Magis report

WA Debating League Grand Final

The grand final of the WA Debating League (WADL) Schools Debating Competition (SDC) was held on Tuesday night at UWA’s University Club. It was heart-warming to see so many Magis students, friends, family, and staff who came in support of our grand finalists. Thank you, everyone! Over 300 teams took part in this year’s state debating competition, across regional and metropolitan areas – and I would like to take this opportunity to commend all our debating students who took part in the 2023 season. Debating equips students with lifelong skills and the confidence to pursue their potential, and I encourage any student who is interested to sign up for WADL in Term 1 next year.

Our debating grand finalists were Zachary Sartorello (Year 7), Joshua Standen (Year 8), and Samuel Watts (Year 8). They competed against Perth Modern School and debated the topic: ‘This House would financially incentivise Australian youth to remain in rural areas’. As was acknowledged in the speeches made at the awards ceremony, the quality of this grand final debate was exceptionally high. Chairman of the WA Debating League Board, Mr Benjamin Manifold said, 'it’s hard to imagine that these students are only in Year 7 and 8'. It is a wonderful indication of the future with young bright minds such as these. It took a long time for the judging panel to reach a decision, requesting further time as they were completely split as to who won the debate as strong arguments had been made on both sides. In the end, Perth Modern School were awarded the title of 2023 debate champions, with John XXIII College as the league’s runner-up. The top debater prize was awarded to Zachary Sartorello. We congratulate Zachary, Joshua, and Samuel on an extraordinary achievement! These students have been strongly encouraged to try out for the State Debating Team, which competes at both National and International levels.

Save the date: Magis Awards Breakfast

Our annual Magis Awards Breakfast will be held next Thursday, 26 October at 7:30am in the Thomas More Exhibition Centre. Invitations have been sent out to award recipients and their families, but we would also like to extend the invite to all members of the College community who wish to show their support. Our awards breakfast affords us a wonderful opportunity to not only celebrate the outstanding achievements of our students, but also to reflect upon the year that’s been.

Magis Camp Update

Our annual camp to Point Walter, for Years 7 to 10 Magis students, will be held next Friday, 27 October to Saturday, 28 October. 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.

Magis Class of 2023

At yesterday’s Day of Invitation, we heard from Ms Andrews, the Vice Principal, who spoke about the baton of leadership passing from our talented Year 12 students to our Year 11 cohort. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our Magis Captain, Daniel Doran, on the outstanding way he has managed his leadership role this year – and congratulate Year 11 student, Thomas Syminton on his appointment as our Magis Captain for 2024.

I would like to thank all Year 12 students who have been involved in Magis activities during their time at the College – from House challenges to global gifted and talented competitions. These students have played an enormous part in the development of our Magis program. In particular, I would like to acknowledge our Year 12 Magis Committee members - Samantha Eastman, Genevieve Fergusson-Allen, Timothy Gardner, James Green and Natalie Ong – for their terrific contribution and commitment to Magis. They have been exceptional role models for our students, and I wish them all the very best with their future endeavours. May the spirit of Magis (doing more) continue to guide them, always.

Year 12 students have played an enormous part in the development of our Magis program We had over 40 graduating Year 12 Magis students, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all students who have been involved in the many gifted and talented competitions during their time at the College, from House academic challenges through to state, national and global tournaments. We would like to especially congratulate the following students who have significantly contributed to the program from Year 7 all the way through to Year 12:

Ben Mignacca – College Captain/Head Boy
Yvie Rigg – College Captain/Head Girl
Daniel Doran – Magis Captain
Spencer Burchett
James Mitchell
Rachel Flavell
Laura Rutherford

To the Class of 2023 - thank you, and we will miss you!

MAGIS: OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE!

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 23 to 25 January 2024, hosted by the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR). This camp is open to all high school students in Years 9 to 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.

Daisy Farley

Magis Coordinator – Gifted and Talented