Magis Report
Magis 2026 is well and truly underway, with students enthusiastically taking up the call to strive for excellence – to strive for the ‘more’ – from signing up to competitions, to setting their academic goals. Our WA Debating, Mock Trials and World Scholar Teams have been finalised, with team lists to be released early next week, ahead of their meetings and development seminars. We will be sending communication to the families of those students who have been selected for these teams.
As most competitions are team events, individual commitment to a group effort is vitally important. We ask our GATE students to uphold our College values and be ‘people for others’. As students are required to do their due diligence prior to signing up for a competition, there is no dropping out partway through.
As parents know, our GATE students receive a student newsletter every Monday, the Magis Memo, which lists their meeting and training times for the week. Some of the skills our students learn as part of the Magis program include organisation, independence and multi-tasking. Parents will receive a notification in SEQTA (‘attendance concern’) if their child has missed a co-curricular meeting more than once without sending an apology in advance. Full attendance at meetings and completion of required preparation are essential to our team's success.
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!
Da Vinci Decathlon
The da Vinci Decathlon is designed to celebrate the academic gifts of Australian youth by providing a stimulating and challenging academic competition run in the spirit of an Olympic Decathlon. This year’s state final theme is 'Machines and Mechanics.' Students compete in teams of eight across 10 disciplines: engineering, mathematics, code breaking, art and poetry, science, English, ideation, creative producers, cartography, and legacy. This competition is open to students in Years 7-10. Our teams last year did exceptionally well, winning several prizes. We look forward to continuing our success in 2026. Please see the da Vinci Decathlon website, for further details, including competition dates. This is a one-day competition held at UWA. Nominations close Monday, 23 February (Week 4).
Senior Ethics Olympiad
Ethics Olympiad provides students with a unique opportunity to develop skills in critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. This competition 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 teaches students how to think through ethical issues together, as fellow citizens in a complex moral and political community. The Senior Ethics Olympiad is open to students in Years 10 to 12. Further information can be found on the competition’s website. Nominations close Monday, 23 February (Week 4). Please note: A Middle School Ethics Olympiad will be held later in the year and is open to students in Years 7 to 9.
UN Youth State Conference
UN Youth’s State and Territory Conferences are overnight events that bring together students from across a region to explore a complex and interesting topic in international affairs, law, and global politics. Conferences combine a range of workshops, speaker panels, case study explorations, and signature UN Youth activities, including Interactive Problem Solving and model UN debates. The 2026 Conference theme is The Age of New Energy. The global energy transition is one of the biggest collective projects humanity has ever undertaken, demanding cooperation among governments, industry, and communities alike. Students will dive into how technology, politics, and public opinion collide to shape the future of energy. The State and Territory conferences will allow students to gain valuable insight from immersive educational experiences and develop skills to form and defend their own stances on issues, an increasingly important skill in international politics today. Expressions of interest must detail why you would like to represent the College at this year's State Conference. We will be selecting a small delegation to attend. Nominations close Monday, 23 March (Week 8). Please note: The WA State Conference will be held Friday, 1 May – Sunday, 3 May (Term 2, Week 11) at Seaside Camp for Children, Rockingham.
Book Launch
Students, parents, staff and friends are warmly invited to attend an upcoming book launch being hosted at John XXIII College: Pope Francis: The Disruptive Pilgrim’s Guide, authored by Fr Frank Brennan SJ AO. This special event will be officiated by The Most Reverend Timothy Costelloe SDB, Archbishop of Perth, together with Fr Frank Brennan. The evening will be an opportunity to hear directly from Fr Brennan as he explores Pope Francis’ impact as a 'disruptive pilgrim' and offers a rich reflection on the transformative, and often disruptive, papacy of Pope Francis.
Details:
- Date: Tuesday 24 February (Week 4)
- Time: 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
- Venue: Thomas More Exhibition Centre (TMEC), John XXIII College
- Booking link: https://www.trybooking.com/1514428
Specialty Talk
Fr Frank Brennan will be our Academic in Residence later this term. Fr Brennan will be here to launch his new book (see Book Launch details above), and he will also be conducting a series of lectures. Of interest to some students will be our Politics & Law Specialty Talk held in the Gonzaga Barry Lecture Theatre (GBLT) on Thursday, 26 February (3:30pm - 5:00pm). This talk will be tailored to Politics & Law ATAR students, and we extend the invitation to Magis students as well. The following topics will be discussed:
- The Hollingworth Affair: Was the Governor-General held to account?
- Pell: A miscarriage of justice
- Should Australia have a bill of rights?
Indigenous rights in post-Voice referendum Australia
Please email the Head of Magis should you wish to attend. RSVP by Monday, 23 February (Week 4).
Ethics Olympiad Case Writing Awards
Please note: This competition is suited to students who have completed/are familiar with an Ethics Olympiad. Students in Years 7-12 are invited to submit a case which, if chosen, would be used internationally for both the Middle School and Senior Ethics Olympiads. Information can be found on the attached flyer and/or on the competition's website. Prize money and prestige to be won! Cases are to be submitted directly to Ethics Olympiad by 24 April (Term 2, Week 10).
What Matters? Writing Competition
Inspired by Gough Whitlam’s commitment to involving young people in shaping Australia’s future, the What Matters? Writing competition is currently open to school students in Years 5 to 12 from Australia. Responding to the simple question ‘what matters?’, entrants are free to express their views on any matter they care about. Part writing exercise, part civics and citizenship activity, What Matters? is the perfect opportunity to empower students to raise their voices on issues that are important to them and know that their perspectives are valuable, no matter their age, background or viewpoint. Entries can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry or prose of up to 600 words, and submitted online. Please visit the website Whitlam Institute What Matters for more information, including samples of past winners. Major cash prizes to be won! Submission deadline is Friday, 15 May (Term 2, Week 13).
