We are so proud to share a wrap-up of the February updates and the wonderful way our students represented the College at the Queensland 

Year 10
Our Year 10 Team (NCC 10.1) truly amazed us with their preparation, maturity, and teamwork as they stepped into their very first senior debate. Taking on the topic, “That news organisations should be not-for-profit” (Affirmative), the team worked diligently to refine their arguments and, importantly, practised the art of offering and responding to “points of information”—a big and exciting step up into senior debating.

Despite their thorough preparation, the opposing team from St Paul's School forfeited on the morning of the debate, giving NCC 10.1 the win. While there was some initial disappointment at not being able to present their case, the commitment and hard work invested in preparation will undoubtedly serve them well in the upcoming short-prep rounds. Their growth in confidence and collaboration has already been evident.

Year 8
Our Year 8 Teams (NCC 8.1 (Aff) and 8.2 (Neg)) travelled to St Joseph's Nudgee College, where they debated the topic, “That parents should/should not be allowed to vote on behalf of their children who are under age”. It was wonderful to see both teams step into the debating space prepared, composed, and supportive of one another.

Our NCC 8.1 team secured a win — a testament to their clear structure, persuasive delivery, and strong teamwork. While our NCC 8.2 may not have taken the win on this occasion, they embraced the experience wholeheartedly and gained invaluable insight into rebuttal, strategy, and thinking on their feet. The courage to stand and speak, to defend an argument, and to respond under pressure is something to be incredibly proud of.

Debating continues to build far more than arguments — it strengthens critical thinking, resilience, public speaking skills, collaboration, and the ability to engage respectfully with differing perspectives. These are lifelong skills, and it is a joy to see our students developing them with such enthusiasm.

Years 11, 9 and 8
We are now heading into a busy and exciting March schedule. On Wednesday evening, we hosted 13 different schools on campus for the Year 9 round, despite our own Year 9 debating team being away on camp. Meanwhile, our Year 11.1 team received a forfeit request from North Lakes State College and were therefore not required to attend their scheduled debate at Padua College. Although it’s always disappointing to miss the opportunity to compete, it was wonderful to see so many members of the 11.1 team still come along to support their peers.

Our Year 11.2 team certainly made the most of their opportunity, winning as the affirmative on the topic “That Qantas should be nationalised.” Throughout the debate against St Michael’s College, the team confidently fired off several Points of Information (POIs) - brief interjections offered to challenge the opposing speaker’s argument and highlight flaws in their case. These well-timed contributions demonstrated strong engagement and control in the debate, helping keep the pressure on their opponents. The adjudicator also gave special praise for the team’s clear speech and rebuttal structure, as well as their ability to refocus their arguments on the bigger picture for consumers consistently.

Next up, our Year 9 teams (9.1 and 9.2) face off in their rescheduled Round 1 debate on Wednesday, 11th March, promising to be an intense contest.