Magis report
Round 2 of the WA Debating League (WADL) Schools Debating Competition (SDC) was held on Tuesday night at Shenton College. This round was sponsored by the Australian Red Cross, Humanitarian Law Division. Our teams debated contemporary topics such as:
- Should victims of war be financially compensated for the harm they suffer;
- Should urban warfare be prohibited; and
- Is there a role for neutrality when carrying out humanitarian relief.
All teams performed admirably, and we congratulate our students on their achievements. Debating team members are encouraged to reflect upon the feedback they received from the adjudicators. Special thanks to Ms Pickering for her assistance on the night.
Debating will continue next term, with Round 3 scheduled to take place in Week 13. All Novice debates will continue with set topics – with our Junior and Senior teams progressing to impromptu rounds. A reminder to students to view the SDC app and Teams for all up-to-date information including fixtures, resources and meeting notices.
Yesterday at lunch, our da Vinci Decathlon students took part in a Cartography Training Seminar. Under the tutelage of Mr Morris, Head of Humanities & Social Sciences, students learnt important data interpretation and source analysis skills, in preparation for their Term 2 competition. There was a great energy amongst the team members, particularly when examining the GeoGuessr image. How much does Geography rock! Special thanks to Mr Morris for providing such a wonderfully informative session.
The term break is a wonderful time for us to rest and recharge (energy and mindfulness), 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 Classes and Competitions have a Teams file with case documents, handbooks, past papers, and/or other useful preparation materials. Our Magis Elective students are reminded that their Semester-long Personal Projects will be exhibited in the Thomas More Exhibition Centre in Week 19. Students who have signed up for the College Chess Tournament, will receive fixtures at the start of Term 2 – with the Tournament to begin in Week 12 in the Ignatian Centre (Library).
MAGIS: OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE!
Australian Jesuit Schools Debating Carnival
The Australian Jesuit Schools Debating Carnival is an annual debating competition between Jesuit and Companion Schools with the aim of fostering a high level of debating, team spirit, understanding of Jesuit culture, and the creation of lifelong friendships with like-minded students. The Carnival brings together seven schools: St Aloysius Milsons Point (NSW), St Ignatius College Athelstone (SA), St Ignatius Riverview (NSW), Loyola College Watsonia (VIC), Xavier Catholic College Hervey Bay (QLD), Xavier College Kew (VIC), and John XXIII College (WA). The Carnival will be held over three days from Sunday 2 July to Tuesday 4 July – and will be hosted by St Aloysius College in Sydney. Expressions of Interest are now open for Year 11 and 12 students who wish to be considered for this prestigious competition.
UWA Hackathon
A call out to Year 10 students. UWA will be providing a networking experience between students and professional industries, by partnering up with companies to run Hackathons. These Hackathons invite bright minds from all disciplines to come together as a team, and tackle challenges proposed by the partnered companies. Through these Hackathons, attendees are given the opportunity to understand how the company works internally and acquire essential skills, such as communication and critical thinking, from the event. No training will be required in the lead up. The event will be held early in Term 2 – date TBC. Please email your expressions of interest to the Magis Coordinator by Thursday 6 April.
College Public Speaking Competition
Entries are now open for our annual College Public Speaking Competition. Students are asked to prepare a three-minute speech on a topic of their choice. At last year’s grand final, students spoke on a diverse range of topics from the Kennedy curse; dreams; juvenile detention; the immune system; to providing compelling reasons for why pineapple should be placed on pizzas! All participants will win their House valuable points – with trophies to be awarded to our Year level finalists. Heats will take place in Week 14 – with the grand final to be held in the Gonzaga Barry Lecture Theatre (GBLT) on Thursday 8 June (Week 17). This competition will be judged by a panel of Magis Alumni students – who have all previously taken part in this event. It is sure to be a wonderful evening and we will be extending the invite to the College community to come in support. Expressions of interest are due Monday 8 May (Week 13).
Ethics Olympiad Case Writing Awards
Ethics Olympiad are holding a case writing competition with prize money to be won. Submissions should follow the general format for Ethics Olympiad cases: a scenario, between 400 and 800 words long, which highlights a clear moral issue and is appropriate for middle or high school students. Please see Magis Coordinator for case criteria. Entries are due 29 April.
Term 2 Calendar
You can keep up to date with Magis and Altiora events by following the Term 2 calendar – which can be accessed by clicking on the link below.
Daisy Farley
Magis Coordinator – Gifted and Talented