2023 Australian Science Fair at JMSS

The annual 2023 Australian Science Fair was hosted by JMSS from 20 - 22 November. We were thrilled to not only provide an exciting program for JMSS students in Year 10 and 11, but also to welcome staff and students from five other states/territories all with a strong STEM programs.

Delegates from Queensland Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology (Qld), Australian Science and Mathematics School (SA), Newton Moore Senior High School (WA), Darwin High School (NT), and Gungahlin College (ACT) arrived to a warm welcome from their JMSS student buddies Kendrick, Roger, and Isabella and teachers Mrs Ryan and Mr Bourke-Finn.

The real fun began on Monday 20 November which saw the fair’s opening ceremony which included a presentation by Dr Scarlet Howard from Monash University School of Biological Science about the cognition of honey bees. This was followed by the Engineering Mystery Box which challenged Year 10 students to build a functional contraption from limited materials and produce a short video showing off their creation. Students from JMSS and our visitors then had the opportunity to share the finding of their investigations through oral presentations. The day was rounded out with the Australian Science Fair Exhibition Night where students were engaged and informed the public with poster presentations of their Extended Experimental Investigations as well as interactive displays of their elective subjects.

Day two of the fair saw our interstate guests tour the Clayton campus of CSIRO before Mr Chisholm and Mr Senn-Sanger treated them to a journey around the city viewing it through a scientific lens. Meanwhile, Year 11 students participated in an immersion day run by Monash University School of Engineering. Students selected multiple workshops and also heard from speakers from the faculty to learn more about what pathways in engineering have to offer. 

Over Days two and three, Year 10 students were fortunate to have the opportunity to hear from ESV teacher and Kamilaroi astrophysicist Krystal DeNapoli about the connection between the land, the night sky and indigenous knowledge. They also spent some time outdoors at JMSS and the Monash campus while taking part in Climate Science activities led by Dr Driscoll and competing in a Nature Scavenger Hunt organised by Ms Bui. A visit to the Monash Tech School was also a highlight for JMSS students.

The three days culminated in a closing ceremony featuring PhD candidate Angus Rogers on his experiences from student to geochemist researching “The geochemical origin of Australia’s only subaerial Ocean Island Basalt”, and acknowledgement of outstanding achievements over the course of the fair.

I’d like to thank all that supported the organisation and running of the Australian Science Fair, with special thanks to Monash University, CSIRO and the Monash Tech School, as well as JMSS Science Fair Champions Ms Bui, Mr McLean, Abby Goff and the Principal team.  

~ Melanie Denney