Debating the Big Issues
Over 400 teams and 2,000 students compete in the Perth Schools Debating Competition each year. It is the largest debating competition in Western Australia and has been running for over 45 years.
This year, among the thousands of competing students, were 25 girls from Santa Maria College. They made up five teams in the Year 9/10 Junior Division. The benefits of debating for these girls have been enormous. Year 9 student, Annika Zammit said, “Debating allowed us to speak our mind on relevant, interesting issues and topics in a way that helped us work together, think on the spot, and persuade others.
Division Champions
It is lovely to be able to congratulate one of our teams on winning the pennant in the Year 9/10 Junior Division. The members of the team were: Claire Durston, Kallysta Lim, Ella Sharman, Annika Zammit and Abigail Marra.
A second Year 9 team also made it to the division finals. That team included: Rainy Guimbeau, Myah Waldock, Zara Goundrey, Madison Pino, and Jaymie Clarke.
Looking back on the season, Ella Sharman says, “I think our team did an amazing job, especially considering it was our first year. The competition that we faced each week was quite tough which is a good sign for debating culture in the future and the topics really made us think. My favourite topic was one given in an impromptu debate, it was about the banning of chequebook journalism. Our team was on the affirmative side. We liked the topic because we were able to use our general knowledge about the media and the influence of wealth on the media. We won that debate by a strong margin.
“This experience has given us so much more knowledge about our world and its issues. It has also given us the opportunity to improve our presentation and thinking skills which will be really helpful in the future.”
Combating The Attention Spans Crisis In Our Students – Jennifer Oaten
It is no secret that attention spans have been steadily declining, especially among younger generations growing up immersed in digital technology. The average person’s attention span when using a digital device has plummeted from around two and a half minutes back in 2004 to just 47 seconds on average today – a dramatic 66% decrease over the past two decades.
Weekly Wrap Up: Term 2, Week 2, 2024
Week 2 has come to an end! This Weekly Wrap Up features highlights from Scuba Diving Club, the Sisterhood Series, and Boarding ANZAC Service.
Santa Maria Teams Shine in Term 1 Sports
Santa Maria had a huge number of girls in the IGSSA AFL and Volleyball competition with strong results for a number of teams.
- features #learning4life
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
