Language Arts
Debating
ISDA and FED
Round 3 Week 5 Last Friday 28 February
Our FED teams attended Round 3 at Newington last Friday where they won four out of eight debates. Our ISDA debaters headed to Barker where they won four out of five debates. ISDA Primary A and B and Senior A teams did not debate last week due to Barker’s Junior camp program and our Year 12 formal with make up rounds confirmed. Primary A and B will have their Round 3 make up debate with Barker on Friday 2 May. Senior A will hold their make up on Friday 4 April (6.30pm debate). Well done coaches and girls.
Round 4 Week 6 This Friday 7 March
Tomorrow, our FED teams will travel to Tara and our ISDA teams will host Scots in Pymble’s KM building, for Round 4. Parents are welcome. Girls heading to Tara are to meet at the flagpole by 3.30 pm. A bus to Tara will be available for FED girls, however, tickets must have been purchased through Co-curricular Administration. Return buses will NOT be on offer and parents are required to arrange collection for their daughter(s). Girls will NOT be permitted to take public transport home, unless accompanied by an adult. Tara’s venue information and parking details have been sent out through Co-curricular Administration. We are delighted to have Ning Cao taking charge of FED on Friday evenings. A belated welcome Ning! Ning is a past Language Arts parent and Pymble staff member.
Week 7 Round 5 FED and ISDA Venues for Friday 14 March
FED will travel to Sydney Boys’ High School next Friday. Please ensure bus tickets are purchased through Co-curricular Administration. Be at flagpole at 3.30 pm. For ISDA Round 5, Pymble will host Roseville in the KM building.
Please note, due to the Year 11 formal, all Year 11 debaters will have their Round 5 debates pushed back to make up rounds. Make up dates will be announced for ISDA and FED debaters next week.
Chinese Debating
More details have arrived and at this stage, we can only enrol secondary students. We are looking for one team. Please email Mrs Hubbard, bhubbard@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au, ASAP if interested.
Organisation: NSW Chinese Debating Association
Dates: Formal opening – Saturday 22 March. Competition starts – Saturday 12 April.
Form of debate: Prepared debate. One match per week – three rounds (Weeks 1 to 3) – half (Week 4) – final (Week 5)
Trials for the NSW State Team are open to ISDA and Archdale Debaters
These trials were held on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March at Knox Grammar School. Well done to those who trialled.
NSDC
NSDC is Australia’s premier school debating competition and brings together the most talented young debaters from across the country, fostering excellence in critical thinking, persuasive communication and civic engagement. This year NSDC is coming to Sydney for a week in mid-May. Details and opportunities can be found on the NSDC events page.
Public Speaking
Auditions
Thank you to all our public speakers who presented at auditions over the past few weeks. The standard has been high. Over 120 students signed up for these auditions. Results and feedback will be offered over the coming week.
Rostrum
Those selected for Rostrum Voice of Youth will be contacted by the end of this week. Three Junior and three Senior speakers will be selected. Pymble is hosting a heat after school in lower KM and the library classrooms, on Wednesday 19 March.
Another speaking opportunity
Pymble’s very own Autumn Festival will be held on Thursday 1 May from 4.30pm to 8.30pm. Language Arts will run a Soapbox event. Soapbox is where students get to present a three to four minute, less formal, fun speech about a pet peeve. What bugs you? Here is your opportunity to present it in a funny way. Auditions will be run at lunch and after school on Tuesday 8 April. Please email Jenny Xu, Captain of Public Speaking, Jixu@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au or Mrs Hubbard to register your interest Bhubbard@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au
DELO launch
Pymble is pleased to have been involved in the planning and March 2025 launch of DELO – The Dame Enid Lyons Oratory award.
Sonia Berry, IGSA’s Executive Officer, wrote,
“I just wanted to thank you all for supporting this, our first Oratory Competition. It has taken many years of planning, and we are delighted that finally, there is a competition to rival the Lawrence Campbell Competition.”
Lawrence Campbell is the 90-year-old oratory competition run for boys attending independent boys’ school and it has been noted,
“The Lawrence Campbell Oratory is widely regarded as the most prestigious, and difficult of the New South Wales Public Speaking Competitions.
Not anymore! DELO is for the girls!
Ms Berry thanked the committee which is made up of two representatives from the NSW Department of Education, two external speaking coaches, three school speaking coaches, and herself.
The DELO final will be held in the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday 21 May.
Model United Nations
Harvard MUN
Are you interested in Harvard MUN in Australia? Pymble plans to send a delegation. Thank you to those girls and parents who registered interest. Registrations will be completed on Friday 7 March. We look forward to receiving news about our allocated delegation.
NSW UN Youth State Conference
We know those attending will have a wonderful time on Friday 14 to Sunday 16 March, as this is often a MUN calendar highlight. Please note debaters will need to arrange transport to the venue following your debates.
Pymble Model UN Club (PMUN)
PMUN runs each Monday lunch in DK06. Come along. Everyone is welcome! Trump style, “negotiation and diplomacy” and tariffs were on the agenda this week. Learn more and engage in world affairs. Learn how to prepare for a MUN conference. We will hold our own Winter conference later in the year.
Mock Law
Bond Mooting – Training will commence soon.
Mediation – We are hoping to open Mediation experiences to a broader audience. Stay tuned. We are in contact with the Law Society regarding some changed opportunities. These will be announced shortly.
Bronwyn Hubbard
Head of Language Arts