Science Department Report 2023

The science department has had a fantastic year in 2023 throughout the school ranging from exciting and engaging new year 10 courses, and multiple opportunities to see some real-world science examples outside of school in our senior school. We start with our year 10s who this year piloted a change in our yearly structure, where we are now delivering multiple “bite sized” courses (roughly two a term), on a variety of topics to keep the engagement at an all-time high in our junior school. These topics cover an array of contexts and ideas from Tūrangawaewae, reproductive systems, and even from telegram to Instagram.

Our year 11 courses were once again strong, giving our boys a taste of many different science areas before they go into their more specialized courses in year 12. Some of the highlights included trips to the university for the Intro to engineering course (11SEN) or the hands-on Mystery’s into the material world course (11MYS) both pictured below and many more. These courses cover an amazing range of contexts and real life areas, making us confident that will be ready for the upcoming changes in NCEA in 2024.

In year 12 our numbers continue to grow in all of our three subjects of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics with students enjoying work both inside and outside the classroom. Some of the highlights featured below include the year 12 Bio trip to Temple Basin in the Southern Alps where students see Ecology in real life as they learn about alpine plants and conditions that affect them. Another highlight would be the Physics trip to the University of Canterbury where the Y12 students completed the ‘Rutherford’s Den’ atomic physics experiment and some fun rotational mechanics demonstrations with the University staff.

Lastly, our year 13 cohort enjoyed multiple trips outside the school gates as they prepare for life beyond STC. Some highlights at this level include the 13 Bio trip to Orana Park, where the students learn about animal behaviours and how it relates to their natural behaviors that have evolved in the wild, and finally another Lv 3 Physics trip to the University of Canterbury where students experienced the High Voltage Lab in the Electrical Engineering department, getting some hands on experience for the Electricity and Electromagnetism unit.