Magis report
Welcome back
Term 3 is set to be another exciting and busy time for Magis. Competitions and events galore. With so much happening, it is important that students are diligent in reading their Monday student newsletter (The Magis Memo), Teams notices, and attend all practice sessions, development seminars and team meetings. Most competitions are team events, so individual commitment to a group effort is vitally important. We warmly welcome a new cohort of students to our Magis elective classes and look forward to hearing about their endeavours over the course of the semester.
Tomorrow, Year 12 Magis students Asha Paton and Thomas Syminton will represent our College in the Plain English-Speaking Awards State Final. The primary aim of the Award is to encourage and maintain the best use of clear and effective English. Students are to deliver an 8-minute speech on a topic of their choice, followed by a 3-minute impromptu speech on an assigned topic. Thomas will speak on the feasibility of nuclear power, while Asha will address the influences on lawmaking. We wish both Thomas and Asha the best of luck.
Update: Shakespeare Incursion
Students have been notified of the change of date for our Shakespeare Incursion. A key aspect of our GATE program is providing opportunities for students to learn 'more'. It is important for our students to be exposed to a wide range of genres, styles, and topics. Learning about Shakespeare gives students a glimpse at another world, and it helps improve their logical thinking processes, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness. The incursion will now be held on Monday 21 October (Term 4, Week 13).
What’s happening next week?
On Wednesday, our Senior Ethics Team (pictured below) will compete in the International Final of Ethics Olympiad. Our students will be competing against teams from Canada, the US, New Zealand, and Hong Kong to name a few – and we wish these students every success. We also have planning meetings for Creative Edge and Tournament of Minds. Whilst some of our debating students will have training in preparation for the finals of the WA Debating League.
MAGIS: OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE!
College Creative Writing Competition
The College Creative Writing Competition is now open! Students from Years 7 to 12 are invited to submit an original poem or short story. This competition encourages imagination, innovation, and creativity. There are great book prizes and trophies to be won. Further details can be found on our flyer below.
Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition provides a platform for young, ambitious high school students to exercise their writing skills and compete with students from all over the world. This competition encourages students to challenge themselves and explore different writing styles to ultimately strengthen their writing skills. The competition features two key rounds, the regional qualifiers held throughout five regions, followed by the global finals. To compete in the global round, participants must go head-to-head with local participants and place in the top 15 of the regional qualifiers. The top 12 submissions of the final 75, will be recognised in the global final and will win awesome prizes. As Harvard registration opens 1 October 2024 and closes 31 January 2025, we asked that students (aged 13-18) submit their expression of interest to the Head of Magis by Monday, 9 September 2024. This will be followed by a series of meetings and training seminars in preparation for the competition. Regional qualifiers will be held in February 2025, with Globals held in March 2025. For more information, please click the link below or speak with the Head of Magis.
International Debating Championships
International Debating Championships provide quality debating teaching and tournaments for Australian and international schools, continuing to develop students’ public speaking skills, analytical ability, and general knowledge. The tournament will be held entirely online via Zoom on Friday nights during Term 4 of the NSW school term. It is open to students in Years 7 to 10 across Australia, New Zealand and Asia and will be conducting two divisions; Junior (Years 7 and 8), and Senior (Years 9 and 10). The tournament will be adjudicated by qualified and experienced university debating adjudicators. We will be holding debate development training seminars in Term 3, in the lead-up to the Term 4 competition. Expressions of interest are to be emailed to the Head of Magis by Friday 2 August (Term 3, Week 3).
Junior Gifted Stretch
We are in the process of selecting 12 students across Years 7 to 9 to take part in the 2024 Junior Stretch and Challenge Conference, in conjunction with Academy Learning and Thriving Minds. This transformative event is crafted to unleash the full potential of gifted minds, with a specific focus on STEM-related themes. Nurturing self-discovery, innovation, and intellectual growth, the conference is designed to inspire ambition. By attending, students will be inspired to think deeply, gain valuable insights, and develop skills essential for future success. The conference will be held on Friday 30 August (Term 3, Week 7).
Shakespeare Club
Are you a fan of the Bard? Or interested in extending your literature knowledge further? Why not join our College Shakespeare Club? The Club's mission is to foster enjoyment in reading and encourage academic discussion of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. For further details or registration, please email the Head of Magis.
Here’s to striving for ‘more’ in Term 3!
Daisy Farley
Head of Learning Areas – HASS & Magis