STEM Science

The best part of returning to school after the many disruptions of COVID is being able to get hands-on Science classes again. Students have missed many practical experiences and have shown great enthusiasm in getting involved in class and outside of class. Learning concepts in Science is greatly improved with the opportunity to experience physically what you are learning theoretically.

In the Year 10 Rockets Made Easy elective, the students have been putting their understanding of aerodynamics, forces and motion into effect by designing air-fired rockets. They have been using a design, test, redesign process to get a rocket that flies further and straighter. It has been a great opportunity to employ all the craft skills and ingenuity that our students have. In Year 9 SEAL, the class voted to do this elective for semester 2 and have had as much fun as the Year 10 class in designing and testing. We have had rockets reach distances of 40 to 50 metres in the student entry courtyard and have come close to losing some on the roof. Students have used the angle, distance and air time calculations to extend their maths skills working with parabolic curves to get maximum flight height and initial velocities.

Outside of the classroom, Sasha, Jade and Liv from the Sustainability Club have been busy making the school a much nicer place to be in. “This year the Sustainability Club has worked hard to create an eco-friendlier environment within the school. This includes re-planting the school garden with donations from students and staff as well as buying new bins to reduce litter around the schoolyard. Our future aspirations are to implement a nude food program to reduce our plastic consumption and collaborate with Bunnings to improve the atmosphere of our garden. In addition, a group of students have generously decided to donate the proceeds of their bake sale to the club, to work towards getting sustainable equipment for the school.”

We are very proud of the way our students have settled back into face-to-face learning this year. They have shown that lockdowns cannot blunt their curiosity and enthusiasm for getting involved in hands-on Science experiences. This will stand them in good stead when designing their own practical investigations in VCE.

Richard Hanlon Learning Area Leader