Term 1 was a busy and inspiring start to the year in the Science department, with students across all year levels engaging in a wide range of exciting learning experiences.

Our Year 7 students were welcomed into the world of Science by developing key foundational skills and exploring the states of matter through hands-on investigations. In Year 8, our ESTEEM students focused on sustainability, designing and testing energy-efficient Net Zero Houses using our brand-new STELR kits.

Year 9 students deepened their understanding of chemistry, investigating atomic structure, bonding, and the periodic table. Year 10 students explored genetics and inheritance, using plant-based experiments to observe genetic variation in action. Meanwhile, our Year 9 Horticulture students had a productive term preparing for and running their annual Farmer’s Market—a great success that showcased their produce, teamwork, and marketing skills.

VCE students have been working hard across Biology, Psychology, Environmental Science, Chemistry, and Physics, with many practical experiments and off-campus learning experiences. Highlights included excursions to Ballarat Tech School, where students accessed specialist biology technologies, and Luna Park, where physics concepts came alive in a real-world setting.

Our ongoing partnership with Ballarat Tech School continues to offer outstanding STEM enrichment. Selected students for the Boys and Girls in STEM program—Luca Probert, Dante Gosney, Ben Henderson, Harry Elliot, Leuca Henderson, Isabeau Turner, Asha Chapman and Elsie Angove—participated in their first two sessions, engaging in 3D printing, laser cutting, virtual reality, and prototype presentations to the Mars Wrigley engineering team. A special congratulations to Noah Kennon and Madison Buttigieg, who were named STEM Leaders for 2025.

We were also proud to see Girls in STEM alumni Haileigh Buttigieg and Isabella Brown-Kenyon attend the International Day of Women and Girls in Science event at the Victorian Parliament House. Hosted by the Royal Society of Victoria, the event gave them the chance to engage with female leaders in STEM and connect with like-minded students from Banyule Nillumbik Tech School.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to be rolling out our new STEM Pathways Program in collaboration with Ballarat Tech School, giving all Year 7–9 students the opportunity to participate in a full-day program of coding, engineering, design, physics challenges, and tech-based problem-solving. These programs aim to grow not just STEM skills, but also leadership, creativity, and resilience.

It’s been a fantastic start to 2025, and we can’t wait to see what Term 2 brings!