Magis Report 

Tournament of Minds (TOM)

Congratulations to our SOSE and STEM Team, who competed in the Regional Finals of Tournament of Minds (TOMs) at Edith Cowan University last Saturday. TOMs is a program for primary and secondary students providing the opportunity to solve authentic, open-ended challenges that foster creative, divergent thinking whilst developing collaborative enterprise, excellence, and teamwork. Our students presented both a long-term challenge solution as well as a spontaneous challenge. The judges commended our teams on their engaging performances. In particular, our SOSE team was awarded a Certificate of Merit for their problem-solving and outstanding creativity.

There is a lot of preparation involved in the lead-up to the competition, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the students who, despite their busy schedules, enthusiastically attended meetings and rehearsals. I would also like to thank Mr Massey who assisted with supervision at the competition, and to Ms Joyner and Mrs Plummer for their tutelage in spontaneous challenge solutions. 

British Parliamentary Debating

We congratulate the following debating teams who took part in the British Parliamentary Debating Tournament held at Hale School last Sunday:

• Charlotte Graieg and Pippa Macdougall
• Niamh Jennings and Ciara Thornton

Unlike the School’s Debating Competition, the British Parliamentary Debating Tournament requires that teams participate in three debates over the course of one day, in a distinct style of parliamentary-based debating – representing the government or opposition. 

We are excited to announce that we have three debating teams progressing to the state Semi-Finals this Monday, 15 September at Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC): 

• Asha Bowers and Rosie O’Toole
• Niamh Jennings and Ciara Thornton

• Luke Nicol and Zachary Sartorello

   

With the highest-ever number of teams participating in this year's competition, it is an outstanding achievement for our College to have multiple teams in the State Semi-Final:

Cygnet Division

• Hale Team 2
• JTC Team 2
• JTC Team 4
• JTC Team 8
• Leeming SHS Team 1
• PLC Team 6
• PLC Team 11
• Perth Modern Team 12

We wish our teams all the best with their debates.

Save the date!

Our Magis Community Mass is scheduled for 8am on Friday 26 September, in the College Chapel. Not only will this be a terrific way to finish a very busy term for students, but moreover, it provides us a wonderful opportunity to come together as a community in celebration and support of the Magis Program. Some students have been nominated to take an active role in the mass, and we thank them in advance. We look forward to seeing our Magis students and their families on the last day of term!

What’s happening next week?

Next week will be our final academic challenge to decide the winner of the 2025 Magis Academic Cup. This challenge will test student knowledge on music and Years 7 to 12 Homerooms have put forward representatives who will take part in this quiz. We wish all students participating in the Music Challenge the best of luck! Besides the State Semi-Finals of the British Parliamentary Debating Competition, we also have a delegation of Year 11 Politics and Law ATAR students who will attend the WA Schools Constitutional Convention – and we look forward to sharing highlights in next week’s College Newsletter.

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!

Magis Camp

A highlight of the Magis calendar is our annual camp to Point Walter, for Years 7 to 9 Magis students, which will be held on Friday, 17 October to Saturday, 18 October (Term 4, Week 11). We have some terrific activities planned, which will prove an enriching experience for students. There will be a number of opportunities for our younger year students to work alongside and learn from our senior school students. The cost of the camp is $200, which covers all activities, transport, food and accommodation. Those interested need to complete the Magis Camp Expression of Interest e-form and submit it by Friday, 19 September (Week 9).

Nature in Focus Photography Competition

Entries are now open for the 2025 Nature in Focus Photography Competition. Last year’s competition saw nearly 500 entries from across Australia, showcasing the extraordinary biodiversity and sustainability efforts across this great land. With nearly $8,000 worth of prizes to be won, show Australia how you keep ‘Nature in Focus!’. Students can enter in three (3) themed categories: Oceans, Wetlands, and Rivers; Sustainability; Species and Habitats. Participants may submit one (1) photograph per entry, per themed category. Photographs must be submitted in digital format and should not be digitally altered beyond standard optimisation (e.g. colour correction, cropping). The competition closes at 11:59pm 26 September, 2025. Visit Conservation Volunteers Australia for more information (Nature In Focus Photo Competition)

National Youth Parliament

150 motivated young Australians - one from every federal electorate - will be selected for a five-day residential program in Canberra in 2026.  You don’t need to have any experience - just a desire to contribute, learn and represent your community. Eligibility: All young people who will be aged 16 - 17 and living in Australia in August 2026 are welcome to apply - regardless of background, education or experience. All essential costs, including travel to and from Canberra, accommodation, all meals and activities, are covered by the program. See website for further details: 

Apply - National Youth Parliament. Applications close 21 November 2025.

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 that 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.

Entries due by 23 April 2026, view Ethics Olympiad website (Case Competition - EthicsOlympiad) for further details.

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.