HICES Debating
HICES Debating - Primary School
At St Mary & St Mina’s Coptic Orthodox College, we are passionate about creating opportunities that extend learning beyond the classroom and empower students to grow in confidence, communication, and leadership. One of the most exciting additions to our extra-curricular program has been our involvement in HICES Debating, first introduced to the Primary School in 2025 through the initiative and dedication of Ms Colette Walsh, and now continuing under the leadership of Ms Chloe Tefas.
We are incredibly proud of the success of our Junior Debating Team throughout 2025. Our students embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, maturity, and courage, representing the College with great pride and professionalism. Through weekly preparation sessions, team collaboration, and formal debates against other independent schools, students developed valuable lifelong skills in public speaking, structured argument, research, critical thinking, and respectful communication.
HICES Debating provides students with an exceptional platform to extend their learning and engage with real-world ideas and issues in a dynamic and intellectually stimulating environment. More importantly, it encourages students to become articulate, thoughtful, and informed young people who are confident in expressing their perspectives with integrity and respect.
Beyond the academic benefits, debating also fosters teamwork, resilience, and social confidence, allowing our students to connect with peers from a variety of independent schools across New South Wales. These experiences help broaden their perspectives and strengthen their ability to engage meaningfully with the world around them.
At SMSM, we believe opportunities such as debating are instrumental in shaping well-rounded students who are not only academically capable, but also courageous in voice, grounded in values, and confident in representing both themselves and their faith community. We look forward to seeing our debating program continue to flourish in the years ahead.
