Magis Report
The Haiku on Hay Poetry Prize
The Haiku on Hay Poetry Competition is an annual poetry event organised by the City of Perth Library, with support from WA Poets Inc. Participants are invited to submit a single haiku for judging, showcasing their creativity and poetic talent. The competition celebrates the art of haiku, a traditional Japanese form of poetry, and is a wonderful opportunity for poets of all levels to engage with the community. The 2025 awards ceremony was held as part of the Perth Poetry Festival last week. We are very excited to announce that from over 250 entries across the state, Phoebe Walsh (Year 11) won the Secondary category, whilst Charlotte Long (Year 11) placed third and received a Commended Award. Pictured below is Charlotte accepting her prize (Phoebe could not attend on the night). We congratulate both Phoebe and Charlotte on this outstanding achievement. All the award-winning haikus will be on display in the City of Perth library on Hay Street in the month of September. So, if you are in the city, be sure to check them out!
Snapshot: Magis Elective Course
Our Year 7 Semester 2 Magis Elective students have been introduced to the wonderful world of philosophy. They have been examining the life and works of the Ancient Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, as well as how to construct deductive, inductive, and abductive (Sherlock Holmes style) reasoning. Meanwhile, our Year 8 Elective students have been focusing on metaphysics, specifically the first principle of Rene Descartes work 'Cogito, ergo sum - I think, therefore I am'. They have also been examining how Descartes influenced the work of John Locke and Sir Isaac Newton; how ‘Cartesian Skepticism’ formed the basis of modern-day works such as The Matrix; and how Thomas Aquinas’s cosmological argument was considered by Descartes when forming his own opinion on the existence of God. It has been pleasing to hear the rich and meaningful conversations that students have been holding both in and outside of the classroom. Philosophy helps our students learn how to reason and think well, how to hold respectful and rational conversations with their peers, as well as how to delve deeper into the study of knowledge (epistemology). Our Semester 2 Magis Elective students have a Philosophy test in a few weeks, and we wish them all the best. Pictured below are our Year 7s getting into the right ‘head space’ ahead of their test (pun intended).
British Parliamentary Debating
We wish our Debating Teams best of luck as they compete in the British Parliamentary Debating Competition at Perth Modern School on Saturday and at Guilford Grammar School on Sunday. We also have teams competing next Sunday at Hale School. Unlike the School’s Debating Competition, the BP Tournament requires that teams participate in three debates over the course of one day, in a distinct style of parliamentary-based debating. Best of luck to all of our teams.
What’s happening next week?
Next week is going to be another big week for Magis. We have a select group of Year 8 students attending the Junior Thinkers GATE Conference on Tuesday. There is a GATE Symposium scheduled for Thursday. We have the final rehearsals for our Tournament of Minds STEM and SOSE Teams ahead of the Regional Finals on Saturday at ECU Joondalup, and we also have another round of British Parliamentary Debating taking place on Sunday. A busy week indeed!
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!
Insight Creative Writing Competition
This competition is open to high school students around Australia as we aim to ignite a passion for creative writing and inspire the voices of the future. Entering the competition is free and all entrants will have the chance to share in over $3000 worth of cash prizes! The optional theme for 2025 is: Soulmates. See website for further details: 2025 Insight Creative Writing Competition - Insight Publications. Competition closes 12 September 2025.
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.