From the Science Coordinator

Seeds of Science: Nurturing Knowledge for All

Science Week was an exciting and enjoyable celebration of learning, centred on the theme “Seeds of Science: Nurturing Knowledge for All.” This exciting week began with students being amazed by fiery and a spectacular colour-changing demonstration during the whole-school assembly. The Science Department put some energy and awe into the assembly when our new Year 12 Chemistry teacher Ms Hoffman ignited the new Science Coordinator, Mrs van Aardt’s hands! During the assembly Mrs van Aardt encouraged all students to be like germinating seeds, and like a mustard seed which seems small and insignificant at first but undergoes changes and grows to be a tree when it takes up water and nutrients. She also encouraged students to grow by finding knowledge on different topics and to seek facts and truths each day.

Mrs van Aardt’s demonstrated the changes students will undergo when they strive for new knowledge with the assistance of Year 11 students Jemima and Lily, by using a lollipop connected to a milk frother to make the purple coloured redox solution change into different colours until a bright yellow colour appeared.

Students were also reminded to never underestimate their own potential, worth and significance, and were urged not to remain a dormant seed. Just as a germinating seed must take up “nutrients, water and nourishment” to survive and grow into a useful plant, students too should strive for excellence, seeking to expand their knowledge on any topic and pursuing facts and truth that will make their “roots” strong.

The girls were encouraged to look for opportunities to expand and strengthen their knowledge, and just like roots support a plant, the wisdom, moral values and knowledge gained at school will strengthen and uphold them when life’s challenges come. Mrs van Aardt said that, like a shoot, leaves or branches of a plant give off oxygen, offer nutritional value to those who consume it, or support birds resting in their branches, students need to be that “plant” that gives others “oxygen,” supportive of others and kind. She inspired students to provide the warmth, love and light that others who cross their paths might need and wanted everyone to strive to grow from a dormant seed into an impressive and significant “plant,” a real force that contributes positively to a better society.

The other Science Week activities students participated in during lunchtimes included a challenging escape room set up in the Auditorium, making beautiful seed art, seed racing, making popcorn catapults, decorating and making hair-sprout creations, and making ice cream with liquid nitrogen. Other jaw-dropping demonstrations, never before seen at SAC, included making liquid air and freezing flowers, bananas and rubber to show what effect these low temperatures have on the properties of these substances. The “blue bottle” demonstration, with its breathtaking colour changes, drew applause from the students who attended.

Science Week Highlights: Lunchtime Fun and Jaw-Dropping Demonstrations!

On Wednesday, some very well-behaved Year 6 students visited the Jordan laboratories for dedicated Science practical activities. They took part in hands-on practicals such as making copper from aluminium foil and copper sulfate solution, and were surprised to discover how adding normal table salt sped up the reaction. They also created their own individual rainbows using a household acid-base reaction, as they truly appreciated the beauty of Chemistry. They finished off their visit by making their own variety of colourful slime. Well done to the Year 6s who impressed with their high level of practical skill and solid teamwork. The secondary Science staff can’t wait to welcome you all to the Senior School next year for some more serious but fun Science practical sessions.

A sincere thank you to the whole Science team and Lab managers who worked hard and gave up their lunch times to supervise and run all these activities.

An awesome Science team makes an Awesome Science Week. Thank you to all involved.

Ms van Aardt
Science Coordinator

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