SCIENCE

WOMEN IN STEM AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (WISE) PROGRAM

As reported in last week’s newsletter, two Year 10 McKinnon teams of four girls recently made the finals of the Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WISE) Program run by Monash University.  The girls involved were: 

Team 1: Bridget Chapman, Karleen Han, Alisha Gollen and Michelle Gu

Team 2: Julia Giantos, Catherine Braniska, Jamie Tyzack and Grace James

In the final stage, two successful teams were selected to win an immersive entrepreneurial experience to San Francisco and Silicon Valley, California, USA - the global centre of technological innovation! With a flawless presentation, McKinnon Team 1 was selected as one of the winning teams. The girls will be travelling with their Monash mentors, to the USA in January.  Below are some reflections from the girls in the winning team:

Therese Sweeney

Head of Science

The WISE program was an experience that I will never forget. Not only did I improve my presentation, time management and communication skills, I found that the workshops were inspirational and the multitude of guest speakers were really beneficial and I learned a lot from them. I honestly didn't believe that we won. I was more just proud of the fact that we worked so hard and presented so well. I'm so proud of the girls and I can't wait to spend ten days in Silicon Valley with them.

Bridget Chapman

Initially, our team intended to just have fun and learn new things at the WISE bootcamp. We made it into the second round by the skin of our teeth, only receiving the invitation two weeks before the event, due to another team dropping out. We had no delusions about how far behind we were, since other teams that had months worth of preparation. Our two days were filled with determination to not be the underdog, while also just enjoying ourselves, eating good food, and listening to all the inspirational entrepreneurs that came in to tell their story. Actually having the winning start-up pitch, and having the opportunity to go to Silicon Valley, is an utter shock that we are still comprehending—my parents thought I was making it up!

Michelle Gu

Stage 1 of the WISE program was all about generating and developing innovative solutions to present-day problems. Each team created and presented a business pitch, which included a description of the innovation, a prototype demonstration and a discussion of the next steps. Stage 2 of the program was run in a similar fashion, with the teams being challenged to develop a pitch once again. This time, however, the focus was on honing our ideas and turning them into economically sustainable products. We were also lucky to receive guest speakers who offered valuable guidance and motivation. At the end of the day, each team presented, and we heard some fantastic ideas! We saw Fitbits for pets, bike sensors in cars and high-security lockers. Overall, I have really enjoyed participating in WISE. I gained valuable experience in collaborative problem-solving and innovative thinking, real-world skills that I can apply to many other scenarios.

Karleen Han

YEAR 7 SCIENCE FIELD TRIP TO THE MELBOURNE ZOO

On Thursday 24 October, 7A to 7H headed on their field trip to the Melbourne Zoo to examine the adaptations of animals. This relates to what we have been learning in class; investigating the classification system and understanding how organisms are grouped according to their differences and similarities. 

Being a very balmy 33 degrees, the animals were mostly in shade throughout the day. However we were still fortunately enough to still see an abundance of animals, ranging from small to large animals. As we wandered around the Zoo, we completed worksheets. The worksheets had five parts, including ‘Who am I’ as well as questions regarding individual animals such as their natural habitats and their scientific names. 

One amazing thing was that the Australian bird aviary had different habitats in one room, including wetlands and rainforest. Some birds that were at this exhibit were the Red-fronted macaws, Buffon’s macaws, Green-winged macaw, Blue and gold macaw, Eclectus parrots, doves, spoonbills and more. It was also good to see the new exhibit, the Lion Den, which houses some impressive carnivores such as the Lion, Snow Leopard and Sumatran Tiger. Our main task was to visit the critically endangered Lord Howe Island Stick Insect to learn how Melbourne Zoo are helping to conserve this species, which was once thought to be extinct. 

Roshan Jivanjee, Rowen Hull and Ishaan Tiwari 

Year 7G students