2016 School Magazine

INTERNATIONAL YOUNG PHYSICISTS TOURNAMENT The 2016 International Young Physicists Tournament was hosted by Ural Federal University in Ekaterinburg, Russia. After competing at the IYPT Australia challenge with Adete Bhasin (12L), Rachel Anderson (11W) and Xuan-Nghi Pham (11O), I was lucky enough to be selected to attend as one of five students on the Australian team for the international competition. As a team, we prepared solutions to seventeen challenging and open-ended physics problems. At the tournament, we presented, discussed and defended our solutions to an opposing team from one of the other 28 countries that participated, before our ‘physics fight’ was graded by a jury of international physicists. I had an amazing time in Russia – as well as really enjoying the Physics and the problem solving it required, I got a chance to explore a totally new country and meet so many great people from around the world. IYPT was a fantastic learning experience and I was incredibly lucky to have this great opportunity.

YEAR 7 MATHS QUIZ Everyone was ready in their houses with their face paint on. This was not only a maths competition; it was a show of pure house pride. As the first three competitors from every house stepped up for the first round, speed, the entire house followed and squashed into the rooms, but ready to win. After this, everyone went upstairs and prepared themselves for the estimation, individual and general knowledge rounds. It was a close call after this, with only half points separating some houses, and the trivia was the only thing that could once and for all separate the winners from the rest. It was long and nerve-racking as the teachers read out the results. Finally, everyone found out who the winner was, Beanland! Thanks to Ms Muller, Ms Mazzaglia and many other teachers from the Mathematics Faculty for an exciting and fun- filled afternoon of Maths! PERSIA BLACK (7H), GRACE KELLEY (7H) AND ISABELLA MOLLOY (7H)

KATHRYN BIRD (12H)

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING CHALLENGE This year, the 19th annual Science and Engineering Challenge was held on the 3rd of March at the University of Queensland with approximately thirty Year 9 and 10 girls attending. The girls were split into teams of four and each team competed in either a half-day or full day activity. There were a range of challenges that tested the girls’ team work skills, as well as their engineering abilities. The activities included bridge building, producing catapults, constructing robotic hands using everyday materials and much more. At the end of the day, all the schools gathered in the centre of the room to watch the bridge testing. This was the final event of the day and was easily the most exciting. Bridge Building was a whole day activity and the girls had to try to build a bridge that was strong yet light. The aim of this challenge was to build the strongest bridge that could hold the most “gold” ingots as the car rolled over the bridge. If the bridge snapped, that was the end of the school’s trials. Brisbane Girls Grammar School placed a commendable fourth out of eight schools. All the girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves and definitely acquired a new appreciation of the knowledge

involved in science and engineering. I would definitely recommend this challenge to future Year 9s and 10s, as it is not only highly entertaining, but also academically challenging and an extremely good experience.

MEGAN CHEN (10G)

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