SCIENCE

It has been a busy start to 2023 for the Science faculty. We welcome Ms Rendina and Mr Bergqvist to our teaching team this year. Ms Hardy, Mr Krause and Dr Bailey are back after adventure packed holidays.  

Independent Research Project

Term 1 in Science has started off with Year 10 working on the first assessment task, their Independent Research Project. Most students have successfully completed and submitted this task for marking, with some creative investigations being performed.  

Year 9 have been learning about the Physical World, while year 11 Physics have been taking over upstairs A block hallway, racing their handmade dragster cars, to help consolidate their learning and work towards their first assessment task.  

Marine Studies

Year 9 and 10 Marine Studies have been fortunate enough to perform dissections on squid, cuttlefish and massive Mahi Mahi fish. Did you know that the squid has a long, clear structure inside its body called a ‘pen’ that gives its muscles support, allowing for its movement?  

Year 8 STEM

Year 8 STEM have been learning about financial mathematics and applying this knowledge alongside a scientific investigation to model the formation of rocks. Part of this assessment task has involved students making rocky road to model rock formation and calculating the percentage composition of its parts. It has been great to see students participate in this task and enjoy their own sample of rocky road. 

Science and Engineering Challenge

In Week 6, nineteen Year 9 & 10 students travelled to the University of Newcastle to participate in the Science and Engineering Challenge, which was recently awarded a United Nations Honourary Citation. This challenge day saw students compete against a range of local government and private schools, engaging in a variety of hands-on engineering tasks such as designing Mars buggy suspension systems, plane wing designs, electrical power networks, coloured light coding systems and tower structures. While selective school Merewether High School won the day's competition, our students topped the results for certain activities and produced outstanding results for all of their efforts. This event, as well as being a fun day at the university, provided our students with insight into potential STEM careers and pathways for a very technology dependent future.

Year 11 CO2 Dragsters

Year 11 Physics have completed their first assessment task for the course, building dragsters powered by carbon dioxide (CO2). Base-model CO2 dragsters were timed as they were raced down a course, then modified to improve their acceleration and final velocity. Students applied their skills in using formulas and analysing motion graphs to quantify their dragster impreovements, communicating their findings in scientific reports. The skill development within the class has been fantastic and this cohort looks set to build on their progress as they continue their studies of mechanics.