Magis Report
College Chess Tournament Grand Final
Over 60 participants took part in our College Chess Tournament this year. Over the past eight weeks, chess players from Years 4 through to Year 12 have taken part in a series of knockout rounds. The Grand Final was held on Tuesday and what a game it was! Axl White (Year 6) took on Christopher Tan (Year 9) – a battle between Primary and Secondary School! It was heartwarming to see so many students coming to support their classmates. When Christopher announced 'checkmate', applause rose from the crowd, with both players shaking hands and congratulating each other on a great game. We congratulate both players on a terrific achievement and recognise the wonderful spirit of fairness and camaraderie in which they conducted their game. Both Christopher and Axl will be awarded their trophies at our Magis Awards Breakfast later this year.
Personal Project Exhibition
Last Friday, our Years 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 as a community to celebrate the talents of our GATE students. This exhibition not only marks the culmination of many months of hard work and planning, but also the completion of the Semester 1 Magis Elective Course. The Personal Project Assessment forms a major component of the Elective Course and is based on the International Baccalaureate 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 explored topics that they would study in later years, whilst others pursued topics that could only be studied at a tertiary level. The results were simply outstanding! We commend the students on the enthusiasm with which they discussed their projects and the professional manner in which they were executed. The exhibition’s programme, with the full list of Personal Projects, can be found below.
Many thanks to the staff, family, and friends who came to the exhibition. It was also wonderful to see so many students had come in support of their peers, honouring our Ignatian values of being ‘people for others’ (homines pro aliis).
Course Completion!
In true Magis spirit, our elective students continued striving for the Magis even in their final lessons this week. Students were tasked with a series of academic challenges which tested their problem-solving, teamwork and general knowledge. Congratulations to our Years 7 and 8 students on the successful completion of their Magis Elective Course. We look forward to welcoming a new cohort of students next Semester.
What’s happening in Term 3?
Next term, the Magis Program will host The Players from the Bell Shakespeare Company for a wonderful afternoon of Shakespeare immersion. A key aspect of our GATE program is providing opportunities for our 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 provides students with a glimpse into another world, and it helps improve their logical thinking processes, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness. The incursion will be held on Friday, 22 August (Term 3, Week 5), during periods 5 and 6. Students will take part in a short activity, followed by a performance of Macbeth: The Rehearsal and then a Q&A with the actors. We will also be extending this opportunity to a selection of English students. Further details can be found on the flyer below.
A selection of Year 8 Magis students will attend the 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. Speaking of ethics, our Junior Ethics Teams will take part in a Training Clinic, where they will hear from global experts from Harvard University, the New School of Social Research in New York, and the Ethics Centre in Sydney, to name a few.
Our Academic Challenges continue for all Secondary School students, with the STEM and Music Challenges. We will also be holding the Grand Final of the College Public Speaking Competition, and we invite members of our College Community to attend.
Competition-wise, we have the finals of the WA Debating League (WADL) Schools Debating Competition (SDC), the British Parliamentary Debating Competition, Tournament of Minds, and UN Youth events.
We will also be welcoming an academic in residence, Fr Frank Brennan SJ, and Magis students will be encouraged to attend his lectures in conjunction with our Politics and Law ATAR students. We also look forward to welcoming a new cohort of Years 7 and 8 Magis Elective students. And we will finish the Term as one, celebrating Magis in our Week 10 Community Mass.
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!
British Parliamentary Debating
British Parliamentary Debating is an excellent opportunity for students to develop their public speaking skills and learn a new style of debating. It is a niche and intensive competition that encourages teamwork and thinking outside of the box. The skills gained in this competition can transfer across all subjects and other co-curricular activities. Students will receive a crash course on the day of the competition and will be assisted in preparing for their first debate. With that said, we strongly encourage students to read through the BP Handbook and view the WADL/BP YouTube Channel before submitting an expression of interest. Students can find further competition details on Magis Teams. Expressions of interest close Monday, 4 August (Term 3, Week 3).
International Debating Championships
The International Debating Championships offer high-quality debating instruction and tournaments for Australian and international schools, continuing to develop students’ public speaking skills, analytical abilities, 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, leading 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 Craig Silvey Award for Young Writers
The City of Subiaco proudly presents the 2025 Craig Silvey Award for Young Writers. This award recognises and celebrates the talent and potential of WA's young writers from Years 1 to Year 12. Stories submitted must be an original piece of prose writing, no more than 2000 words in length. Entries close Monday, 11 August at 5:30pm. Please note: There are winter writing workshops scheduled for the school holidays. Visit the city's events page for more information.
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, covering all domestic and international flights, accommodations, breakfasts, visas, insurance, and registration fees. 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.