Magis Report 

Personal Project Exhibition 

It has been another VERY busy week for our Magis program!  Yesterday, our Years 7 and 8 Magis Elective students displayed their Personal Projects in an exhibition held at the Thomas More Exhibition Centre. This marked the culmination of many months of hard work and planning, and we look forward to sharing a full account of the exhibition along with photos of our student exhibits in next week’s College Newsletter.  For now, here is a photo of our amazing students, having packed away their exhibits, celebrating together. Wonderful camaraderie amongst this cohort. 

Mock Trials

Round 3 of the Law Society of Western Australia Mock Trial Competition was held at the WA Supreme Court last night. Our team went against Rossmoyne Senior High School, appearing for the Applicant in a civil case. The issue in dispute was whether the Applicant was terminated from her employment because she exercised her workplace rights to make complaints and inquiries in relation to her employment, and being able to make a workers' compensation claim. We congratulate our Mock Trials team on winning not only their trial but also the round. I would like to take this opportunity to commend our outstanding Mock Trials Team, who had a very short turnaround in preparation for this trial, due to their Senior School examinations and other co-curricular commitments. An exceptional effort – well done. I would also like to thank Mr Stephen Harris (HASS Department) for his assistance at court.

Our Round 3 Team included:  

• Junior Barrister: Charlie Pronk
• Senior Barrister: Noa Mintz
• Instructing Solicitor: Jennifer Ong
• Witness 1 (The Applicant): Ewa Krolik
• Witness 2: Thomas Ellis
• Court Orderly: Tighe O’Toole

College Chess Tournament Semi-Final

And then there were two…. We have had over 60 students from Years 5 to Year 12 participate in this year's College Chess Tournament. Since the beginning of the term, we have held heats, which have knocked out players after each round. Our Semi-Final was held earlier today: Axl White (Year 6) versed James Sommerfield (Year 9), whilst Christopher Tan (Year 9) versed Dylan Betts (Year 12). We are pleased to announce that our 2025 grand finalists are Axl White (Year 6) and Christopher Tan (Year 9). Our Chess Grand Final will be played on Tuesday, 1 July at lunch in the Library. We wish both players the best of luck with their game – it is sure to be an exciting one! 

WA Debating League Update

The second Make-Up Rounds for the WA Debating League (WADL) Schools Debating Competition (SDC) was held at Shenton College on Tuesday evening. Our success in debating continued with a win for one of our Junior Teams against Presbyterian Ladies’ College. This round completes the preliminary component of the debating competition. We eagerly await the decision on which teams will be progressing to the State Finals next term. For students who wish to further develop their debating skills, we encourage you to sign up for British Parliamentary Debating in Term 3 and/or the International Debating Championships, which will take place in Term 4. Further details can be found in Magis Teams. 

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!

Shakespeare Incursion 

Next term, 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 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 gives students a glimpse at 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 period 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 as well. 

Junior Gifted Stretch

We are in the process of selecting twelve Year 8 students to take part in the 2025 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. Nurturing self-discovery, innovation, and intellectual growth, the conference is designed to inspire ambition. By attending, students will be inspired to think deeply, gain valuable insights, and develop skills essential for future success. The conference will be held on Tuesday, 2 September (Term 3, Week 7).

International Debating Championships

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 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, in the lead 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 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, with all domestic and international flights, accommodations, breakfasts, visas, insurance, and registration fees covered. 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.