VHAP Masterclass Events

In Term 4, we held our two final Masterclass events for students studying the Victorian High Ability Program.  

BioEYES+ 

This is the third year we have had the BioEYES+ program in at BHHS and this year we had six, two-hour sessions, that ran over three days. This provided 120 students the opportunity to experience an innovative, hands-on approach to teaching students about developmental biology, stem cells and regenerative medicine using live zebrafish.  

Facilitators from Monash University delivered each workshop and students got to observe zebra fish in different stages of their life cycle including transparent eggs, larval fish and full-sized adults under the microscope. Students learnt about scientific topics such as habitat, genetics, stem cells, regenerative biology and ethics in an exciting experimental approach that fostered enthusiasm for science education.  

The Amazing Race 

On Wednesday 10th December we held the final VHAP Masterclass for 2025. Students worked in teams of four to solve a series of maths challenges as they raced around the world (and the school) .

Year 

Students started at a central location and were issued with the first maths-based challenge. They needed to work collaboratively and apply their problem-solving skills to solve each challenge, in order to reveal the next location at the school.

Each maths challenge was set in a different exotic location, e.g. The Taj Mahal in India, The Deserts of Arabia, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, The Great Wall of China, The Pyramids and covered key areas of mathematics including number, fractions, algebra, shape and space, measurement, probability, data and more. 

The first team to reach the finish line having solved all eight challenges was crowned the winners and students loved the competitive element to this fun and engaging way to apply their maths knowledge.