Science

KATE WARING

Head of Science

In our aim to be a mindful community, The Southport School has encouraged both staff and students to participate in the Habits of Mind (HOM) in an effort to stimulate intelligent dispositions leading to intelligent attitudes and behaviours.

One of the most popular HOM this year in the Science Department has been “See the wonder, mystery and awe in the world”, which encourages students to “be intrigued and passionate about the world and enjoy figuring things out”.

Here at The Southport School we are constantly encouraging students to consider Science as a career. Scientists are critical in tackling the challenges we, as a nation and in fact the world as a whole, is facing: Climate change, an ageing population, food security, loss of biodiversity and especially fast-spreading viruses like Ebola.

Science underpins everything we do and how we live – it creates opportunities, pushes boundaries and supports new industries and economies essential in this day and age. In an effort to display this HOM, this year’s Science edition of the Southportonian will illustrate snippets from some of the students and teachers regarding some innovative ways they have experienced the mystery, awe and wonder in the world.

Enjoy! Kate Waring B.Pharm. HOD Science

YEAR 12 BIOLOGY EXCURSION: BOND UNIVERSITY ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LABORATORIES.

Nick Ruan – Year 12 Biology Travelling to Bond University to see their medical facilities opened my eyes to an area of science that I had never seen before. It was a fun experience and also a refreshing change to time in the classroom. At school, it becomes hard to visualise the concepts being taught in Human Anatomy and Physiology, since we aren’t exposed to them first-hand. Most dissection classes use foetal pigs. The most memorable moment for me (other than the potent smell of seafood in the lab) was seeing the dissection of the cadavers. Many of us were anxious and apprehensive about seeing cadavers for the first time, and we worried that we’d feel nauseous at the sight of a dead body. The professor was extremely informative and gave a detailed description of how the bodies are prepared for dissection. When he pointed out a particular organ or body part, I could identify what I saw through what I had learnt in the classroom.

Another experience that I thoroughly enjoyed was the pathology museum. The museum featured a variety of pathological organs and tissue that were suspended in a liquid. In the museum I got to see how smoking cigarettes over a long period of time can completely destroy one’s lungs as the tar builds up in the alveoli. I also saw a gangrenous foot that was the result of a patient who had not properly monitored their diabetes.

This experience was certainly enlightening and has expanded my knowledge in the world of science and medicine.

CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS OLYMPIAD

We congratulate Yinuo Han and wish him all the best in his pursuits and discoveries in the discipline of Chemistry and Physics. Among the many national academic exams that our young scholars regularly participate and excel in are the Annual Australian Science Olympiad papers. In these written exams, Year 11 students are invited to challenge themselves and their content knowledge, application in contemporary contexts, critical-thinking ability and problem-solving skills as they extend themselves beyond the classroom.

The Science faculty is particularly delighted with the performance of Yinuo Han (Year 11 McKinley) who, in addition to having received a High Distinction (top 10%) in Chemistry and Physics, achieved a gold medal in Physics with a result placing him in the top 24 Australian students (ie. top third of the High Distinction awards) and a bronze medal in Chemistry, placing him in the remaining third of High Distinction awards. This exceptional result has resulted in his being invited to attend the Australian Olympiad Summer School in Canberra over the Christmas holidays. We would also like to congratulate Cameron Kroon (Year 11 Thorold) who achieved a Distinction award in the Physics Olympiad exam, placing him in the next 20% of all Australian students.

EUROPE SCIENCE TOUR

Jordan Brook Year 12 Chemistry and Physics In the Term Three holidays myself and a group of Year 12 Physics and Chemistry students attended the Senior Science trip in Europe. It was an amazing experience for all of us who attended.

We first travelled to Hong Kong where we were met by an imposing skyline of tall buildings and bright lights. The rush of such a massive city was a very unique experience. We then travelled to Paris where the cultural differences were again very apparent. Both destinations were a vast contrast to anything I’ve visited in Australia. The architecture, food and art were amazing and it is definitely a place I would like to revisit in the future.

We then made our way to Switzerland where we visited the Red Cross and the United Nations headquarters, which highlighted the humanitarian issues occurring all over the world today. This made me realise how easy it is to become isolated in only national issues, and how lucky we are to live in Australia. We then travelled to CERN where we were taken 100m underground to visit the large Hadron collider. This was an amazing experience and has definitely been a big part in my decision to apply for an Advanced Science degree at university. We were constantly getting out of our comfort zone on the trip and this is perhaps why it was so enjoyable. We swam in alpine lakes, spoke different languages, mountainbiked, hiked, rock climbed and some of us even got to paraglide the Swiss Alps. All of these experiences were very rewarding.

Having never been to a non-Englishspeaking country or Europe before, the Senior Science trip was a real eyeopener for me personally. It was an experience that not only encouraged me to pursue a career in science, but also gave me the confidence to travel overseas independently. I would definitely recommend the trip to anyone who has the opportunity to go in the future.

IDEALS WEEK

Charlie Martin Year 12 Chemistry During IDEALS Week, six Year 12 students were joined by Mr DeVries from the Senior Science Department as they ventured across the road to the Prep School Science Lab. For four days, with the teachers stepping back to let the Senior boys take over, they assisted students from a range of year levels to learn not only about the science of rockets, electric circuits and M&MS,

but also to be curious and to enjoy discovering new things about the world. The young preppies were also given some insight into life on the other side of the road and the subjects they might want to choose, and from what we saw over the week, the Senior Science Department can expect an influx of young budding scientists in the coming years.

SENIOR SCHOOL SCIENCE AT THE PREP SCHOOL – IDEALS WEEK 2014

Mr De Vries

Rockets were launched, electricity was made and chemicals were used to test for how well boys wash their hands! These were some of the exciting Science activities that six of our Year 12 boys helped show and explain to a range of Prep School classes during IDEALS Week. Throughout the week these Senior students demonstrated many of the Habits of Mind as they worked with boys, such as moving out of your comfort zone, understanding others and cooperation. The Year 12 boys involved were Charlie Martin, Elliot Hinckesman, Benji Goodman, Sam Hayek, Igor Segrovets and Toby Henalla. Acknowledgement is certainly due also of Kim Larsen, Senior School Laboratory Technician, who was responsible for the actual success of the science demonstrated in the experiments.

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

Mr Ross Wilson: Senior Agricultural Science Teacher

Agricultural Science in 2014 has helped students see the wonder and mystery in the world through the study of animals and plants in different environments. Students have been involved in a range of different activities, including the study of bees, growing fruit and vegetables (Year 10); applying animal husbandry practices to the school cattle, being involved in the marketing of the school’s commercial animals and investigating the breeding of tiger prawns based on their DNA (Year 11), to learning about the complete paddock to plate cycle for cattle at the casino meatworks (Year 12). Also learnt were practical skills that included pulling engines apart, gaining a licence to ride quad bikes, conducting their own experiments with crop production and seeing the future for Agriculture with examples like the Robotic dairy on the Year 12 Excursion.

The Year 11 students learnt something new this year when they visited “Gold Coast Tiger Prawns” (ie Aquacultural Prawn Farm) in October and experienced a new area of Agriculture that they hadn’t realised existed. Seeing first-hand the production of crustaceans and understanding the importance of looking after a precious asset like water has helped them appreciate the need to be leaders in technology to ensure continued food production for society. Year 12 students were certainly curious about the workings of an abattoir and many were moved out of their comfort zones when they saw how an animal was processed. They were amazed at how many end products a single beast can contribute to besides being the steak on the dinner table.

Students in Year 10 have learnt firsthand how precise and accurate nature can be with their work with the school hives and seeing how bees create honeycomb, which are individual cells that are exact duplicates of each other. They have also experienced the sharp end of beekeeping and developed selfdiscipline when they work with bees to ensure the job of extracting honey is done efficiently and safely. When conducting field experiments, students in all year groups are encouraged to be precise and accurate in taking measurements and clear when they communicate their findings. Perhaps one of the most interesting field studies has been the project performed by two Year 12 students, who built an aquaponics unit and investigated the viability of this type of unit to produce a range of edible plants and grow Jade Perch (Australian Finfish species) at the same time.

ANDREW STARK

Head of Libraries and Information

Services

HARLEY STUMM CENTRE – SENIOR LIBRARY

As it so often does, the 2014 academic year began with a flurry of activity in the Harley Stumm Centre. Boys were finalising their textbook and netbook requirements, staff were collating new resources for the year ahead and new parents were keen to see what facilities and support the Senior Library could provide for their sons. Our mission to provide excellent, accessible and authoritative resources (both on and off line) is the cornerstone of our operations, and this focus continues to be warmly received and appreciated by all aspects of the School Community.

YEAR 8 BOYS WORKING COLLABORATIVELY IN THE SENIOR LIBRARY

Many people would understand that the ’modern library’ is, among other things, a dynamic space that encourages both academic rigour and social engagement while establishing cultural points of reference. History vindicates the value placed upon communication, literacy, literature and numeracy, but it has been the library and its pivotal role in establishing and nurturing global social, cultural and educational landscapes that has promoted and maintained the ideals of civilisation.

While the Harley Stumm Centre embraces different learning methods, encourages flexibility in teaching practice and promotes advanced ICT and online resources, one thing remains constant – the professionalism and commitment of its staff, and 2014 sees The Southport School journey of Senior Library Technician Pam Sinclair and School Archivist Lesley Walker coming to an end.

Pam Sinclair has been an active, highly respected member of staff since 1986 and since then has witnessed myriad changes within TSS and extraordinary changes within the library profession. While Pam has embraced this ’revolution’ with gusto, when quizzed, the most favoured aspect of her time at TSS has been working with and assisting the boys.

PAM SINCLAIR AT THE LIBRARY SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION DESK

Lesley Walker commenced at TSS in 1991 and soon after took on the specialist role of School Archivist where she was responsible for the safekeeping of the School’s vast collection of memorabilia. Managing the archival material in an institution like TSS is a huge task, and through her work Lesley has preserved a crucial aspect of Gold Coast history. Ladies, on behalf of the entire School Community, including the tens of thousands of boys and staff who have journeyed through The Southport School, thank you for your guidance, perseverance and willingness to share your expertise. 2014 also marked the inaugural International Library Symposium held at TSS in September. This international event brought together librarians, teachers, academics, authors and designers from around Australia and further afield to consider the changing nature of librarianship and its role in the educational landscape. This was an exciting and invigorating professional learning event and featured international luminaries: Professor Germaine Greer, Dr Barbara Combes, Peter Rose, Angela Foulds-Cook and awardwinning authors Gary Crew and Isobelle Carmody. The Symposium was warmly received by the School Community and we hope to run a similar event in 2016.

INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY SYMPOSIUM KEYNOTE SPEAKER PROFESSOR GERMAINE GREER WITH MR STARK AND MR WAIN

2014 has been another very busy and challenging year for the Senior Library. Ultimately, however, our core business focuses providing academic support and extension for our students. Educating any young person successfully requires more than a textbook and a teacher. It necessitates a holistic approach; one that provides knowledge, guidance and encouragement; and one that includes progressive Information Literacy Skill development and services.

YEAR 8 BOYS IN THE SENIOR LIBRARY FOR A TEXT PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION