Magis Report
College Chess Tournament
Round 4 of our College Chess Tournament was played this week, and we congratulate the students who are progressing to the preliminary final:
- Ashton Godfrey (Year 5)
- Daniel Schuler (Year 6)
- Axl White (Year 6)
- Nathan Riolino (Year 8)
- James Sommerfield (Year 9)
- Christopher Tan (Year 9)
- Ewan Fisher (Year 11)
- Joseph Nankivell (Year 11)
- Oliver Syminton (Year 11)
- Dylan Betts (Year 12)
- Hunter Bovell (Year 12)
- Luke Carrello (Year 12)
- Stavros Karafilakis (Year 12)
Fixtures have been sent to students, and a hard copy can be found on the Magis Noticeboard. We wish all our chess players the best of luck. One of these students will be crowned our 2025 College Grandmaster.
WA Debating League Update
The first of the Make Up Rounds (MUR) for the WA Debating League (WADL) Schools Debating Competition (SDC) will be held this Tuesday, 17 June (Week 18) at Shenton College. We have four teams that have debates which were postponed from Rounds 1 and 2. A copy of our MUR fixtures is available below. As these are prepared motions, students need only arrive 15-minutes prior to the start of their debate. Communication has been sent to students and families. Please note, the list of teams progressing to finals won’t be released until after the MUR’s have been completed, and are likely to be held at the start of Term 3.
What’s happening next week?
We have the first of the postponed WADL SDC debates taking place on Tuesday evening. Our Mock Trials Team will be busy working on their civil trial prep, in lead up to their Week 19 Trial at the Supreme Court. Importantly, our Magis Elective students, will be putting the finishing touches to their projects, with the exhibition fast approaching. Here is a sneak peek of the exhibition program – listing the projects which will be on show.
Save the date
Our Years 7 and 8 Magis elective students will be displaying their Personal Projects in an exhibition held at the Thomas More Exhibition Centre on Thursday, 26 June (Week 19) between 7:30am and 8:45am. This will mark the culmination of many months of hard work and planning, and we very much look forward to sharing with students, staff, and parents in the celebration of our talented students.
The Grand Final of the 2025 College Public Speaking Competition will be held on Wednesday, 30 July (Term 3, Week 2) at 6:30pm in the Gonzaga Barry Lecture Theatre (GBLT). Invitations will be sent to the parents and guardians of our grand finalists in due course. However, we would like to take this opportunity to extend an invitation to the wider College Community. It is sure to be a wonderful evening with the extraordinary talents of our students on display. We are excited to have a panel of esteemed Magis Alumni, who will have the difficult task of deciding the top public speaker from each year group.
You can keep up to date with our schedule of competitions and events by viewing the Magis calendar, which can be accessed by clicking on the link below.
Daisy Farley
Head of Magis – Gifted and Talented
Magis: Opportunities to do more!
Junior Gifted Stretch
We are in the process of selecting twelve Year 8 students to take part in the 2025 Junior Stretch and Challenge Conference, in conjunction with Oxford University and Thriving Minds. This transformative event is crafted to unleash the full potential of gifted minds, with a specific focus on philosophy, science and ethics. 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 Tuesday, 2 September (Term 3, Week 7).
Middle School Ethics Olympiad
Ethics Olympiad provides students with a unique opportunity to develop skills in critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. It is designed to get students thinking, talking, and ultimately working together on some of the tough moral issues of our time. Its objective is to do more than just help students think through ethical issues: It is to teach students how to think through ethical issues together, as fellow citizens in a complex moral and political community. This international competition is open to students in Years 7 to 9. Team positions are highly coveted, with only 10 spots available. Expressions of interest are due Monday, 23 June (Week 19). A training clinic will be held in Term 3, with the competition scheduled for Term 4.
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 7-10 across Australia, New Zealand and Asia and will be conducting two divisions; Junior (Years 7-8), and Senior (Years 9-10). 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 Monday, 4 August (Term 3, Week 3).
The Global Voices Fellowship
Attention Year 12 students: Applications are now open for the Global Voices Fellowship. This life-changing program aims to upskill and develop the next generation of Australian leaders to contribute to domestic and global decision-making. This is a fully funded scholarship, with all domestic and international flights, accommodations, breakfasts, visas, insurance, and registration fees covered. For more information, please click the link below or speak with the Head of Magis.
Further information is available here.
Astronomy Club
Calling all stargazers and astronomy lovers! Join our College’s Astronomy Club, where you’ll learn more about the night sky and the history behind constellations, gain confidence with telescopes, and discover tips to make stargazing more enjoyable. It is a great social club where you’ll meet like-minded people of all ages, who share a passion for learning and stargazing. The Astronomy Club meets on the College Oval on various evenings throughout the year – and has a few events booked with the Perth Observatory. For more information, please email the Club Coordinator, Mr Peter Mazur (Mathematics Learning Area), or the Head of Magis.