Student Excellence Program

BioEYES+: As part of the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series (VCES), selected grade 2 and 5 students took part in the engaging BioEYES+ program on Friday 14/3, led by Elissa from the Biomedical Science Department at Monash University.

This hands-on session introduced students to the fascinating world of biomedical science and the animals researchers use to help understand the human body. Students explored the similarities between zebrafish and humans, developing their own hypotheses about whether zebrafish could be considered similar to humans in biological terms.

Students observed live zebrafish in tanks, learning how to tell males and females apart—did you know the female zebrafish is larger than the male? They also examined zebrafish embryos, identifying different developmental stages and collecting eggs to study under microscopes, using key features to estimate the embryos' age.

To deepen their understanding, students used comparison cards to create a Venn diagram showing the similarities and differences between humans and zebrafish. They then completed a detailed workbook and questionnaire, reflecting on their learning before heading back to class.

This exciting event gave students a real taste of the work biomedical scientists do—and showed just how much we can learn from the animal kingdom!

Maths Olympiad tryouts: Congratulations to the below students who have been selected to try out for the Maths Olympiad competition. These students have been selected based on Maths data from the end of last year. Tryouts will be held on Monday 31st March in the VHAP room. For more information, please refer to the Compass event. It is important to confirm your child’s attendance through Compass before Monday 31st. Goodluck to everyone trying out! We look forward to announcing our team in the next newsletter.