2017 School Magazine

Science

AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIAD SUMMER SCHOOL

of bacteria or even our own blood cells! We also conducted experiments on blood glucose, barley amylase, and bacterial growth. Also, as a biology student, we spent three days away at ANU’s Kioloa Campus on the NSW coast. Here we learnt ecology, which we applied to our observations of the kangaroo population. We also went swimming at the beach and surveyed the rock pools there, collected microorganism samples from a nearby creek and looked at them under field microscopes, and dissected prawns and snails. Most importantly, I was able to spend time with like-minded students of my own age, some of whom I still correspond with. Although, after completing more exams at the end of the summer school, I did not make the International Olympiad team, I am very grateful for this opportunity and the knowledge and experiences it provided me. ISABEL PETERS (12M)

In mid-2016 I, along with other high-achieving Brisbane Girls Grammar School students, was asked to sit the Australian Olympiad Exam in the discipline/s of physics, biology, chemistry or earth and/or environmental science. After a few months of before-school study sessions, I sat three of the four exams in August last year. When the results came out, Xuan-Nghi Pham (12O) and I were offered the opportunity to attend the Australian Olympiad Summer School held for two weeks in January 2017 at Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. In particular, I was invited to participate in the biology program. At ANU we spent the mornings and evenings studying theory which included cellular processes, human anatomy, and genetics. The middle of the day was devoted to practical lab work. Here, we learnt how to prepare slides

BIOLOGY OLYMPIAD TRAINING

The 2017 Biology Olympiad training for the national qualifying exam was an extremely rewarding experience as we had the opportunity to get a much more in-depth knowledge of many biology topics, and an insight into next year’s topics. The experience furthered our interest in the subject of biology and pushed us to work harder. We thoroughly enjoyed all training sessions and we are extremely grateful for this extension opportunity. CATHERINE LI (11E) AND EMMA HARDING (11M)

PHYSICS OLYMPIAD TRAINING

to: logically problem solve, interpret complex and challenging questions, apply visualisation techniques when choosing between 10 to the power of 12 and 10 to the power of 3 in significant figures questions, and identify an answer based on their knowledge of physics rather than their daily experience. Mr Allinson’s coordination and teaching of the Physics Olympiad was especially valuable in the preparation for the test and was greatly appreciated. Overall, the experience was a challenging and enjoyable opportunity for students to extend their knowledge and application of physics. CAITLIN MCGRATH (11R)

Earlier this term, eleven Year 11 girls had the opportunity to participate in the Physics Olympiad national qualifying examination. The examination contained ten multiple choice questions and four long answer questions designed to test a student’s understanding and application of physics concepts. In preparation, the students met on a weekly basis to learn and practise applying these concepts in past papers. The multiple- choice questions are often simple, yet contain commonly misunderstood concepts, while the test questions contain novel aspects and are worded specifically to test a student’s thorough understanding. As a result of Olympiad training, students learnt

110 | CO-CURRICULUM | BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2017