Debating & Public Speaking | Term 3 Update.
Welcome to the final DPS Newsletter of the year; from crushing the first few Rounds of DAV, to coordinating the most fiery Teacher VS Student debate ever seen, our final rendition of this newsletter is all about celebrating our stars. Each and every one of our debaters and public speakers has shone in the spotlight this term, and we’re so proud of how far we’ve come.
So, it’s time to wrap things up.
To mark a successful year in debating, we held our final training session, our DPS Star Awards Ceremony. From the most intimidating third-speakers to the most committed team cheerleaders, we acknowledged the efforts of our debaters across the year in putting together awesome cases and defeating some formidable opponents. But glamour and glory aside, let’s not forget the most warming occasion of the afternoon… DPS Stories. For each peer nomination, a short story about the nominee was read out, and whether it was funny or heartwarming, it resonated so deeply with each member of our DPS family.
So, in the same spirit of celebration, we’d like to take a moment to congratulate some excellent speakers who deserve recognition in the 2025 DPS spotlight. Firstly, a huge shout-out goes to our Swannie winners Hannah J (A-Grade) and Lumina R (B-Grade – despite being in Year 10!) who had the highest average speaker score for their respective grades in the entire Toorak region! This is a remarkable achievement for both speakers and we’re so proud of the growth and skill they’ve shown this year.
Additionally, we’d like to offer a massive congratulations to C-Grade Team 4 (Susanna, Aria, Varshitha, Avya, and Alisha) who have made it to the Quarter Finals! This is an incredible achievement, placing them in the Top 8 teams across the entire state for C-Grade at present – wish them luck as they embark on the final few debates.
And alongside the above superstars, let’s not forget B Grade Team 2 and C Grade Teams 1, 3, and 6, who won in all five rounds of the 2025 DAV season, as well as the two A-grade teams which both won four out of five debates despite their hectic schedules.
Finally, perhaps the most prestigious acknowledgement of all: The Cabinet’s Choice Award. We were looking for the most committed, most inspirational and most dedicated debaters. We wanted to shine the spotlight on individuals who had truly contributed to DPS and who had made a lasting impact on our program for 2025. So, this year, the recipients were… ALL of our wonderful debaters! We are so proud of each debater, team, and grade that came together to make this year in DAV such a success.
The debating spirit truly has been burning brightly in 2025.
So, from our many model UNs, to the long-running DAV competition and everything in between, the Debating and Public Speaking Portfolio ended with a bang! And as the year draws to a close, we have also finalised the exciting process of selecting next year’s Debating & Public Speaking Co-Captains. With such a strong field of passionate and dedicated applicants, we can’t wait to see how next year’s Co-Caps will take the mantle of leading DPS in 2026 and continue to grow our vibrant Debating & Public Speaking culture.
All in all, us Co-Captains could not be prouder of our DPS family. At every stage they’ve lived out our motto – drive, dedication, debating – and every single one of them are stars in our heart. To the 2026 DPS family, dream big and shine bright… we can’t wait to see your legacy unfold.
Dishika G & Meenakshi D, Debating & Public Speaking Captains
My Vote, My Voice.
As students, we have frequently seen the interior of Parliament in books, shows and on the news. However, on Friday, August 22nd, myself (Antara), Ashveen, Mayumdi, Meenakshi, Rachel, and Shipra had our exposure taken to another level as we got to not only view, but also speak in the State Legislative Parliamentary Chamber.
This opportunity stemmed from the “My Vote, My Voice” parliamentary excursion, an annual initiative brought to students by the National Council of Women Victoria. This one-of-a-kind occasion featured guest speakers Lucy Hale (FORE founder, TEDx speaker and political activist) as well as Matt Fregon (State MP for Ashwood), with panelists Councillor Clare Williams and Deborah Towns OAM. The theme chosen this year was: “What is special about Australian Democracy?”
What we as Mac.Rob students loved about this prompt was that it had plenty of scope for interpretation, therefore our two teams of students could approach it in two very different directions. Our first team decided to speak about the strong involvement of the local government and our second team would follow by speaking about youth involvement.
Prior to the excursion, we spent quite a few hours collaborating our ideas and working with one another so we could develop presentations to the best of our abilities.
We were all tremendously excited for this once in a lifetime opportunity, but also a little bit nervous! However, as soon as we went on stage, the words quickly flowed as we delivered points we felt passionate about. In the end, we were commended with a round of applause and positive feedback from the panel of women hosting the event!
The event concluded with photos and some time to network with one another. It was great to ask questions to women in the panel who were experts in the field!
Overall, this was a very rewarding event that boosted our self confidence. We hope other students take initiative and get involved next year as it truly is an afternoon to remember.
Antara A (11F)