Magis Report 

WA Debating League 

Round 2 of the WA Debating League (WADL) Schools Debating Competition (SDC) was held on Tuesday night at Shenton College. This round’s theme was science and technology. Our teams debated:  

• This House believes that space exploration is more important than exploring Earth’s oceans; and 
• This House prefers human-like AI to non-human-like AI. 

The debate format will now progress to ‘impromptu’ topics. This means that teams will be required to arrive at the debate venue 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to their scheduled debate time. Students will receive their debate topic on the night, and will have one hour to prepare, without the aid of devices etc. Please note: Round 3 is scheduled for Tuesday 5 May (Term 2, Week 12). The WA Debating League will be holding a Debate Development Seminar towards the start of Term 2 (details though are yet to be released), and we will also be holding tutoring sessions on campus for students throughout the term (details to be released in students’ WADL channel). We congratulate our teams on another impressive evening of debates. Special thanks to Mr Kerslake for his assistance on the night.  

Preparing for Term 2 

The term break is a wonderful time for us to rest and recharge, but it also affords us a terrific opportunity to get ahead and prepare. Term 2 will be a busy term for all, with competitions and events taking place, as well as Senior School Exams. All Magis Elective Classes and Competitions have a Teams file with documents, handbooks, past papers, and/or other useful preparation materials: 

• Our Term 1 Magis Elective students are reminded that their Inquiry Posters are due by Friday, 24 April (Term 2, Week 10). 
• Debating students have been provided a usual guide in preparing for their impromptu debate rounds, which can be found in their WADL channel. 
• Mock Trials students have another Criminal Trial early next term. All team members will be annotating their case materials and drawing up the necessary trial documents.  
• Our Senior Ethics Teams have case studies to read through. We would also recommend reading articles from The Ethics Centre, supporting student knowledge. 
• Our da Vinci students have past papers that they can use to test their knowledge – as well as helpful weblinks on their da Vinci channel. 
• Our World Scholars have a curriculum to learn. 
• Chess students can practice ahead of the College Chess Tournament, and 
• Any student considering entering the College Public Speaking Competition has a 3-minute speech to write and rehearse. 

So…lots to do, to be ahead and excel in Term 2! 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. Wishing everyone a happy Easter! 

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!

Ethics Olympiad Case Writing Awards

Please note: This competition is suited to students who have completed/are familiar with an Ethics Olympiad. Students in Years 7-12 are invited to submit a case which, if chosen, would be used internationally for both the Middle School and Senior Ethics Olympiads. Information can be found on the attached flyer and/or on the competition's website. Prize money and prestige to be won! Cases are to be submitted directly to Ethics Olympiad by 24 April (Term 2, Week 10).

College Chess Tournament 

Entries are now open for our annual College Chess Tournament. If you think you have what it takes to be our next College ‘Grandmaster’, or you simply want to have fun, then email your name, Year and House to magis@johnxxiii.edu.au. All participants will win their House valuable points – with trophies to be awarded to our finalists. Pictured below is a photo taken at our Grand Final last year. Entries close Friday 8 May (Week 12). 

What Matters? Writing Competition

Inspired by Gough Whitlam’s commitment to involving young people in shaping Australia’s future, the What Matters? Writing competition is currently open to school students in Years 5 to 12 from Australia. Responding to the simple question ‘what matters?’, entrants are free to express their views on any matter they care about. Part writing exercise, part civics and citizenship activity, What Matters? is the perfect opportunity to empower students to raise their voices on issues that are important to them and know that their perspectives are valuable, no matter their age, background or viewpoint. Entries can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry or prose of up to 600 words, and submitted online. Please visit the website Whitlam Institute What Matters for more information, including samples of past winners. Major cash prizes to be won! Submission deadline is Friday, 15 May (Term 2, Week 13).

College Public Speaking Competition 

Entries are now open for our annual College Public Speaking Competition. This is a prestigious event on our College Calendar, with the grand final attended by students, parents, staff, and alumni. Students can speak up to 3 minutes on a topic of their choice. Heats will be held in Weeks 16-18, with the top 3 students from each year group progressing to the Grand Fina which will be held on Wednesday 29 July (Term 3, Week 2). Trophies and medals will be awarded to the top public speaker and runner up public speaker in each year group. These prizes will be awarded at our Magis Awards Breakfast in Term 4. Entries are due Friday 22 May (Week 14). 

Political Perspectives Competition

Attention, budding artists, cartoonists, and political satirists. The Political & Legal Educators Association of Western Australia (PLEAWA) invites students in Years 7 to 10 to participate in the Political Perspectives Competition. Students are tasked with producing a creative piece that sheds light on a current issue relating to topics covered in Years 7 to 10 Civics & Citizenship. This creative piece can take the form of a poster, political cartoon, video, or other creative medium. Please visit the PLEAWA website for more information. Cash prizes to be won! Submission deadline Monday 1 June (Term 2, Week 16).