Magis report 

The ‘more’ in Magis was certainly on display this week!

Tournament of Minds State Finalists

Congratulations to our STEM Team who competed in the Regional Finals of Tournament of Minds (TOM) at Edith Cowan University last Saturday. TOM 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 a long-term challenge solution in which they created a mechanical bird to perform two successful flights with differing tricks. The judges commended the team on their humorous performance, outstanding props and masks, and great engineering skills.

Congratulations to our brilliant STEM team who have been selected for the State Finals which will be held on Saturday 16 September at ECU Joondalup:

• William Clarke
• Luke Nicol
• Nicolas Orugun
• Charles O’Toole
• James Sommerfield
• Jonah Liew
• Tyler Shan

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 Munns who facilitated our students in the engineering lab, and to Ms Joyner for her tutelage in spontaneous challenge solutions.

Creative Edge State Finalists

We are delighted to announce that our Society and Environment Team, who competed in the regional finals of the Creative Edge Competition a few weeks ago, has been selected for the State Finals, which will be held at Curtin University on Saturday, 16 September. 

Congratulations to our Creative Thinkers:

• Lily King
• Rose McLoughlin
• Ewa Krolik
• Leilani McDonnell
• Freya Svendsen

College Creative Writing Competition Winners

We commend all students who took part in our College Creative Writing Competition. A selection of staff read through the numerous entries to determine a Junior (Years 7 and 8), Intermediate (Years 9 and 10) and Senior School (Years 11 and 12) winner. The judges were most impressed by the creativity and the exceptionally high standard of entries.

Congratulations to:

• The Impact of Man by Indigo Ross (Year 7) – Junior prize winner
• Untitled by Phoebe Walsh (Year 9) – Intermediate prize winner
• Mors Mundi by Felix Frichot (Year 11) – Senior prize winner

WA Debating Semi-Finalists

The WA Debating League (WADL) Schools Debating Competition (SDC) quarter-finals took place Tuesday evening at Perth Modern School. Many thanks to the family and friends who came in support.  Our team won their debate against St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls debating the topic: This House regrets the notion that ‘society has gone too far’. The adjudicators commended our speakers on how they engaged critically and maturely with a challenging topic. Congratulations to Zachary Sartorello, Joshua Standen, and Samuel Watts, who have made it through to the semi-finals – an outstanding achievement! These students will compete this Tuesday at Shenton College, and we wish them the best of luck. Please note: The grand final will be held at the University Club on Wednesday, 20 September. This will be a public event with guest speeches and all are welcome. 

Curtin Science Experience & FameLab Academy State Final

On Wednesday morning, a select group of talented Year 9 Science students attended the Science Experience at Curtin University. Students were taken on a tour of the Engineering, Science, and Medicine buildings as well as the T.L. Robertson Library. Students took part in a range of activities, including build your own water rocket and an engineering challenge. There were also exhibitions and interactive sessions with WA researchers and institutions including: computational materials and minerals; and agriculture and environment. The International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research also had a display about their upcoming Stargirls STEM Camp – please see the ‘Magis opportunities to do more’ section below for details. 

In the afternoon, our students supported fellow Year 9 student, Christopher Cesare, who presented a talk on ‘AI and Robots in Military Aviation’ as part of the FameLab Academy state final. We commend Christopher on an outstanding presentation, and hope that all students found the excursion rewarding.  Special thanks to Mr Carrello (Head of Learning Area - Science) for his assistance on the day.

Grace Nicol said:

I really liked listening to the student presentations. It was incredible hearing how passionate everyone was about their chosen topic. Often, we associate public speaking competitions with the humanities, so it was interesting and different to hear talks that were STEM based.

Oliver Syminton said: 

It’s been interesting to learn about all aspects of uni life and the different paths you can take should you pursue a career in STEM. I especially enjoyed speaking with the researchers who discussed their own projects. I had an interesting conversation with one scientist who is looking at a cure for the long-term effects of concussion. Being an avid sports fan, I was drawn to the combination of sports and science. I’m really grateful to the Magis program for this opportunity.

World Scholars Cup – Global Round

It’s almost alpaca time! Following our World Scholars training on Wednesday, the parents of our Global Round Team came together for an information evening. Our Global Team will be heading to The Southport School on the Gold Coast in two weeks, which is tremendously exciting. The World Scholars Cup (WSC) is an annual international academic program. More than 15,000 students from over 65 countries participate every year. In addition to the competition, our students will be visiting the Jellurgul Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, as well as an artist-led guided tour through the Archie 100: A Century of the Archibald Prize Exhibition at HOTA (Home of the Arts). The theme for our tour is: A celebration of learning – and it is sure to be an enriching experience for all involved. Pictured below is our amazing global team at the regional qualifying round.

Mentoring Seminars

An integral part of our College values is the ‘service for others’, and it is wonderful to witness our senior students demonstrate these values through their leadership and mentoring of our lower school students. Aditi Nguyen and Amelia Watts (both in Year 10) visited our Year 7 Magis Elective classes earlier in the week, offering guidance, encouragement, and support to our Junior Debaters. Also, some of our talented Year 11 students provided a wonderful introduction to British Parliamentary Debating for our new recruits. We wish our British Parliamentary Debating Teams the best of luck in their respective competitions over the weekend. Asha Paton and Meg Derbyshire (Year 11) will be competing at Hale School on Saturday, whilst Christopher Tan, Henry McGlue (Year 7), Jacob Davila, and Thomas Syminton (Year 11) will be competing at St. Stephens School on Sunday.

MAGIS: OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE!

Shakespeare Incursion

On the first day back next term, Tuesday, 10 October, the Magis Program will be hosting 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 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 gives students a glimpse at another world and helps improve their logical thinking processes, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness. The incursion will be held during Period 5 and 6. Students will take part in a short activity prepared by our Shakespeare Club students. This will be followed by a ‘Such Sweet Sorrow’ performance and then a Q&A session with the actors. Students who wish to attend must complete the online form on Magis Teams  by Monday 11 September (Week 9). For further details, please view the attached flyer. Pictured below are photos from last year’s wonderful incursion attended by Federal Member for Curtin, Ms Kate Chaney MP. To the immense pleasure of the students, Ms Chaney took to the stage in the role of Queen Gertrude from Hamlet. It was terrific fun!

Magis Camp

A highlight of the Magis calendar is our annual camp to Point Walter, for Years 7 to 10 Magis students, which will be held from Friday, 27 October to Saturday, 28 October (Term 4, Week 3). 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. Many thanks to our Magis Committee, who have provided student voice to the program this year. Those interested need to complete the Magis Camp Expression of Interest Form and submit it to either Student Administration or the Magis Office by Wednesday, 20 September (Week 10). An electronic version of the form is also available on Magis Teams.

Stargirls STEM Camp

Are you interested in pursuing astronomy, engineering, or data science as a career path? Join high school girls and other underrepresented genders for a free Astronomy Day Camp from 23rd – 25th January 2024, hosted by the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR). This camp is open to all high school students in Years 9-12 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 Curtin and UWA ICRAR campuses, along with a visit to the Pawsey Supercomputer Research Centre.

Positions are limited, so early applications are essential. See the flyer below for further details. Please notify the Magis Coordinator (Ms Farley) and Head of Science (Mr Carrello) if you choose to apply.

International Debating Championships (IDC)

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. It is open to students in Years 7-10 across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. For further details please click on the link here.  Please email your expression of interest by Friday, 22 September (Week 10).

Raise Our Voice

Raise Our Voice Australia has partnered with federal MPs and Senators who will read a 90 second speech written by a person aged 25 or under. If you'd like the chance to hear your words read in parliament, or on social media if your MP is a Minister, you're in the right place! Our question this year is: What change would make Australia a better place for future generations? Speeches can be submitted by clicking the link here. 

Submissions close 15 September 2023, with Youth Voice in Parliament week taking place from 16-20 October 2023. If you would like to bounce your ideas off someone, or need assistance writing your submission, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Magis Coordinator. What a terrific way to get involved in Australian Democracy.

Chevron Focus Environment Photography Competition

Entries are now open for the 2023 Chevron Focus Environment Competition – so grab a camera, get outdoors, and start photographing WA’s biodiversity. It could be as simple as some spring wildflowers or a neighbourhood magpie! Include a short caption with your photo and submit it online. Jasper Bailey (Year 9) was one of last year’s winners. His photo, titled ‘The Thoughtful Owl’ is featured on the 2023 competition flyer. What an amazing photo! For further details please click on the link below. Entries are due Friday 22 September. 

$25,000 to be shared between winning students and their schools!

Calendar

You can keep up to date with Magis and Altiora events by following the Term 3 calendar – which can be accessed by clicking on the link below. 

Daisy Farley

Magis Coordinator – Gifted and Talented