To celebrate Science Week, a series of engaging activities and hands-on experiments were undertaken, all aimed at sparking curiosity, deepening scientific understanding, and inspiring students and staff to decode the wonders of the universe. The following highlights offer insight into some of the activities from the week. 

Flaming Hands Perception Activity

Students from Years 6-11 watched in awe as a teacher’s hand appeared to catch fire, thanks to gas bubbles ignited by a lit match. Brave Year 8 students even volunteered to hold the flames! The activity highlighted fire’s illusion power and its connection to science yet to be fully understood. – Stephanie Bell

Cracking the code – Huntington’s disease

Year 11 Biology students dove headfirst into the thrilling world of genetics during the highly anticipated ‘Decoding DNA Challenge’ as part of Science Week celebrations. Led by the dynamic Year 12 duo Avi  and Harriet, the challenge pushed students to think like geneticists as they teamed up to crack the code of the Huntington’s gene. Working in small, focused groups, students meticulously analyzed sections of DNA from both paternal and maternal chromosomes of two individuals to uncover their genotypes and predict their phenotypes. The competition was fierce, but in the end, Sophia and Eden emerged victorious as the official ‘Decoding Champions’. – Lesley MalliganPaul

Year 8 in Action: Decoding the Universe with Chemistry!

This year’s Science Week gave our Year 8 students the perfect chance to become hands-on scientists! They conducted a series of exciting chemical reaction experiments, including the classic pop test for hydrogen gas, exploring element reactivity, and creating a precipitate by mixing milk and vinegar. The lab benches buzzed with curiosity and discovery as students observed fizzing, colour changes, and surprising new substances forming. It was a fantastic mix of scientific investigation, teamwork, and fun—bringing chemistry to life in the best possible way! – Nilusha Gunawardena

A week filled with science, creativity, and discovery! On behalf of the entire Science team – Lesley Malligan-Paul