Magis report 

WADL Debating League

The first finals round of the WA Debating League (WADL) Schools Debating Competition (SDC) took place on Tuesday evening at Perth Modern School. Many thanks to the family and friends who came in support.  We are very excited to announce that ALL our debating finalists won their debates, knocking out some exceptionally talented school teams in the process. The adjudicators were thoroughly impressed by our students' passion, ability, and sportsmanship, and we commend them for their outstanding efforts. Congratulations to:

• JTC 4
  • Luke Nicol
  • Henry McGlue
  • Zachary Sartorello
  • Christopher Tan
     
• JTC 5
  • James Sommerfield
  • Charlie O'Toole
  • Lily King
  • Isla Strong
     
• JTC 7
  • Olivia Ince
  • Charlie Tegg
  • Jenna Romano
  • Emily Rintoul

The next finals round will be held this Tuesday, 13 August at Mount Lawley Senior High School. Our team’s debates commence at 6:15pm. As the debate format for these finals is impromptu, teams will be required to arrive at the venue an hour and 15 minutes before their scheduled debate time (5pm). A copy of the finals draw can be found on the WADL website. We wish all our debating finalists the best of luck.

Mentoring Session

It is always wonderful to witness our senior school students demonstrate our College values through their leadership and mentoring of our lower school students. At recess yesterday, our award-winning Year 12 Senior Ethics Team met with our Junior Ethics Teams from Years 7 and 8. They offered advice and shared stories about lessons learnt over their five years competing in the Ethics Olympiad. A big thank you to Gemma Bailey, Meg Cleary, Meg Derbyshire, Asha Paton and Sky Pineda Beasley. 

What’s happening next week?

In celebration of National Science Week, students from Years 7 through to Year 12 will take part in an Academic Challenge which will test student knowledge on all things STEM. This will be our fifth Academic House Challenge for the year. Each Homeroom nominates up to 10 students who take part in a quiz to test students’ knowledge across a number of disciplines. Students receive valuable House points for participating, and points for place positions. These points go towards awarding not only the Magis Academic Cup, for the highest achieving House, but also the overall College House Shield. We wish all students participating in the STEM Challenge the best of luck!

We encourage any student interested in Science to visit the Science Week website and take part in the activities and events being offered. 

MAGIS: OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE!

WA Schools Constitutional Convention 

The Constitutional Centre of Western Australia has announced that the Western Australian Schools Constitutional Convention (WASCC) for Year 11 Politics and Law students will be held on Thursday, 12 September 2024. The WASCC is a peak event for WA students, bringing together Year 11 students from across WA to engage with academic and professional experts on topics related to Australia's Constitution and democratic system of government. This year's convention will examine the topic 'Does Australia need a Bill of Rights?', inviting students to investigate the ways rights are currently protected in Australia and around the world. This topic speaks to key elements from the Year 12 Politics and Law SCSA curriculum. The day will include a keynote address from an accomplished legal expert, a moderated panel discussion with highly regarded academics and industry guests, and workshops to provide an opportunity for students to reflect and engage with the key themes of the day. Those students who attend the State Convention and are continuing with the PAL course in Year 12, will be eligible to apply for the National Constitutional Convention, which will be held in Canberra in March 2025. This is a fully funded trip - with flights, accommodation, food, travel expenses etc., paid for by the government. Expressions of interest are to be emailed to Ms Farley, the Head of Learning Areas HASS and Magis, by Friday, 16 August. 

British Parliamentary Debating Competition

The WA Debating League is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2024 British Parliamentary Debating Competition. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to develop their skills in public speaking, teamwork, and problem-solving. It is an extremely rewarding competition. Students who have taken part in previous years have found that the skills they learned during the competition, transferred across subjects in school and different extracurricular classes. Students will also have a lot of fun on the day, as they can partner up with a friend, explore a range of interesting topics, and meet new people. For more information on the format of the competition and the different skills learned, please see the attached flyer. Expressions of interest are due by Monday, 19 August (Week 6). 

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.

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. 

Daisy Farley

Head of Learning Areas – HASS & Magis