Science

Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians

This competition is aimed at Year 7 to Year 10 students who are in the top Mathematics classes. This year our students achieved 11 High Distinctions, 6 Distinctions and 20 Credits.

HIGH DISTINCTIONS

YEAR 8 Samuel D’Souza (8.6), Samuel Throssell (8.2)

YEAR 9 Joseph Bonavita (9.6), Samuel Carbone (9.5), Kane Ottobrino (9.2)

YEAR 10 Joshua De Souza (10.5), Yiming Dong (10.5), Callum Dewsbury (10.6), Trung Le (10.7), Darcy Port (10.1), Thomas Salleo (10.4)

HAVE SUM FUN – LOWER SECONDARY

FIRST PLACE Trinity College Team

Team members:

YEAR 8 Samuel D’Souza (8.6), Samuel Throssell (8.2)

YEAR 9 Kayvan Gharbi (9.6), Charles Owens (9.4) YEAR 10 Yiming Dong (10.5), Callum Dewsbury (10.6)

HAVE SUM FUN ONLINE – TERM 4 2012

Trinity College had three teams which were successful: 1ST PLACE Year 11 Shaun Zhu (11.3), Daniel Bendotti (11.2), Isaac Ward (11.3), Yash Patel (11.2)

2ND PLACE Year 10 Dane Vulich (10.4), Trung Le (10.7), Quintin Li (10.6), Garth Briones

1ST PLACE Year 9 Samuel Carbone (9.5), Colin Rapkoch (9.6), Trong Nguyen (9.7), Kayvan Gharbi (9.6)

Throughout the year we have also had students compete in the Australian Problem Solving Olympiad, Australian Mathematics Olympiad, Western Australian Junior Mathematics Olympiad and Have Sum Fun Upper Secondary.

National Summer School – Canberra January 2013

Sheldon Russell (12.6) was one of six students from Western Australia chosen to attend this summer school. Sheldon also received the Larry Blakers Scholarship to attend the summer school as the highest ranked student from WA.

Shaun Zhu (11.3) has been selected to attend the National Summer School in January 2014. Mathematics Week

Mr Tim Blake Head of Science

The 2013 academic year for science was one of ‘out with the old in with the new’ as we bid farewell to the controversial outcomes based education and welcomed the Australian National Curriculum. Introducing the new curriculum for Year 7 showed us how to proceed with a full implementation in Years 7-10 commencing 2014. The year was spent planning and then writing programs and assessments for the various strands. Every science staff member was given a topic related to their specialty to develop and did a great job of completing this to a high level. They will continue to have ownership of that topic as we trial and refine the programs and assessments in 2014.

Due to the efforts of the West Australian representatives at the initial consultation for the National Curriculum, the science curriculum has not changed greatly from that currently offered. Indeed, it has followed one important focus pioneered in West Australia – that of investigating scientifically. This is most welcome, as it is the science skills of investigating, planning and conducting that students take with them for life rather than a host of interesting facts (i.e. it is the ‘how’ you find out something not ‘what’ you discover that is important). Through the science curriculum students can experience the joy of scientific discovery and nurture their natural curiosity about the world around them. In doing this, they develop critical and creative-thinking skills and challenge themselves to identify questions and draw evidence-based conclusions using scientific methods.

However, some challenges came with the new curriculum. The content seems extensive and will need to be rationalised. The addition of three cross curricular priorities (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia and Sustainability) will prove challenging in some areas of science. We welcomed a new staff member this year – Jacob Marai. Jacob joins our physics team and has brought with him a fresh, novel and innovative approach to teaching that has really enthused all his classes. In 2015, we hope to introduce new technology and methodology in science teaching and we hope Jacob will be able to lend his energy to that venture. The observatory is rapidly developing a space science focus for the winter months through the guidance of Bill Cooper. The latest venture with balloon launches has created an inspiring activity with a huge potential.

Our upper school academic program continues to provide solid results in all areas through the hard work and dedication of our staff and I am grateful to them for their continuing professional efforts.

After seven years of trying, we finally managed to win the day event at the Science and Engineering Challenge held at Curtin University. The event is very competitive amongst all the top schools in Perth and involves a series of engineering challenges, over a whole day, by small groups of students. Jim Shackleton’s Year 9 extension class was comfortable winners on the day but we just missed out on winning the whole competition that would have given us a trip to Canberra for the national title. The Year 10.3 course students were treated to a really interesting day when a policewoman visited the College and gave a demonstration of forensics science … and nobody was arrested. Jack Kay (11.1) was our selected student to visit the United Space School, in Houston. Our biology camp to the south west was the best so far, with excellent marsupial trapping results, brilliant views from Bluff Knoll. We even received a letter of appreciation from both the accommodation proprietors for the way the students were excellent representatives of the College. Out biennial Malaysian expedition was also a great success expanding the biology program outside the classroom.

The Australian Science Olympiad is an annual competition for elite science students. The ‘best in the country’ compete to represent Australia in a world-wide Olympiad. Over many years we have performed extremely well in chemistry and two more students added to the list of high achievers: Sheldon Russell (12.6) was awarded a gold medal for a High distinction in chemistry. Joshua Galvin (12.2) was awarded a silver medal, also in chemistry.

It will be a long year of implementation and change in 2014, but the professionalism and dedication of the science staff will enable us to provide the best of science education for the Trinity community.

Mr Tim Blake Head of Science