Magis report
Update: WA Debating League
On Tuesday, some of our debating students attended a Midseason Debating Development Seminar in the Gonzaga Barry Lecture Theatre. The Seminar provided a valuable opportunity for our students to come together to prepare for the new debating model. Magis Captain, Thomas Syminton, a seasoned debater, offered advice to our novice and junior debaters on how best to prepare for an impromptu debate. In collaboration, the students created a template that they will use in their prep time next week. They also revisited debating techniques and reviewed the roles of each team’s speaker. I commend the students on the positive energy they brought to the seminar and the genuine way they engaged in their training.
Round 3 of the WA Debating League will be held on Tuesday 14 May (Week 14) at Christ Church Grammar School (CCGS) - with debates commencing at 5:15, 6:15 or 7:15pm. As this round is an impromptu debate, teams will be required to arrive at the venue an hour and 15 minutes before their scheduled debate time. Below is a copy of our team fixtures, which students have access to through Teams. Parents can also find a copy of the full SDC draw on the WADL website. We wish all our debating teams the best of luck with their Round 3 debates.
Update: College Chess Tournament
Round 2 of our College Chess Tournament played out this week. Well done to all those who took part and congratulations to the students who are progressing to the next round of the Tournament. Fixtures have been emailed to students, and a notice has been placed in SEQTA. Chess players are reminded that games begin at 1pm sharp and must be concluded in their allotted timeslot. Only quarter, semi and grand final games can be played over multiple lunchtimes.
Our Senior Ethics Teams competed today in the Australasian division of the Ethics Olympiad. Our teams competed against schools from Australia, Singapore, and India – and are to be congratulated for the intelligent and insightful points of view they brought to their Ethical discussions.
What’s happening next week?
Our Mock Trials Team will appear for the accused in a Mock Criminal Trial on Tuesday night at the WA Supreme Court. Round 3 of the College Chess Tournament will be played on Monday. We also have heats for our College Public Speaking Competition, and we wish our Mock Trials Team, Chess players, and Public Speaking students the best of luck with their respective competitions. Meetings and training sessions also continue for Plain English-Speaking Awards and World Scholars.
Save the Date
The Grand Final of the 2024 College Public Speaking Competition will be held on Thursday 6 June (Week 17) at 6:30pm in the Gonzaga Barry Lecture Theatre (GBLT). Invitations will be sent to the parents and guardians of our grand finalists in due course, but we would like to take this opportunity to extend the invitation to the wider College Community. It is sure to be a wonderful evening with the extraordinary talents of our students on display. We are excited to have a panel of esteemed Magis Alumni, who will have the difficult task of deciding the top public speaker from each year group.
MAGIS: OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE!
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 click here for more information or speak with the Head of Magis. Entries close Friday, 17 May (Week 14).
Creative Edge Thinking
The Creative Edge Problem Solving Challenge is an innovative educational competition providing students with motivating challenges that will develop both critical and creative thinking skills. Students compete in teams to solve an open-ended challenge in one of the following disciplines: Literature and Communication or Society and Environment (HASS). This year’s regional final will be held at Curtin University. For more information, please see the Head of Magis. Expressions of interest are due by Friday 23 August (Week 16).
Tournament of Minds
Tournament of Minds (TOM) is an international problem-solving program for teams of students. TOM’s aim is to enhance the potential of our youth by developing diverse skills, enterprise, time management, and the discipline to work collaboratively within a challenging and competitive environment. Teams will be required to solve demanding, open-ended challenges in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) discipline. Regional and State Finals are to be held at Edith Cowan University in September, with the International Final to be held in Sydney in November. For more information, please see the Head of Magis. Expressions of interest are due by Friday 23 August (Week 16).
Term 2 Calendar
You can keep up to date with Magis events by following the Term 2 calendar, which can be accessed by clicking on the link below.
Daisy Farley
Head of Magis - Gifted & Talented Program