OUR STEM STORY

Our STEM journey started in 2016. We introduced a STEM task to Year 7 and 8 Science. From there, in 2017, we expanded STEM tasks to include Year 9 science electives and Year 10 core Science. By 2018, we have expanded STEM into ten Year 9/10 electives and are giving students even more opportunities to explore STEM through competitions and excursions outside our school.

A STEM classroom looks a little different to a traditional setting. It is a busy place where students have their own projects and are all working at their own level. It is often chaotic but exciting as the teacher acts as a facilitator for the learning.

YEAR 7

Our Year 7 students get a chance to develop their STEM skills through applying their understanding of forces through a bridge building or boat building task and using their separating mixtures skills in their cleaning dirty water project.

YEAR 10

In Year 10 core science, students work through Biology, Chemistry and Physics. In these they are involved in STEM projects such as being a roller coaster engineer and producing an informative genetic website. They also choose from the range of STEM electives mentioned in the Year 9 section.

YEAR 8

In Year 8, our students get to further develop their STEM skills through making a science TV program to explain and demonstrate their understanding of basic Chemistry. They also make a Rube Goldberg machine so as to demonstrate their understanding of energy.

VCE SCIENCES

Our VCE Science classes consist of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Psychology. These classes offer opportunities to explore the role of STEM in our world. Year 11 Physics students explored forces at the Grand Prix, Year 11 Psychology students explored the role of art as therapy and the expression of mental health issues while Year 12 Biology students go to La Trobe to learn how to manipulate DNA.

YEAR 9

Year 9 students are given a wide range of STEM electives to choose from such as 3D printing, robotics, coding and more traditional science electives that have been STEM-ified such as Rezza Vet, Surgery 101, Things that Make You Go BOOM, Our place in the Universe, CSI, Mind Matters and The Mysteries of our Memories.

STEM OPPORTUNITIES

We also like to give our students opportunities to develop their STEM skills and understanding through competitions and excursions to specialist science centres. Our students participate in the 3D Print-a Car challenge run with Quantum, excursions to La Trobe and RMIT universities as well as a titration competition too.