Magis Report 

Magis Camp

Years 7 to 9 Magis students departed last Friday for our annual Magis Camp. This camp is specifically designed to meet the needs of our Gifted and Talented students within a fun and supportive environment. The program provides our students with an opportunity to extend and enrich their learning further and let creative talents flourish. 

The first stop on our itinerary was to the WA Maritime Museum, where students received a hands-on taste of what scientists do, replicating experiments done in the field. Students explored topics such as sustainability, the impact of human activity and environmental changes in WA’s rivers and oceans, as well as the management of our resources. This session links directly with the Year 9 Science Curriculum, so for our Year 7 students, this was stretching them two years in advance of their age group.

This session was followed by a screening of Empress Joséphine’s Garden, an immersive large-screen digital experience exploring the story of Empress Joséphine Bonaparte’s Garden in Paris. Students learnt about the French Empire as an era of great political change and new Enlightenment ideas about science, culture and the natural world. The key curriculum concepts explored in this session included Year 9 HASS, Year 11 Modern History, Visual Arts, and French.

The weather was wonderful for our walk along the foreshore to Cicerello’s Fremantle, where we had lunch. In the afternoon, students toured Notre Dame University before heading back to the Museum to view two documentary films in a curved dome cinema. The first film, Star Dreaming, examined astrophysics and Aboriginal culture, whilst the second film followed a marine scientist’s voyage through WA’s iconic Ningaloo Reef. Students learnt about the complexities of this ecosystem, including the process of coral spawning and the effects global warming has had on the reef. 

They then travelled to the Point Walter Recreation Centre, where Year 12 Magis leaders Thomas Syminton (2024 Magis Captain) and Asha Paton hosted an exciting quiz night followed by a talent show. Thomas also delivered the camp’s keynote address, sharing highlights of his time in Magis over the past five years, and providing an insight into what he hopes to pursue at university next year. Unfortunately, we were unable to conduct our astronomy session due to cloud cover, but we are excited to announce a pizza and astronomy session for Week 17. Further details can be found in our ‘Magis: Opportunities to do more!’ section.

We had some early risers who took part in a pre-breakfast walk along the Swan River. Our final session was led by the Director of Creative Edge Thinking, Ms Kathy Boyatzis. In this session, students worked together in teams on a series of impromptu challenges designed to develop both critical and creative thinking skills. Students were encouraged to experiment with original ways to communicate their challenge solution to an audience, and we commend all students on their stellar performances.

The Magis Camp wouldn’t be possible without the wonderful support of our amazing teachers. Special thanks to Ms Galati, Mr O’Hara, Ms O’Connor and Mr Mazur for helping make this a memorable experience for all – and thank you also to our Year 12 students Thomas and Asha for finding time in their busy WACE schedules.

British Parliamentary Debating State Final

The State Grand Final of the 2024 British Parliamentary Debating Competition was held on Monday evening at Perth Modern School. Our Year 8 debating dynamite duo, Luke Nicol and Zachary Sartorello, represented the government, alongside a team from St Hilda’s, with teams from St Mary’s and Perth Modern School siding as the opposition. The debate topic was: This house would direct environmental policy towards mitigation of climate change, rather than prevention. Whilst Perth Modern School (Year 9 Team) were declared the winners, all teams were commended for delivering an exceptionally high-level debate. We congratulate Luke and Zachary on their achievement.

International Debating Championships

Round 1 of the 2024 International Debating Championships was held on Wednesday, with Round 2 being held later this evening. This competition is held over the zoom platform, to allow students to debate with schools across Australia, New Zealand and at various International Schools. Round 3 will be held next Friday 8 November.

MAGIS: OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE!

Astronomy Evening

As our Magis Camp astronomy session was cancelled due to cloud cover, we are putting on an astronomy evening on Thursday 21 November at 7pm to 8:30pm. Dinner will be provided. We hope to be able to view Saturn, Venus and Ring Nebular. If you are interested in astronomy, this will be a terrific evening to be a part of. To reserve your place, please email the Head of Magis by Monday 11 November. 

TEDx Youth Event

Take part in the global TEDx movement and get connected, engaged and inspired! Hear from young scientists, campaigners, artists etc, each with a remarkable story to tell. Nine world premiere TEDx talks, performances, short films, and other interactive break experiences. Attendees receive a light lunch and break refreshments. We are looking at getting a group of around 10 students together to attend this event on Saturday 23 November (12:30-5pm) at the WA State Theatre. Students need to email their expression of interest to the Head of Magis by Monday 11 November. Click here for further details.

StarGirls STEM Camp

Are you interested in pursuing astronomy, engineering, or data science as a career path? Join high school girls for a free Astronomy Day Camp hosted by the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR). This camp is open to all high school students in Years 9 to12 whose gender identities are underrepresented in astronomy, engineering, or data science. Highlights include: 

• Meet and talk with women who have made their careers in astrophysics, engineering and data science; 
• Use research-grade telescopes to take and process your own deep space images and take part in a night-time stargazing event; and 
• Visit leading space research centres, including our Curtin and UWA ICRAR campuses, along with a visit to the Pawsey Supercomputer Research Centre. 

The next Stargirls+ camp will be held during the week of 27 January 2025. Stargirls+ is hosted at ICRAR in Perth, Western Australia, at UWA and Curtin locations. This is a day camp, which will require transport to and from the site each day. Food will be provided throughout the event. Places are limited, so early applications are encouraged. What’s it like to do the Stargirls+ STEM Camp? Click on the link here for a video. Further information, including the application form, can be found here. Please note applications will close on Sunday 1 December 2024. Please notify the Head of Magis once you have submitted your application.

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 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. For more information, please click on the link here or view the flyer below.

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. 

Daisy Farley

Head of Learning Areas – HASS & Magis