The Science Faculty are constantly reviewing the curriculum delivery to increase student investigation activities and decrease the amount of didactic pedagogy. Staff and students have taken external opportunities to embrace the world of Science outside of the St Catherine’s Science laboratories.

Go Girls – Superstars of STEM

On Wednesday May 19 a small group of St Catherine’s students attended the Go Girls – Superstars of STEM lecture, held by Dr Katie Allen MP, Federal Member for Higgins at Lauriston Girls School. Dr Allen explained her dedication to STEM and her goal of increasing funding for STEM projects across Victoria. Throughout the lecture, Dr Allen introduced the four panellists: Grace Lethlean, Crystal Forrester, Maria del Mar Quiroga and Jennifer Fan Gaskin, and led them through a series of questions to allow the audience members to understand their past, passions and pursuits in their respective scientific and mathematical fields. In particular, my interest was sparked when hearing the stories of Dr Gaskin and aerospace engineer, Crystal Forrester. Dr Gaskin, an ophthalmologist, was forced into the medical field by her parents yet decided to make something of this, transforming her medical knowledge into an artwork. Her description of being able to give back patients the gift of sight was beautiful and resonated deeply with many of the audience members. Furthermore, Forrester’s journey through the significantly male-dominated realm of engineering was inspiring. She provided us with steadfast advice to follow our passions and use the doubt of others as fuel, rather than be dragged down by negativity. Ultimately, this experience was indispensable in terms of what was learned about university, workforce life and pathways. Hopefully next year we get even more girls attending to hear from the STEM Superstars!

Ruby Moir (STEM Captain)

Sustainable Gardening Workshop at the Royal Botanic Gardens

At the beginning of May, the Year 7 students have commenced the St Catherine’s Science and Sustainability through Plants Program (SSSP). Integral to the program is the Sustainable Gardening workshop at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Students investigated the basic skills of sustainable gardening practice through this hands-on program. They explored water conservation, organic gardening methods, composting and worm farming. Students also considered ideas for designing and developing their own gardens by exploring the landscapes of Melbourne Gardens.

Chemistry Olympiad Training
In March, Paula Chen, Madeleine Maddie Hooker, Ciara Jenkins, Charlotte Myer, Sophie Simons and Lan-Tian Yen-West commenced the Chemistry Education Association Chemistry Olympiad Training Program with the University of Melbourne. Students complete two hours of weekly training for 14 weeks in preparation for the National Qualifying Examination to be held in August.

Luna Park Physics Day

On Tuesday March 9, the Year 11 and Year 12 Physics classes attended the Luna Park Physics Day, with Mr Barry, Mr Brown and Ms Nguyen. This event is organised each year by the Australian Institute of Physics. This event is run for the week, enabling 700 VCE physics students from schools across Victoria to attend this function each day. There are ten rides for the students, involving collisions, high-speed forces and circular motion, which help students with their understanding of the forces involved with their study of Motion. Students investigated the forces involved in different types of collisions in the Dodgem cars as well as free fall on the Shock Drop and the effect of centripetal force during the Enterprise and G-Force rides.