Whitby Collegiate Debating Team Claims Regional Championship

Whitby Collegiate Debating team has achieved outstanding success at the Wellington Regional Finals of the Inter-School Debating Championships, securing the Grand Final title from a field of 47 competing schools.

The team comprising Isabella Beach, Abbey Joostens, Judah Isaac, and alternate Emily Thurston represented the affirmative position on the motion "That we should ban private companies from exploring space." In a closely contested final against Upper Hutt College, our students demonstrated exceptional skills.

This victory represents the culmination of two terms of dedicated preparation and training. The students have consistently shown commitment to developing their research abilities, logical reasoning, and public speaking skills throughout the competition.

The achievement reflects considerable credit on Mr Atkinson, whose leadership of the debating programme has been instrumental in preparing the team for this level of competition. His guidance has enabled these students to develop both individual capabilities and effective teamwork.

The success of our debating team continues the spirit of the Whitby Way and serves as an inspiring example that encourages all of our students to strive for excellence and achieve their potential across all aspects of school life.

The school community congratulates our regional champions on this significant achievement.