Magis Report 

Personal Project Exhibition

On Wednesday our Year 7 and 8 Magis Elective students displayed their Personal Projects in an exhibition held at the Thomas More Exhibition Centre. This is a very special event on the Magis calendar for it allows us to come together to celebrate the talents of our GATE students. This exhibition not only marked the culmination of many months of hard work and planning, but also the completion of the Semester 2 Magis Elective Course. The Personal Project Assessment forms a major component of the Magis Elective Course and is based on the International Baccalaureate program but modified to suit younger students and the timeframe within which the course is run. Students were challenged to choose a project related to a major interest or passion of theirs. Some students explored topics that they would study in later years, whilst other pursued tertiary level topics. The results were simply outstanding! We commend the students on the enthusiasm in which they discussed their projects and the professional way they were executed. Projects ranged from Genghis Khan to the Artemis Program. We also had a student study the science behind perfume making, and display samples of her male and female perfume line. A full list of Personal Projects can be found by clicking on the exhibition’s program below.

It was fabulous to see siblings display their projects side by side: The Gallagher brothers (Patrick in Year 8, and William and Edward in Year 7), the Buhre sisters (Ada in Year 8 and Ester in Year 7), and the McLoughlin siblings (Rose in Year 8 and Louis in Year 7). Magis runs in the family!

Many thanks to the staff, family, and friends who came to the exhibition. It was also a wonderful to see so many students who come in support of their peers – honouring our Ignatian values of being ‘people for others’ (homines pro aliis). 

Magis Academic Challenge

Last week our Year 7 to 10 students took part in a Theology challenge. This was the first challenge, in a series of challenges, that are held throughout the year. With each Homeroom nominating up to 10 students to take part in a quiz testing student knowledge across a number of disciplines. Challenge points go towards awarding not only the Magis Academic Cup for the highest achieving House, but also the overall College House Shield. Other challenges include Spelling; STEM; Humanities, Art, Languages, and Literature; and Music. 

Congratulations to St Louis House who were the winners of the Theology Challenge. We also congratulate the following Year group winners:

• Year 7: Angus Perera (Campion)
• Year 8: Isaac McCready (St Louis); Rose McLoughlin (Ward); and Orlando Ligovich (Ward)
• Year 9: Joshua Macfarlane (St Louis)
• Year 10: Alyssa Nguyen (Loyola)

MAGIS: OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE!

StarGirls STEM Camp

Are you interested in pursuing astronomy, engineering, or data science as a career path? Join high school girls for a free Astronomy Day Camp hosted by the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR). This camp is open to all high school students in Years 9 to12 whose gender identities are underrepresented in astronomy, engineering, or data science. Highlights include: 

• Meet and talk with women who have made their careers in astrophysics, engineering and data science; 
• Use research-grade telescopes to take and process your own deep space images and take part in a night-time stargazing event; and 
• Visit leading space research centres, including our Curtin and UWA ICRAR campuses, along with a visit to the Pawsey Supercomputer Research Centre. 

The next Stargirls+ camp will be held during the week of 27 January 2025. Stargirls+ is hosted at ICRAR in Perth, Western Australia, at UWA and Curtin locations. This is a day camp, which will require transport to and from the site each day. Food will be provided throughout the event. Places are limited, so early applications are encouraged. What’s it like to do the Stargirls+ STEM Camp? Click on the link here for a video. Further information, including the application form, can be found here. Please note applications will close on Sunday 1 December 2024. Please notify the Head of Magis once you have submitted your application.

Ethics Olympiad Case Writing Competition

Ethics Olympiad are holding a case writing competition with prize money to be won. Submissions should follow the general format for Ethics Olympiad cases: a scenario, between 400 and 800 words long, which highlights a clear moral issue and is appropriate for middle or high-school students and is written in a way that encourages civil discourse. The scenario should be framed so the central issue is clearly moral and not simply or primarily legal or professional. Knowledge of the structure of the Ethics Olympiad competition is important, and it is for that reason that we would recommend the case writing competition to students who have previously participated in an Ethics Olympiad. For more information, please click on the link here or view the 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. 

Daisy Farley

Head of Learning Areas – HASS & Magis