2016 School Magazine

INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR SCIENCE OLYMPIAD (IJSO) In December 2015, I, along with Gabby Callow (11E), Adeline Chan (11L), Aleesha Ganendran (11W), Brooke Tran (11G) and Lily Wu (11R), travelled to Daegu, South Korea, to compete in the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO). IJSO is a science competition in which students under the age of 15 complete both theoretical and practical examinations that cover a range of topics from three fields of science (physics, chemistry and biology). Problem solving, critical thinking and experimentation skills are put to the test under highly competitive conditions. Accompanied by two teachers, Mrs Monteith and Mrs Urry, the six of us made up the Australian team. Competing alongside 43 other countries, we took home one bronze medal as a reward for our efforts during the lead up to the nine-day competition. However, it was not so much our achievements, but the incredibly valuable experience that made the trip unforgettable. As a team we immersed ourselves in the mix of different cultures, established global connections and made friends — many of whom we are still in contact with today. From these friends we learnt a great deal about education systems all over the world, social/economic disparities in education and the different levels of emphasis placed on girls’ education. As a whole, our trip to South Korea was not only educational, but also eye opening and enriching.

XUAN-NGHI PHAM (11O)

CHEMISTRY OLYMPIAD This year, high achieving Year 11 Chemistry students competed in the Chemistry Olympiad. In preparation for this two-hour exam, we spent one morning a week under the tutelage of Head of Chemistry, Mrs Ross, extending our knowledge in chemistry. We learnt some of the Year 12 Chemistry units including Organic Chemistry, Redox Reactions and Equilibrium. It also gave us an opportunity to learn to work in stressful situations and to organise our time to be able to study for the Olympiad exam and school simultaneously. We were all quite nervous to sit the exam but found it a really rewarding experience.

ABIRAMI SOMASUNDARAM (11M)

CO-CURRICULUM / 125