2019 School Magazine

CHEMISTRY OLYMPIAD T he Chemistry Olympiad is an annual competition which aims to stimulate scientific thought and logical reasoning among students through rigorous testing. Like other competitions hosted by the Australian Science Innovations, the Chemistry Olympiad involves sitting a two- hour paper. Those who perform well are then invited to Canberra to train for, and participate in, the International Chemistry Olympiad. Participating in the competition was a rewarding experience that expanded our chemistry knowledge and challenged our thinking. In the weeks leading up to the exam, we attended training sessions with Chemistry Teacher, Mrs Ross, who introduced us to new concepts such as redox reactions and helped us with practice exam questions. The exam itself was a challenge but the joy of solving these difficult questions, as well as linking these new concepts with our prior Chemistry knowledge, made it an enriching experience. Grace Crilly (11E), Tiarne Graves (11L), Matina Samios (11W) and Ashley Zhang (11O) PHYSICS OLYMPIAD I n Term 3, interested Year 10 and Year 11 Physics students participated in the annual Physics Olympiad; an academic competition hosted by the Australian Science Innovations designed to assess students’ understanding and application of physics concepts through a challenging two-hour paper, with an opportunity to qualify for the Physics Olympiad Summer School. Leading up to the exam, students prepared at weekly training sessions with Mr Allinson, reviewing some of the more complex topics as well as tackling questions from past papers. Multiple-choice questions were particularly interesting as, although they tested simple concepts, they were worded strategically to feature commonly misunderstood notions in order to test a thorough understanding. Special thanks to Mr Allinson and his dedication in coordinating the training sessions; they were extremely enriching and greatly appreciated. From exploring Newton’s Laws to thermal physics, taking part in the competition was an enjoyable experience that not only reaffirmed our prior knowledge, but allowed us to extend and apply this knowledge in new ways through the exploration of more abstract topics. Matina Samios (11W)

BIOLOGY OLYMPIAD T he Australian Biology Olympiad is a challenging and enriching extension opportunity. This year, 12 Year 11 students were chosen to participate in the qualifying exam for the Australian Science Summer School, from which an Australian representative team is selected.

The preparation for the exam took place over 10 sessions in Term 2 and Term 3, covering topics such as genetics, evolution, biotechnology, ecology and anatomy. Preparing for this exam helped us consolidate our class work and develop our skills concerning future subject matter covered in Year 12. While the topics covered were quite challenging, I highly recommend this opportunity to Biology students interested in extending their skills and knowledge beyond the classroom. Margot Marshall (11W)

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