm to 3.00pm, and 3.15pm to 5.15pm in the Conde Library Studio with coach Swetha.
UN Voice of Youth
Co-curricular Administration and Mrs Hubbard will call for expressions of interest by early next week for this Term 4 competition. This year we are aiming to streamline registrations. A workshop will be run this term for students registering through Pymble by current senior Language Arts girls who have progressed to state and national finals in previous years. Two registration options are being presented. These are outlined in the content sent by Co-curricular Administration. Please contact them directly if you did not receive the expression of interest form.
MODEL UNITED NATIONS (MUN)
Pymble Model UN Club (PMUN)
PMUN runs each Monday lunch in DK06. Come along and join us this term. Everyone is welcome. Learn how to prepare for a MUN conference. We have also received invitations to MUN conferences to be held at various high schools including Trinity and Barker/Knox. Currently the Trinity conference is oversubscribed, and we await further information from Trinity.
THIMUN – The Hague 2026 Tour
Due to a range of factors, the THIMUN 2026 tour will not go ahead. We are sorry to disappoint those who had booked. We are pleased, however, to have secured a place for THIMUN, The Hague, in January 2027, and this tour will then occur on a biennial basis. It will be open to Language Arts girls in Years 9 and above. Please consider. An international MUN is a wonderful experience.
Imogen Kee and Jemma Hung – UN Youth National Conference
Imogen Kee (Year 10) and Jemma Hung (Year 10) attended the UN Youth Australian and New Zealand National Model United Nations Conference in Adelaide. While this was not a school activity, state and national conferences are promoted through Language Arts, and are seen as a great opportunity to make like-minded friends and to learn more about speaking, diplomacy and global issues. Their report follows:
During the winter break, we were incredibly fortunate to be two of ten selected from a pool of 200 delegates at the state conference, to represent New South Wales at UN Youth’s Residential flagship event, the National Conference!
Over six action packed days in Adelaide, we engaged in much stimulating discussion and immersed ourselves in a great range of activities, most of which were centred around this year’s theme; the Space Agenda. Aside from a great series of space-themed MUN debates, we partook in various practical workshops, interactive problem solving, challenging panel discussions and inspiring keynote speeches.
A key standout was exploring Australia’s Space Agency and hearing from Australia’s first female astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, who inspired all through speaking on the rigorous journey she undertook to get to the European Space Agency and the vital role that STEM plays in international collaboration. Additionally, we had the chance to work alongside the UNICEF team, and the 2025 UN Youth Rep to Australia to develop real-world advocacy strategies and policy proposals in an effort to support children’s rights globally. Many of these ideas will go on to assist the team in presenting at the UN General Assembly in October, so it was spiriting to know that our perspectives and input as young people will be represented on the international scale.
Perhaps one of the biggest highlights was forming connections with like-minded individuals across the country. Through engaging in stimulating discussion in both debate as well as the more social aspects (special mentions to the bloc dinners, group campfires, and a last night disco event!), we have had the greatest privilege of getting to know so many inspiring people from all states, some of whom we know will be lifelong friends.
Overall, we are so grateful for this experience, and we remain confident that we have left Adelaide with improved skills, new friendships, and a renewed passion to make a difference in our communities and beyond.
Imogen Kee and Jemma Hung (Year 10)