School Highlights
Mad Science Show - Junior School incursion
Karen Chandler, Deputy Head of Junior School
This week, Prep to Year 6 students enjoyed an exciting visit from the 'Mad Science Show'.
Students delved into the fascinating world of air, electricity and fire. They saw some super static electricity with our Van de Graaff Generator, as well as watched wool fly, fluttering confetti fireworks, and a hair-raising demonstration.
Here's a reflection from two of our Year 2 students on their exciting experience.
Ralph Hopkins and Mia Liu, Year 2
On Monday this week, all the Junior School students went to a Science incursion in Dalton Hall. The first demonstration had Lisa, our presenter, blow up a sausage balloon and let it go across the crowd. It shot all the way to the back where the Year 6 students caught it.
She then did an experiment where she used air pressure to shoot some objects high into the air – she even managed to balance two beach balls in mid-air on the air from a leaf blower!
Then she showed us how she could make smoke rings with some special smoke cannons – she shot the rings out over the top of the crowd and everyone tried to catch them. She blew some big smoke rings at Mr Stefanetti, and everyone laughed lots.
After this, she showed us a special machine that made static electricity – we found this amazing because it was able to make Lucy and Jacob’s hair stand straight up on their heads when they touched it!
Finally, she showed us a demonstration of how compressed air could be used to shoot toilet rolls a long way away – she managed to fire a toilet roll all the way from the front to the back of Dalton Hall. It was awesome and very funny.
We loved the Mad About Science visit – thank you to Mrs Chandler and Mrs Macfarlane for organising this special show for us.
Mathematics Talent Quest competition
Tania Whitehead, Talent Development and Enrichment Coordinator
Congratulations to all students who recently entered the Mathematics Talent Quest competition!
The Mathematics Talent Quest competition provides a great opportunity for students to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills to real-life problem-solving and inquiry-based projects.
This year, several students from Years 2 to 6 submitted their Maths projects for the competition.
Overall results:
- Three projects achieved a High Distinction (scoring above 85%).
- Six projects achieved a Distinction (scoring between 70% and 85%).
- Eight achieved a Credit (scoring between 55% and 70%).
Additionally, students received the Encouragement Award, which acknowledges the significant efforts of all participants, many of whom were entering the competition for the first time.
Individual results:
Students who received High Distinctions will be attending an award ceremony at RMIT University on Thursday 17 October.
Well done to all students for their dedication and hard work! We are so proud of you!
The Tournament of Minds Competition - Years 6 to 9
Tania Whitehead, Talent Development and Enrichment Coordinator
On 18 August, a group of Kilvington students showcased their skills at the Metro Central Tournament of Minds Competition, held at Deakin University's Burwood Campus.
The Tournament of Minds Competition is designed to foster creative problem-solving skills in students from primary to secondary years.
With only four weeks to prepare, the Kilvington Year 6 team, Year 7 team, and Years 8 and 9 team immersed themselves in their challenges. Their preparation involved conducting interviews, analysing texts, writing scripts, creating music and songs, and crafting props and multimedia presentations.
Congratulations to the Year 6 team and the Years 8 and 9 team for achieving Honours. This accolade is awarded to the top 15% of teams in their category who did not place first. Additionally, the Years 8 and 9 team received the ‘Spirit of TOM Award’ by the judges. Well done, team!
Each team should be proud of their commitment to the competition, their growth as critical and creative thinkers, and their wonderful achievements.
A special thanks to Mrs Talbot and Mrs Chandler for their invaluable guidance and support throughout the competition.
Year 7 Trip to Melbourne Zoo
Louise Macfarlane, Academic Dean of Science
On 16 August, Year 7 students enjoyed an excursion to Melbourne Zoo. We were fortunate to have a warm, dry day that made for an excellent exploration of the zoo, where the animals were particularly active.
The day began with an informative talk by the Zoo Education Rangers on classification and adaptations. Students examined various animal skulls, learning to identify adaptations such as dentition, spinal attachment and eye direction to understand how each animal lives and thrives.
Following the talk, students were divided into small groups to explore the zoo, gathering information for their classification task. This hands-on experience provided valuable insights into animal biology and adaptation.