2022 School Magazine

BIOLOGY OLYMPIAD D uring Terms 2 and 3, a selection of 12 enthusiastic Year 11 Biology students diligently prepared for the Australian Biology Olympiad Exam, which was held during Term 3. Every Wednesday morning, we received insightful and comprehensive tuition from Head of Biology, Ms Monteith. A plethora of thought-provoking topics, from Darwin’s theories of inheritance to plant physiology, to real-world applications of biotechnology were explored, which supported and extended our classroom learning of these topics. While some of the concepts were challenging, and the online exam demanding, the knowledge and experience we have gained will prove to be invaluable in our Senior Biology studies and beyond! Lauren Hirst (11W) and Natasha Miric (11O) PHYSICS OLYMPIAD T he 2022 Senior Physics Olympiad was a truly incredible experience, with several students across Years 10 and 11 participating in the event, held on 2 August. Although the exam itself was a memorable experience, the training sessions held beforehand by Mr Allinson helped broaden my knowledge about different concepts outside the senior curriculum and inspired my curiosity to learn more about these interesting phenomena. I enjoyed the variety of topics explored, and in particular, I thoroughly enjoyed having Mr Allinson as a coordinator and mentor– his insightful explanations sparked my interest into fields of Physics I have not encountered yet. Students from Brisbane Girls Grammar School achieved the following results: Four Distinctions: Kaiyu Su (10R); Emma Wong (10W); Kathryn Petersen (10O); and Tung-Hi Ma (11H) and Eight Credits: Ellen Baek (10E); Naomi Dooley (11E); Ruby Galligan (10R); Jacqueline Hii (11R); Sophia Kondos (11W); Amelie Mitchell (11G); Grace Paschkewitz (11O); and Lauren Zillman (11H). Overall, the Physics Olympiad was a rewarding experience that all of us enjoyed. Tung-Hi Ma (11H) OPTIMINDS O ptiMINDS is a fun, team project-based competition where you can let your creativity go absolutely wild. It is held in Term 3 (and Term 4 if placed first in regionals) and is organised by Mrs Boltman alongside Ms Roche, Dr Burnett, and Ms Walsh. At BGGS, this competition is available for anyone in Years 7 to 10. This year, we had huge success, with three teams winning in their respective regional divisions and waiting to compete once more in the state finals in late October. We first started participating in OptiMINDS in 2021 after being influenced by friends who took part in the competition the previous year. This competition allowed us to improve essential life-skills including communication, resilience, and teamwork. Depending on what category you enter, you can also venture further into skills such as film editing, public speaking, writing, and even engineering. If you’re looking to challenge yourself, grab a group of friends and make sure to sign up for next year! Ajin Kyoung (9H) and Amelia Loye (9H)

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