Language Arts
Welcome to Term 2 Language Arts (LA). It is a busy term ahead! Thank you to all our LA family for your passion and commitment to LA. Let’s start!
Debating
Best Wishes for the National Schools’ Debating Championship (NDSC)
- Kitty He (Year 11), Captain of Debating at Pymble, NSW State team member
- Maya Garg (Year 12) 2025 Captain of the NSW team
We are so Pymble proud of these Debaters. They have shown tenacity and consistent improvement over many years. All the best for the forthcoming National Schools’ Debating Championship from Sunday 11 to Sunday 18 May in Sydney. The National Schools Debating Championship 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. Details can be found on the NSDC events page.
ISDA and FED
Our FED teams will not have a makeup round this week. Teams through to the first of the quarter finals next Friday will be notified once the finals draw is announced.
Our ISDA Senior B team will have an online make up round five debate tomorrow, Friday 2 May, in KM v Roseville. Prep will be 6.45pm and the debate will commence at 7.30pm. Coach Justin will sort training times. We will be affirmative. Parents are welcome
Primary A and B will travel to Barker tomorrow after school with Ms Itzcovitz for their makeup round three debate. We will be negative. Parents are welcome and are reminded to arrange lifts home, following debates.
This week marks the completion of all FED and ISDA make up rounds and those teams breaking to finals will be notified as soon as the draws are released. Some teams will not progress to finals. Stay tuned for those teams progressing.
As finals can mean multiple venues, please note that buses will NOT run through finals and parents must be responsible for their daughter’s travel both to and from events. Carpooling is recommended.
Parents are welcome to attend and please note that parents must arrange transport home following their daughter’s debate.
Chinese Debating – NSW Chinese Debating Association
A holiday highlight! Thank you to Mrs Leyya Li, our team parent, and Tim Lan for being coach. Round 1 commenced on Saturday 12 April and Chinese Debating ran through the recent holidays at Sydney University School of Business. Well done team! Our inaugural team won two from three debates in the preliminary season. Last week they had a strong win against the NSW Chinese Debating team. Jessica Xu (Year 11) was particularly convincing. We await the finals draw.
Archdale
Preseason meeting – Tuesday 6 May 3.30pm to 5.00pm
Round 1 Shield and Invitational Debating begins Tuesday 13 May. Archdale Shield debating at Meriden. Please book bus tickets through Co-curricular Administration. The bus is not a return bus, and parents are asked to collect their daughters from Meriden following their debates. Co-curricular Administration will send details and timings.
Social Debating
There has been keen interest in Social Debating this term. The program will begin on Friday 23 May with a welcome and a workshop. Debates will then be held on Friday 30 May, Friday 6 June, Friday 13 June, Friday 20 June, and Frida 27 June (the last day of school). The program will run in the KM building from 3.30pm each week. Keep an eye out for further information from Co-curricular Administration.
Public Speaking
UN Voice of Youth, National Finalists!
Congratulations to Katherine Pan (Year 11) and Hakone Liceralde (Year 10) who both progressed to the national finals of the UN Voice of Youth Public Speaking competition on the first weekend of the Term 1 break on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April. Warm Congratulations from all the Language Arts ‘family’ on your progression to the national finals. This was a significant achievement.
DELO – Public Speaking Invitation
“A woman with a strong voice is by definition a strong woman” – Melinda French Gates.
Bravo to Jenny Xu (Year 11), our Public Speaking Captain, who is the first Pymble student to enter this inaugural competition and who has been selected as a finalist. The Dame Enid Lyons Oratory competition is the most prestigious Public Speaking competition for girls in NSW.
The DELO final will be held in the Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre, on the evening of Wednesday 21 May from 6.00pm. Please be seated by 5.45pm. Admission is free, and seating is unreserved, although we would like Pymble supporters to form a block.
To book accessible seating contact Box Office on 0292507777 Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm
Guests welcome. We ask that all student supporters wear full Pymble uniform.
The presenter will be Dr Julia Baird. The Governor General will also be in attendance.
Mrs Hubbard is looking into booking a Pymble bus to and from this evening event. If you would like to attend with the school, please email your interest and number of tickets ASAP to Mrs Hubbard BHubbard@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au. All welcome! We would love your support. Click here for more information.
Audition Feedback
While general feedback was given at a group meeting for Public Speaking auditions, we understand that many would like more specific feedback. Apologies for the wait. We are looking into using AI to assist with the distribution of specific feedback.
Model United Nations (MUN)
UN Youth National Conference
Imogen Kee (Year 10) has been selected as one of seven NSW delegates for this year’s UN Youth National Conference. It will be held in Adelaide from Sunday 6 to Saturday 12 July, with this year’s theme focusing on “Galactic Governance: Navigating the Space Age.” The conference will explore the Space2030 Agenda and how space technology can drive sustainable development. Well done Imogen!
EVATT – UN Youth
Requiring no prior debating experience, Evatt immerses young people in Years 9 to 12 to uncover the driving forces of influence that threaten to destabilise world order all while mastering the art of public speaking through negotiation. Going beyond ordinary debating, Evatt challenges delegates to think critically, problem solve carefully, and search for answers in the rapidly changing world of current affairs surrounding them.
Evatt commences in May. This is a highly valued diplomacy competition where girls work in pairs to represent a country. Pymble plans to travel to PLC Sydney in Croydon on Tuesday 13 May, and we ask that you attend through school rather than register online. When girls register themselves online, we cannot offer additional training should they progress, and we have a duty of care issue. Any Secondary students who still wish to register themselves, should ensure this occurs on a weekend rather than a weekday, and parents, please note a teacher from Pymble will not accompany the girls to UTS. Mrs Hubbard will attend the PLC Sydney round.
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 will hold our own Winter conference on Saturday 26 July this year. We have also received expressions of interest for a MUN conference to be held at Castle Hill High. Please see our MUN captain, Kiki Chen (Year 11), if interested.
HMUN
Harvard MUN will be held at Cranbrook from Thursday 29 May to Sunday 1 June this year. Co-curricular Administration will provide further information to the twelve girls and parents who registered. All liability waivers need to be sent to Co-curricular Administration ASAP. Delegations will not be issued until all waivers are in.
THIMUN – The Hague 2026 Proposed International Tour
In January this year, Pymble Language Arts girls attended THIMUN, The Hague, which was a wonderful opportunity. Having secured a highly coveted place at this Model United Nations conference, we are keen to attend again this year as membership is ongoing, and we do not want to lose our place.
The proposed January 2026 Language Arts tour will be open to students currently in Year 8, 9, 10 and 11. We are currently gaining prices on two options:
- A two-week tour including a visit to Paris, prior to travelling on the Eurostar to the Netherlands and journeying to The Hague for the conference
- A shorter tour which just focuses on The Netherlands and the conference.
Thank you to those who have already submitted expressions of interest. There is still time to let Mrs. Hubbard know your preference!
An international MUN conference is an amazing experience. THIMUN has over 3000 students from around the globe attending. These experiences for learning and growth are valued highly in Europe and by ivy league universities. This opportunity is open, but students must join our own PMUN club and be willing to attend regularly to apply.
Mock Law
Bond Mooting
The date for our online heat has been released and will be held on Tuesday 20 May at 2.30pm.
Young Lawyers’ Justice Day at Wollongong University Friday 2 May – tomorrow!
Thank you to the fifteen girls who have registered interest. We are now at maximum capacity. Notes have been sent via Co-curricular Administration and the bus will leave Pymble at 7.30am and return at 5.30pm. Please be at the flagpole by 7.15 am.
Mock Mediation
We have decided to open Mediation skills to more than one team. All those in Years 8 to 10 interested in Mediation will be invited to a lunchtime introductory talk. Stay tuned. This is a terrific life skill and will be a fun internal competition.
Bronwyn Hubbard
Head of Language Arts