News & Events
News
2024
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Talk of the Town: Grades 7 & 8 Debate Their Way to Success
Whether it is presenting in the classroom or speaking in front of an audience of hundreds, the importance of public speaking is everywhere. Over the past few weeks, all Grade 7 and 8 students have been actively engaged in exciting and enriching public speaking and debate units in their respective English classes. In collaboration with CDS Debate coaches, Mr. Robinson and Mrs. Wyndham-West, students have been honing their communication and critical-thinking skills while exploring the art of effective speech and argumentation.Read More -
Students Compete in Two Debating Events in Winnipeg
Read MoreFrom December 5-8, six students, alongside Mrs. Wyndham-West, Mr. Robinson and Mme Davidson travelled to Winnipeg to compete in two events. They first competed in an impromptu public speaking competition at St. John’s Ravenscourt School and both Ananya Kapur ‘26 and Adhya Chandradat ‘27 placed in the top 4. This advanced them to the finals, after which Ananya placed 2nd overall!Then on Sunday, Balmoral Hall was the site of the 32nd annual Rupert’s Land public speaking and debating tournament, with all of Manitoba's best speakers and debaters in attendance. Our students put themselves out there to compete, some of them for the very first time. Adhya finished 7th overall and Liam Gunning ‘27 finished 6th overall. Congratulations to all of these students, including Audrey Jiang ‘26, Zaydan Feroze ‘28 and Lucas Juhasz ‘28, for their incredible efforts to prepare for and compete in this tournament. -
Two CDS Debaters Qualify for Nationals
Read MoreOn Monday evening this week, five CDS students travelled to Branksome Hall in Toronto to compete in the Ontario qualifiers for public speaking. Students were vying for 8 coveted spots at the National tournament to be held in Winnipeg in February.They had to compete in four events: parliamentary debate, persuasive speaking, interpretive reading, and impromptu speaking. Our students were outstanding!Adhya Chandradat '27 competed in her first-ever public speaking tournament and did extremely well, especially owing to the very high calibre of this event. Liam Gunning '27 placed 3rd in debating and 10th overall. Audrey Jiang '26 placed 1st in debating. Diviya Amarnath '25 placed 2nd in persuasive and 7th overall, qualifying her to attend the National tournament in Winnipeg. Ananya Kapur '26 placed 3rd in persuasive speaking, 2nd in impromptu and 8th overall, also qualifying her to attend the National tournament in Winnipeg.As always, coaches Mrs. Wyndham-West, Mr. Robinson and Mme Davidson are so proud of these students and their hard work preparing for this event. -
Congratulations to our Debaters!
Diviya Amarnath ‘25, Jack Brown ‘25 and Ananya Kapur ‘26 were in Bermuda last weekend competing in the 2024 International Independent Schools’ Public Speaking Competition (IISPSC).Read MoreThis year's event was jointly hosted by Bermuda High School and Saltus Grammar School with students and coaches from 35 schools across Canada, the U.S., Bermuda and India competing in the four-day event.CDS results were impressive with Jack qualifying and competing in two finals in extemporaneous and persuasive speaking and Ananya qualifying for finals in impromptu speaking. -
CDS 14th Annual Grade 5 & 6 Public Speaking Competition
Read MoreOn Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, CDS grade four, five and six students, teachers and families gathered in the Paul C. Duckett theatre to celebrate the accomplishments of our Grade five and six public speakers and acknowledge their hard work and skill in communicating effectively at the 14th Annual CDS Public Speaking Contest.Whether they deliver inspiring speeches, informative presentations, or engaging talks, public speakers play a crucial role in sharing ideas and shaping discussions. Through eloquent articulation and confident delivery, students captivated audiences and inspired peers with their powerful words and compelling presence on stage. Their dedication to honing their communication skills has truly paid off, setting a shining example for all.
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CDS Debaters All Advanced to Finals at World Championships
Read MoreCDS experienced several firsts last week at the World Individual Debating & Public Speaking Championships (WIDPSC) held at Canberra Girls Grammar School in Canberra, Australia.Ethan Wahba ’24, Millie Steinmann ’25 and Sarah Croxon ’24 competed in a total of eight finals for CDS, with both Ethan and Millie emerging as World Champions.
According to their coach Kerstin Wyndham-West, who has led the debating program for more than 20 years, “We have never had two students win their individual categories in the same year, and all three made it to eight of the possible 12 finals! That is a record for CDS.”
In the individual events, Ethan is World Champion of Interpretive Reading and finished 3rd in Debating, and Millie is World Champion of Persuasive Speaking. Overall Ethan was the 3rd place speaker, Millie was 9th and Sarah was 18th out of 124 students representing 15 countries.
All three students chose thought-provoking topics and readings to present on. Here some
highlights:
“For my interpretive reading, I performed the short story Going Grapefruit by Ian Richards. This story follows a man who is hit by a car and incurs a traumatic injury which changes the way his brain processes language, in his new language words take on seemingly random meanings. I chose this piece because it reminds us that understanding others is much more than just the words people use, but rather the tone and emotion that comes with it.” – Ethan Wahba ’24
“I presented a persuasive speech about the hidden dangers of energy drinks, particularly for teenagers. Companies like Red Bull specifically market to young people by hiring college students to handout free drinks on university campuses. I don’t think people realize just how much caffeine is in these drinks. Just one can contains as much as six cans of Coke, way more than the recommended daily allowance of caffeine for kids, which can have a really dangerous effect on your heart and long-term health.” – Millie Steinmann ’25
“My persuasive speech looked at the growing problem of the tipping culture across North America. Ever since the pandemic, it has become a growing issue. I feel people should be able to do what they want when it comes to leaving a gratuity. I really enjoyed writing and performing this speech because it is a topic that everyone can relate to in some way.” – Sarah Croxon ’24 -
World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships
Exciting news from the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in Australia - our three debaters have all advanced to the finals! Ethan Wahba '24 will be competing in all 4 event finals, and Sarah Croxon '24 and Millie Steinmann '25 will compete in two each. We wish them all the best!Read More -
CDS to Host One Week of Canada's Debate Camp: June 17-21
We are excited to announce that Canada’s public speaking and debating camp, Debate Camp 2024, for students in Grades 5-10 is holding a one-week camp program at CDS this summer from June 17-21. Run by experienced educators, Debate Camp directors believe in providing an academic enrichment opportunity to youth across Canada and the Northeastern United States via a set of exceptionally well-organized, safe and accredited summer camps. Debate Camp believes in a well-balanced program where an academic focus is combined with opportunities for traditional camp games, and a fun and inspiring approach to learning.Read More -
Students Qualify for Junior High Speech Nationals
Last Saturday, CDS hosted the 2024 Ontario Qualifier for the Junior Nationals for students in Grades 7-9. Anna Druta ‘28 and Liam Gunning ‘27 participated in the tournament alongside 34 other students from 10 different schools.Read More
Land Acknowledgment
The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.
School Information
Junior, Middle and Senior Schools
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario L7B 1K5
(905) 833-1220
communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca
Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.
