BMG 2019 Grammarian Issue 3

6 BMG PUBLIC SPEAKING AND DEBATING Public Speaking and Debating at Bacchus Marsh Grammar has been thriving in recent years. Interested and talented students participate in many external events which allow them to showcase and develop their opinions, and refine their public speaking skills. For several years, Bacchus Marsh Grammar has been represented by an enthusiastic team of students at the Wynspeak Public Speaking Competition. This competition, run by the Rotary and Apex groups of Hoppers Crossing, is aimed at secondary school students in the Western region of Melbourne. The competition allows them to speak on their chosen stimulating topic for five minutes. More than 100 students, representing 30 schools were involved in this year’s competition. Because of the keen interest of our students, we had the opportunity to run internal heats before selecting a limited number of students to represent the school at the regional heats. The event, run in May of each year, has past winners emcee their events. It was pleasing to see former Bacchus Marsh Grammar School Captain and past competitor Kieran McKenzie emceeing the heat that our students attended. This year, we were again very successful, with three of our talented students progressing from the heats to the Wynspeak Final held in June. Jake Parton, of Year 7, won the Junior Shield this year, which was a credit to his ongoing dedication and enthusiasm. Jake’s success is the third win in a row for Bacchus Marsh Grammar in the Junior section. Jackson Brown (now in Year 8) won the shield in 2018, and Alejandra Camacho (now in Year 11) won in 2017. Winning this competition allows entry into the prestigious Rostrum Voice of Youth State Final, where the top students in the state vie for a win. Jake attended this competition in June and was awarded third place for his efforts. Alejandra won this competition two years ago and progressed onto the National Final in Brisbane. Bacchus Marsh Grammar offers additional programs for students to further enhance their public speaking and debating skills, including the DAV (Debaters Association of Victoria) debating competition, for students in Years 9 - 12. We are also currently developing public speaking skills within the Middle School, with the Junior Secondary Program (run by the DAV) being offered to further upskill students on the structure and skills required for debating. This program is very successful in not only giving students an excellent starting point when they join DAV Debating in Year 9 but to also foster relationships with a broader group of students within the school community. We also enter teams into the ICCES inter-school Debating Competition, where they have the opportunity to compete against teams from a variety of schools across Victoria. Public Speaking programs besides Wynspeak include the Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award and the VCAA Plain English Speaking Competition. Competing in these competitions allows students to work on their written and spoken expression, which can also have a positive impact on their class work. Students involved in debating are required to research unfamiliar topics and develop arguments on a given side, despite what their real opinion may be. Their critical thinking and general knowledge skills are improved, as well as their overall confidence in delivering speeches. Resilience is promoted by debating, as feedback is often given in front of others.