Science
It has been a busy time in Science! The Year 7s have been getting to know the labs, gaining their 'Bunsen Burner licences', boiling water and testing and evaluating which of the three brands of paper towel really are the most absorbent.
The Year 8s have been exploring the largely microscopic world of the cell and refining skills in using a microscope and are now investigating energy around us.
The Year 9s have completed a unit on chemical reactions and have treated a sample of contaminated water to explore how councils can respond to large-scale environmental accidents.
Our Year 10s have explored the fascinating field of genetics and considered some of the ethical considerations that are associated with advances in technology.
In terms of enhancement, there are many opportunities for girls in Science at Kilbreda. Science teachers are currently inviting interested students from Years 7-10 to participate inThe Big Science Competition. The Big Science Competition is a challenging competition that is conducted in schools across Australia in May.
The format is a 50 minute, multiple-choice test that is externally prepared and assessed. A number of students will sit the competition on 21 May and we thank them for taking up the challenge to participate. Please see here for more information. Past papers are available on Student Share for practice.
The University of Melbourne has invited Kilbreda to support the application of two current Year 9 students with a passion for Science, Maths, Engineering and IT fields to apply for selection into their Girl Power in Engineering and IT program. This program gives female students insight into the world of STEM while inspiring them about the possibilities of a career in the industry.
The program runs over four years and includes a three-night camp at The University of Melbourne in Year 9, work experience in Year 10 (20-24 June 2020) and a mentoring program in Year 11 and 12. Students in Year 9 have been invited to reply to an email in order to be considered as one of the two applicants chosen from Kilbreda for 2019. For more details please see here.
Our talented and passionate teachers of senior chemistry, Mr Selfridge and Mr Ellett have sought Year 12 applicants for the annualTitration Stakes Challenge that is conducted in June on GAT day at Kilbreda. There are 15 teams registered to carry out testing across two laboratories.
Mr Gurowski has organised a group of Year 10s to participate in the annual Brain Bee Challenge in May. We wish all students well in their efforts and thank staff for taking the time to organise and supervise these activities.
Finally, in commemoration of International Women’s Day, a group of Year 12 leaders attended a Breakfast hosted by the Mentone Level Crossing Project, aimed to encourage girls to participate in large-scale engineering and design projects. One of our STEM leaders, Emma Chamberlain has written the following reflection of the morning (See 'Big Ideas Over Breakfast).
Jacinta Devlin
Learning Leader: Science
Big Ideas Over Breakfast
On the morning of 6 March, prior to the House Swimming Carnival, a group of Year 12 students, in addition to students from other local schools, attended an International Women’s Day Breakfast at the Mentone RSL.
The event was hosted by the Mentone Level Crossing Project, the company set to start work in the area on the train line and level crossings. The purpose of this gathering was to acknowledge and celebrate the role of women in STEM positions in the workplace, and to encourage students to pursue careers in these fields.
Students were able to openly converse with engineers, project managers, human resources representatives, public relations representatives and other specialists in their respective fields, to broaden awareness about what different career paths entail and what sort of jobs different university degrees can lead to.
The experience was both eye opening, informative and inspiring for all those that attended. The fact that one of the key civil engineers on the project is a Past Pupil made the possibility of such a future career seem a more accessible prospect.
Emma Chamberlain
Year 12 STEM Leader