Program Overview
Regardless of experience or ability, BCS encourages all students interested in extending their thinking and speaking skills to take part in these extracurricular activities.
In primary, both activities take place in class time, with writing and giving speeches part of the literacy syllabus for Years 3 to 6. Extensive classes are run to introduce these skills across those years, with a public evening held where the more enthusiastic and able twenty students share their ideas with the community. Debating training and workshops are offered for all students in Years 4, 5 and 6 who volunteer to take part.
In secondary, public speaking preparation has some class time. Debating practice is conducted on two afternoons each week after school. The day of the week is negotiated between the students and Julian Davies, our coach and coordinator for these activities. Debating workshops are offered for all students.
The school includes as many children as possible in training for these activities. The skills involved help in other aspects of independent thinking, literacy, essay writing and team work throughout a student's school life. The most committed and able can go on the represent the school at competition level. Every year across the school, eight students in public speaking and up to forty in debating are chosen to represent BCS in inter-school competitions.
In recent years Braidwood Central School students have achieved at an extremely high level in both public speaking and debating. Our students have reached the regional finals in primary debating (2013 and 2018), the regional finals in primary public speaking (2014, 2017 and 2018) and the state finals (2010). In secondary public speaking our students have reached the state semi-finals (2014 and both junior and senior in 2017 and 2018). In secondary debating, individual students have been selected regularly for the state finals on five occasions (2013-17), and two teams have reached the state finals, including our Year 11/12 team reaching the state quarter-finals in 2016. Not only have many of our students shown great skill in imaginative and profound critical thinking, they have often addressed challenging social issues with great perspective.
Public Speaking Results
Jay Davies: state finalist senior primary competition 2010 (finishing among the best 10 speakers in the state).
Tashani Davidson-Fuller: winner senior primary zone competition (2014).
Haddie Davies: winner of junior secondary zone competition, finishing among the best 24 speakers in the state (2014).
Travis Matterson-Blogg: runner-up senior secondary zone competition (2014).
Sam Watson: highly commended junior primary zone competition (2015).
Haddie Davies: runner-up junior secondary zone competition (2016).
Tashani Davidson-Fuller: highly commended junior secondary zone competition (2016).
Bonnie Park: winner senior primary zone competition (2017).
Leah Mann: highly commended senior primary zone competition (2017).
Tashani Davidson-Fuller: winner junior secondary zone competition, finishing among the best 24 speakers in the state (2017).
Tara Broso: highly commended junior secondary zone competition (2017).
Anusha Bajracharya: winner senior primary zone competition (2018).
Annebel Clark: highly commended senior primary zone competition (2018).
Layla Stuart: winner junior primary zone competition (2018).
Rylei Braddock: highly commended junior primary zone competition (2018).
Bonnie Park: winner junior secondary zone competition (2018).
Haddie Davies: winner senior secondary zone competition, finishing among the best 24 speakers in the state (2017 and 2018).
Layla Stuart: highly commended senior primary zone competition (2019).
Anusha Bajracharya: winner junior secondary zone competition (2019).
Debating results
The Primary team of Lucy Beaumann-Lionet, Sophie Cargill, Ruby Gurling and Aneka Jones, came second in the region in 2013.
The Year 7/8 team of Ruby Gurling, Jessie Kay, Darcy Gordon, Haddie Davies, were regional champions (among the best 10 teams of almost 400 in the state). They attended the State Finals at Sydney University and finished fifth in the State in 2014.
Year 9/10 team of Isobel Merriman, Jay Davies, Isabella Hart, Sebastian Dyson) made the regional final in 2014, coming second.
The Year 7/8 team of Lucy Beaumann-Lionet, Sophie Cargill, Mytrle Wild and Ruby Gurling, reached the regional semi-finals in 2015.
The Year 9/10 team Ruby Gurling, Jessie Kay, Haddie Davies and Lily Munnings made the regional final, only losing in a split decision in 2015, coming second.
Year 11/12 team of Isobel Merriman, Jay Davies, Isabella Hart and Sebastian Dyson made the regional final in 2015, coming second.
The 7/8 team of Maxx Bigg, Tahsani Davidson-Fuller, Tegan Lewis and Anunta Bajracharya came equal third in the region in 2016.
The Year 9/10 team Ruby Gurling, Jessie Kay, Haddie Davies and Lucy Baumann-Lionet made the regional final, only losing in a split decision, coming second in 2016.
Year 11/12 team of Isobel Merriman, Jay Davies, Sebastian Dyson, Isabella Hart and Keira Mullen won the regional final against Smiths Hill before coming equal fifth in the state finals in 2016.
The 7/8 team of Maxx Bigg, Tara Broso, Jack Wasson and Sarah Williams made the regional final, coming second in 2017.
Year 9/10 team of Lucy Baumann-Lionet, Tara Broso, Tashani Davidson-Fuller and Tegan Lewis came equal fifth in the region in 2017.
The Year 11/12 team of Lucy Baumann-Lionet, Haddie Davies, Tashani Davidson-Fuller and Tegan Lewis made the regional final, coming second in 2017.
The Year 5/6 team of Annabel Clark, Animae Cross, Anusha Bajracahrya, Mia Hasler and Lala Stuart won their zone in 2018.
The Year 7/8 team of Leah Mann, Bonnie Park, Tara Broso, and Sarah Williams made the regional final, coming second in 2018.
The Year 9/10 team of Maxx Bigg, Tashani Davidson-Fuller, Tara Broso and Bonnie Park made the regional final, coming second in 2018.
The Year 5/6 team of Annabel Clark, Ryllei Braddock, Layla Stuart and Chelsea Pharaoh made the zone play-off in 2019.
The Year 7/8 team of Georgie Spencer-Long, Eric Moore, Etiene Bonin and Ellie Roberts made the zone play-off in 2019.
The Year 9/10 team of Maxx Bigg, Tara Broso, Jack Wasson and Nelson Sargent made the regional final, coming second in a split decision in 2019.
The Year 11/12 team of Maxx Bigg, Tara Broso, Jack Wasson and Nelson Sargent made the zone play-off in 2019.
BCS Students selected as representatives at the Junior Secondary State Debating Championships:
2013: Inga Neilsen, 2014: Jay Davies, 2015: Haddie Davies, 2016: Ruby Gurling, 2017: Tashani Davidson-Fuller, 2019: Jack Wasson.