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volume 4, Issue 2 October– December 2013
volume 4, Issue 3 October– December 2013 EXCITING TOURS FOR STUDENTS DURING S&T MONTH
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In this issue S&T Month Tour Highlights Shotwood Science Trainee Awarded Where are they now?
ovember was celebrated as Science, Technology and innovation Month, during this period the SRC partnered with ten (10) Public and Private Sector Organisations to facilitate tours for Primary and Secondary School students. The tours were aimed at demonstrating the applications of Science and Technology in the organisations’ day-to-day functions.
The schools were notified through Science teachers, and Science club Facilitators included in the SSTS Database.
Students from Waterford High with their teacher Ms. Rankine touching a wind turbine blade at the entracnce of Wigton Windfarm.
The participating organisations were; •Caribbean Aviation training Centre •The Earthquake Unit, UWI Mona •International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences •Jamaica Standard Products •The Meteorological Service •Sugar Industry Research Instit •Water Resources Authority •Wigton Windfarm •Ministry of Agriculture and FisheriesResearch and Development Division •The Sandal Group
In total 24 schools took part in 36 tours in these organisations, spanning from November 7 to December 5. The effort was aimed at giving students exposure, allowing them to better understand and put into perspective aspects of the taught curriculum. Ms. Kerry-Ann Smith, Science Club Facilitator at Montego Bay High School for Girls: ”The students learnt a lot about the various energy saving and environmentally friendly resources that are present at Sandals Montego Bay”
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Mr. Astley Fletcher, teacher at deCarteret College:”What made this visit so important is that these students will cover Instrumentation in their Unit 2 module 2 CAPE Chemistry syllabus and many of these methods are explored. Even basic vacuum filtration was demonstrated. Seeing these applications in a real work setting reinforced the significance of the theory to these students”. Ms. Oshea Davis, teacher at Clonmel Primary and Junior High: “The visit was very informative and fun. The tour guides and presenter were very cordial and accommodating. The highlight of the day was when the students got a chance to sit in one of the planes.”
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU MAY CONTACT THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION UNIT: Telephone: (876) 927-1771-4 Fax: (876) 1 927-0806 Email: ssts.src@gmail.com Editor: Ms. Felicia Bailey
volume 4, Issue 2 October– December 2013
PICTORIAL TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Science club members from Montego Bay High School for Girls viewing the first stage of sewage treatment at Sandals Montego Bay.
The unit that dumps power generated by Wigton Widfarm into JPS’s Power Grid.
Students touching the insulator of the Sewage treatment plant at Sandals Montego Bay.
Students from deCarteret College carrying out titrations at SIRI
One of Wigton’s 23 wind turbines.
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Students of Clonmel Primary and Junior High with a member of staff at the Caribbean Aviation Training Centre
volume 4, Issue 2 October– December 2013
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SRC AWARDS TOP THIRD YEAR SCIENCE STUDENT AT SHORTWOOD
nnually the SRC awards the best performing third year Science student at the Shortwood Teachers’ College. The prize was this year awarded to Peta-gay Bamberry, an aspiring Biology Teacher.
SRC’s Executive Director, Mr. Hawthorn Watson presenting the trophy to Ms. Peta-gay Bamberry.
Each year the awardee is presented with a trophy and a cash prize for their excellence in the previous year’s final exams.
Bamberry expressed her gratitude to the SRC for the assistance they have afforded her through the cash prise. She said this effort has cemented in her the desire to “give back and help others, no matter how small the contribution.”
She also said, “Seeing the trophy in the school’s office with her name is a motivation not only for her but also her fellow classmates.”
Bamberry is a two (2) time honour roll student, currently in her penultimate year at Shortwood, where she is one of the first Bachelor’s degree candidates at the school.
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volume 4, Issue 2 October– December 2013
J O N AT H A N G R A N T H O S T S S T. C AT H E R I N E S F I R S T S C I E N C E FA I R The Jonathan Grant High School in Spanish Town, St Catherine held a Science Fair and Exposition under the theme ‘Guiding and Embracing a Changing Society through Science and Technology’.
Students taking notes and listening keenly at the SRC Booth
The event sought to bring to the attention of the community at large, an awareness of products which can be generated from Science and Technology. The SRC among other companies, were invited to showcase products and services integral in developing Science and Technology products in Jamaica.
The event featured projects not only from Jonathan Grant but also from other St. Catherine based schools.
SRC’s Acting Executive Director, Mr Hawthorne Watson was the Guest Speaker at the event which was held on Thursday November 21, 2013.
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volume 4, Issue 2 October– December 2013
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UPCOMING EVENTS
SRC Young Inventors and Innovators Competition
Application Duedate End of January
SUPLIGEN Design Challenge
End of February
NESTLE Oratory and Essay Competition
End of February
NESTLE Mothers’ Day Essay Poetry and Poster Competition
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End of February
volume 4, Issue 2 October– December 2013
volume 4, Issue 2 October– December 2013
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volume 4, Issue 2 October– December 2013
volume 4, Issue 2 October– December 2013
FUN FACTS
The average person has at least seven dreams a night.
Honeybees have hair on their eyes.
The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds.
A sneeze travels at over 100 miles per hour.
The largest egg laid by a living bird is that of the North African Ostrich. It is 6 to 8 inches in length and 4 to 6 inches in diameter. The smallest is that of the hummingbird. It is less than 0.39 inches in diameter.
The blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived (it could reach 100 feet long and weight up to 150 tons!).
The average person has at least seven dreams a night. A snail can sleep for 3 years straight!
The longest bout of hiccups lasted 69 years!
There may be as many as 3,000 different kinds of insects — more than all the other animal and plant species combined. 9
A slug has four noses. The weight of all the termites in the world outweigh the weight of all humans 10 to 1.