News
Science Snippets
- Back in Term 2!
Science Snippets, our series of short talks for students from real-world scientists and researchers, is returning at lunch time this Thursday 3 May!
This time around, we will be joined by the Monash Rover Team, who will be speaking about the rover they have designed as part of the University Rover Challenge. A great opportunity for students interested in engineering, astrophysics and robotics to hear from a group of science and engineering students about some of the real-world applications coming out of the Monash campus just a few metres away from JMSS.
You can read more about the Rover Team here, but be sure to stop by the G0 rooms at lunch time on Thursday for a chance to ask the team questions in person!
Year 11 Environmental Science Camp
by Kelvin and Bonnie, Year 11 Students
This past week, the Year 11 Environmental Science class was privileged enough to be sent on Environmental Science Camp, and whilst the 6:00 AM arrival time at school was pretty full-on, it was a very enjoyable two days.
On the first day, we investigated the biological and geological characteristics and interconnections of multiple sites, including the You Yangs and Mt Leura. This involved plotting and identifying varied forms of flora on grids, and identifying rock types and sources. With the help of Geology professor 'Jim' we were well equipped to investigate many geographical and geological landforms, such as maar volcanoes and crater lakes.
After a scenic drive through the Otway Ranges between Colac and Apollo Bay, we set ourselves up in the Apollo Bay Caravan Park, where we had a great BBQ dinner. After countless rounds of table tennis and pool, we were absolutely exhausted, and were very quick to fall asleep.
After a well deserved sleep-in, we awoke to a breakfast of cereal and leftover BBQ, followed by a beautiful walk along the beach to the main township. On this walk, we took note of the vegetation surrounding us and its characteristics, such as its role in soil stabilisation and its height. Arriving in town, we enjoyed a local lunch, before we hopped on the bus and made our way to Wye River.
On our way along the Great Ocean Road we couldn’t help but be amazed at the beautiful scenery of deep blue water and rugged rock formations scattered along the way. In Wye River we investigated the impacts of the 2015 bushfires, which devastated the township. We took note of the fire’s impacts on the environment as well as its impacts on human activity, and preventative measures which have now been implemented after the fires.
Overall the trip was an amazing experience, and although I highly doubt our voices will recover from the amount of singing we did in peak hour traffic on the Westgate on a Friday, I think it’s easy to say that we’ll look back at it fondly.
Student Parliament Camp
by Madhu Raghunath
During Term 1, Student Parliament attended an action-packed Leadership Camp at Lyrebird Park in the Yarra Ranges. The owner Warren and the amazing camp staff were full of wisdom and worldly advice; they taught us the qualities of true leadership and the importance of rising to the opportunities presented to us. The morality of good leadership and the need for dynamic teamwork were certainly tested.
The camp was a wonderful way to connect with each other and created strong cohesive bonds between the parliamentarians. The adventurous activities definitely succeeded in pushing our boundaries, but the cheering and support we gave each other was incredibly encouraging.
Not only did students build trust and camaraderie, but we had the opportunity to develop as a unified group, to share and discuss changes that we wanted to see happen to further benefit the learning experience at JMSS. Another highlight was the food prepared by Chen Lu, which was exceptional and served in very generous portions. Thank you to Mr Corkill, Ms Roper, Ms Collis, Ms Cheah Johnson and Mr Anderson, for organising such an incredible and enjoyable event. Each and every one of us felt so inspired and motivated after attending this camp - and I wish it could have lasted even longer!