Science

The science department has been growing and improving recently with the addition to the science staff of Mr Howard Symmes, Mrs Anneka Morrison and Miss Eliza Ammendolia who is joining us next week. We also have Mr Aniket Kulkarni and Mrs Angela Geddes who have joined our science team. We are so very lucky to have such expertise and dedicated, hard working science educators at Marian. 

The Year 12 students start their trial examinations next week. We wish them the very best as they show us what they know and understand and I am sure they are all working hard with study and using their best resources, their teachers. 

The Year 11 students are also preparing for their end of course exams. I notice that quite a few are doing revision study. The Science syllabus has 4 Modules for each of the Preliminary and HSC exams for Biology, Chemistry and Physics, but there is a great deal of conceptual understanding needed not just recalling facts so it is important to revise the syllabus dot points to make sure students understand and can communicate the science. 

The Year 10 and Year 8 students are studying Chemistry where there is some recall that is necessary. Year 9 students are looking at all the body systems and how they interact and will collect data on their own body systems as they do their next assessment which is a depth study. Year 7 student are looking at the microworld with a study of cells and will develop a creative writing piece as their third assessment  As Albert Einstein said “ Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere” so we need to encourage creativity and imagination in science and one way we can do that is using creative writing and working together with the many ways of thinking. 

One Year 9 class had a very engaging and fun lesson for the end of their week making brains for themselves, paper brains, that is. They could see all the areas of the left and right cerebrum and what was being used as they did brain processing such as music, hearing and mathematics. 

Science Week is 10th -18th August. We have an ex-student, Dr Chiara Holgate coming to Marian on 12th August to speak to some of the girls in Year 9 and Year 10 who might be considering a career in science. Her presentation is called “Girls in Science”. We are really looking forward to welcoming Chiara back and listening to what she has to offer. 

The science teachers will be working on activities that highlight the massive role that science plays in many facets of life.

The science department will be delivering new syllabuses for Year 7 and Year 9 next year, 2025.. We are looking forward to providing some activities and insights to learning science at high school for the Year 7 2025 when they visit us in September and we are working hard to prepare the programs and resources for the changes. 

We keep Tori McIntosh in our thoughts and our prayers on the recent passing of her Dad, Bill Donaldson, after a long illness. 

Best wishes to you all, hope you enjoy some of Griifith’s wonderful sunshine and you all get a much needed dose of vitamin D 

Best wishes 

Esther Dumbleton ( Leader of Learning Science )

Best wishes 

Esther Dumbleton ( Leader of Learning Science