Magis Report 

Update: College Chess Tournament

We began with 90 chess players, and we are now down to the top 17! Round 3 of our College Chess Tournament was played this week, and we congratulate those who are progressing to the next round. Rounds 4 and 5 will be played next week, which means that finals will begin in Week 18 of this term. Students have received the fixtures in their Chess Team’s Channel and are reminded that games begin at 1pm sharp and must be concluded in their allotted timeslot. Only final games can be played over multiple lunchtimes. 

Update: College Public Speaking Competition

An information session was held earlier in the week for students competing in this year’s College Public Speaking Competition. We have the largest number of students signed up to compete than any previous year, which is amazing, because it’s a fantastic skill to hone.

Heats will begin in Week 17, with the top three public speakers from each year group progressing to the Grand Final. Students speak up to three minutes on a topic of their choice.

The Grand Final of the College Public Speaking Competition will be held on Wednesday, 29 July (Term 3, Week 2) from 6pm to 7pm in the Gonzaga Barry Lecture Theatre – and staff, students, parents and alumni are all welcome to attend.

Update: WA Debating League 

Round 5, the final of the preliminary rounds of the WA Debating League (WADL) Schools Debating Competition (SDC), will be held on Tuesday, 9 June (Week 17) at Shenton College. Topics for this round will be centred on the theme of: Justice and Ethics. Most teams have submitted their speaker lists (see below). Please note: Once the preliminary rounds and the second of the make-up rounds are completed, students will be informed as to which teams will progress to the finals (Term 3). At this stage, we have a number of teams that remain undefeated, which is an amazing result. We wish our students the best of luck with their next debate.

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!

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), Languages & Literature, or Society & Environment (HASS) disciplines. Regional and State Finals to be held at Edith Cowan University in September, with the International Final to be held in Darwin in November. For more information, please visit the competition website or speak with the Head of Magis. Expressions of interest are due Monday, 1 June (Term 2, Week 16). 

Middle School Ethics Olympiad

Ethics Olympiad provides students with a unique opportunity to develop skills in critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. It is designed to get students thinking, talking, and ultimately working together on some of the tough moral issues of our time. Its objective is to do more than just help students think through ethical issues: It is to teach students how to think through ethical issues together, as fellow citizens in a complex moral and political community. This international competition is open to students in Years 7 to 9. Team positions are highly coveted, with only 10 spots available. Expressions of interest are due Monday, 22 June (Week 19). A training clinic will be held in Term 3, with the competition scheduled for Term 4.