Events

Over the last 3 weeks Year 9 Science students have participated in an engineering project with students from Sydney University.  The activities have centred around a competition which was to launch an egg using provided materials as far as possible. In order to complete this task students have

1. Been introduced to the science of engineering
2. Completed activities introducing them to the concepts of kinetic and potential energy
3. Designed and constructed a machine that could launch an egg
4. Made a poster which showed how their machine converted potential energy into kinetic energy



Two prizes were given on the day
1)  Best poster for:
Jesse Fowler, Nathanael Hayes, Marie Torrington, Sophie Herbert, Natalie Hibert, Nicki Hocking & Meliana Surybinarto
2)  Best machine for:
Gabby Watson, Diana Fifita, Cara Petrowski , Ada lee, Natasha Warton & Dorothy Poon

Who could have known that DNA can be this tasty?
Year 10 students are learning about what makes up DNA. The challenge for the students was to find out what structure the DNA has, and to work out a key for each chemical.  The materials they were working with were lollies - an extra incentive to do well and have a long chain of DNA. In creating this model, it showed the students had an understanding of how the DNA fit together. Hopefully it will help them to remember the different parts, eg the marshmallows were the sugar phosphates.

It was a great lesson, the students had fun and most of all they learned about the wonderful DNA structure that God created.

 

Author: Mrs Emily Carpenter, Science Teacher

If your child missed the bus on Monday afternoon or came home and told you an amazing story about a snake and a crow, this is what they saw! As the story goes, the crow was pecking the snake who was sunning itself on the roof of the Science block. The snake got annoyed and decided to have crow for afternoon tea. The result was a live science show!

Yes, Pluto is a dwarf planet. Yes, the moon is made of cheese, (parmesan actually). Yes, Mars is inhabited by Vermicious Knids. How do we know? Well, all of Year 5 participated in a day of rocket launching last week as part of their studies in Space. Students were set the challenge of creating a rocket, no more than 40cm in length, that would lift more that 30cm off the ground. Ha! Simple! Each rocket fulfilled this target and more. Charlotte Aitken's rocket was awesome… it still hasn't landed. Mario Cheng's rocket was like a stunt plane and Tom Holman's was propelled by balloon power. Jess Davis used a ball as a pump. Zoe Hilton's required an air compressor for fuel and Grace Cole's used kinetic energy.

The kids had a blast and the Dads did, too!

We all learnt a great deal but ... it's not rocket science, well actually it is.

Charlotte Aitken, Sam Watson, Alex Norris, Ryan Poon (Year 5)