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Science at SJC provided many exciting and significant events and opportunities in 2015. These events not only brought the scientific community together but also provided the opportunity to expand the communication that exists between teacher and student. A Science club was started during Wednesday and Thursday lunchtimes to help students with scientific concepts, allow access to resources and help with homework. A group of volunteer students also joined forces to become a Science Enrichment group and complete electrical circuit challenges during lunchtimes. Examples of opportunities that arose included the

Science and Engineering Challenge, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Titration challenge, Engineering students@work, National Youth

Science Forum (NYSF) and of course the big event National Science

Week. All of the events and opportunities promoted and encouraged interest in the areas of science, engineering, technology and innovation.

They demonstrate how science is interesting, challenging, important and of direct relevance to our daily lives, the well-being of society and the environmentally sustainable growth of our economy.

The first opportunity was on 23 April when we were represented by 24 Year 10 students at the Science and Engineering Challenge held by the University of Newcastle at Deakin University Waurn Ponds. The students were pitted against other schools in exciting and competitive challenges. The challenges ranged from creating a bionic hand, to building a strong bridge to withstand the most carrying capacity, to constructing a Mars Rover to quickly transverse an undulating surface. Our students really quite enjoyed the day and finished 4th overall. The team whom built the bridge earned the highest number of points of all the bridges and withstood the super ingot challenge. Deakin University Waurn Ponds also held a new challenge that we signed up for called ‘Engineering students@work’. This was a program for six students in Year 10 held from 17 - 21 August. Students who participated were: Ben Arcoraci, Charles Breen, Liam Keogh, Finbar Kinna, William Pile and Thomas Veitch. The program involved providing the students with a set task or problem in the area of Humanitarian Social Justice. The students worked with Engineering lecturers and final year students, Deakin’s new machines and facilities to develop solutions and prototypes to offer ‘realworld’ solutions.

At the end of this hands-on week they submitted reports and presented their findings to CADET staff at Deakin University, Deakin staff, SJC staff and their parents. In addition two of our current Year 11 students Benjamin Kenworthy and Matthew Oyang have been accepted to attend the prestigious NYSF held in Canberra in January. This is a great credit to St Joseph’s College. As successful applicants in selection, Benjamin and Matthew will attend a unique 12-day program that offers the opportunity to test drive careers in the fields of science, engineering and technology (STEM). They will see guest speakers, join forums, join debates and make many laboratory visits. Through this they will learn to make informed decisions about study and career options in STEM fields, and develop a professional skill-set to help them realise their potential. They will come away from the program enriched not only by the inspirational speakers and lab visits, but also by friendships that will continue into university and their future careers. I would like to also take this opportunity to thank all of our dedicated team members for their diligent approach to promoting and running these activities and building our Science curriculum, as well as our students for their participation and continued enthusiasm. I look forward to an exciting and innovative 2016.

Samantha O’Keeffe - Science Domain Leader (RACI) TITRATION CHALLENGE

Titration challenge Titration challenge Students again participated in teams in the Royal Australian Chemical Institute Titration race this year. We had one team of Year 10 (Michael Bongiorno, Taz Parke and Isaac Travers-Hucker) and 2 teams of Year 11 students (Rhys Hegyesi, Patrick Zulumovski and David Motorniak; and Matthew Oyang, Alexander Fama and Joseph McMahon). They all worked really hard for two terms, giving up their lunchtimes, to practice and learn the concepts together. The students learnt specific chemical language such as mole, aliquot, titre, equivalence point, end point; and used specialist equipment such as bulb pippettes and burettes. Michael, Taz and Issac finished 8th out of all Year 10 teams in the state! Patrick, David and Rhys finished

Science and engineering challenge

Engineering students @work

4th out of all Year 11s in the state and placed 11th out of all 252 teams (this includes Year 12 teams) and were offered to compete in the national championships! This was an amazing effort, and all teams did very well.

Cassandra Gleeson & Joanne Board ENGINEERING STUDENTS@WORK; A FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE

My team, Ben, Tom, Will, Finbar, Charles and Liam’s project was to create a humanitarian relief shelter that could replace a tent in an area that has been affected by a disaster. This tent had to: Fit 4 adults, be able to join up with other units (expandable), be flat-packed, durable for long periods of time and waterproof. For the first day we introduced ourselves to the other participating schools, Sacred Heart College and Clonard College, and then we dived into brainstorming ideas for the humanitarian relief shelter. We decided on a pyramidbased structure that could be folded and that could join with other units. Jason from Deakin also gave us an extra tour.

On day 2, we started refining our design by using Google sketch-up and researched materials. We also researched construction methods in the library at Deakin and explored several buildings for educational reasons. The next day we perfected our design by adding modifications, using preferable materials (Plywood and foam-core insulation) and completing our 3D design on Google sketch-up. We also constructed a scale cardboard model of the relief shelter design which demonstrated how the unit could join with other units, how it could be flat-packed, the joints of the structure and how the door opened. The team had a big debate on the base of the square-pyramid, which ended with the base being fully solid. On day 4, we had an acrylic model of the relief shelter design laser-cut and set it up using adhesive tape. We prepared for our presentation, practicing our speeches and conducting ourselves. We also continued revising the model so that we knew precisely what we had created and that if asked a questions, we would know the answer. Finally on day 5, we continued to practice what we were going to speak about. We also did a bit of exploring within Deakin’s facilities. When three o’clock arrived we were a bit nervous however the team were well prepared. The parents filed in one by one and seated themselves while each team from the three schools involved waited nervously for their turn to present. Our team presented second, although some of us stammered a bit we pulled through, explaining the model well.

Ben Arcoraci - Year 10

NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK 2015

The National Science Week theme ‘Making waves: The science of light’ was celebrated at main campus on 20 August. All day there were classes and groups of students visiting the activities set up to explore. Presenter Carl Ahlers (Professor Bunsen) presented to a packed out auditorium made up of VCE Physics classes, some Westcourt and Year 10 classes. Professor Bunsen also presented a second show during an extended lunchtime to students who registered to see him. He demonstrated light as heat, light converted from sound and electricity and back to sound, as visible colours, fluorescence under UV, radio waves as Alternative and Direct current, infrared and solar panels. Students also took a trip to a light exhibition of crystals, lasers, fiber optics, luminol, fluorescent rocks and mirages; and a laser room set up in some blacked out classrooms. The exhibition included a free glow wrist band or some washable fluorescent face paint. Students also enjoyed a trip to a mirrors maze truck where they needed to find their way out. This was more challenging than many students first thought as there were fake screws and hinges where they tried to look for the exit. Many students on the outside in lines waiting enjoyed watching the cameras of students walking through attempting to find their way out. The theme based on the International Year of Light, is also always embedded to encourage young people to continue science studies beyond the compulsory years of schooling and to pursue science-based careers. We look forward to the 2016 theme ‘Drones, droids and robots’.

Samantha O’Keeffe - Science Domain Leader Using light to create shadow puppets during science week Titration Titration challenge

Exploring the light exhibition

The house of mirrors