DAV Debating Round 1

The first round of DAV Debating was a particularly exciting one for Berwick Grammar School this year. The program has rapidly expanded, with fifty students involved on the night.

We had a lot to celebrate following that night. We won a significant number of debates, and won a noteworthy number of Best Speakers. Some students reached their individual best speaker scores, which was a important milestone for them.

However, from our perspective, what was most worth celebrating was the level of support and organisation shown by our Enrichment leadership team. Authentic peer mentoring was happening within teams and across year levels. Those holding formal positions of authority were certainly doing their job well, although these were not the only ones to assist.

Many students went out of their way to assist first time debaters to understand what to do, and how to interpret and learn from the feedback they received from adjudicators. These are the kinds of actions that you cannot make students do. They come from a place of genuine care and concern, showing a strong desire to help others in their community to achieve success and reflects the school Growing Good Men program.

We would also like to thank the many parents and teachers who came out to support our boys on the night.

This year is shaping up to be a very big year for the growing debating culture at the school, and we are optimistic of enjoying many successes throughout the year.

Mr Sean Pieper
My Summit Co-Cultural Coordinator