Page 65 - Southwell School Year Book 2022

Having the majority of students back in the classroom regularly has been a highlight of this year.
Seeing the delight on the faces of the Year 4 students who came to the laboratory for the first time and their eagerness to complete practicals is a privilege. The way they ask, Can we take it home? when we create something and the sheer joy when the answer is Yes, is heartwarming. This was especially true when we focused on measuring accurately and made sherbert and playdough. The model hand with working joints was also very popular.
Year 5 students started the year learning about Earthquakes and Volcanoes in anticipation of travelling to Rotorua for camp. Sadly the latter did not eventuate in Term 1, but much fun was had with exploding canisters and volcano building in class.
The Year 6 students enjoyed the hands- on nature of the Acids and Bases unit we started the year with, using litmus paper for the first time and learning about pH and neutralisation. Using a food tech unit to explore the ideas behind chemical and physical changes was popular across the board. The added bonus of being able to taste many of your experiments seemed to go down well.
Having the support of classroom teachers across the three year groups I teach and the mentorship of my colleague Mr Velzian make teaching Science a real pleasure.
Cindy Voss Science Teacher
It has always been my belief that so much learning, understanding and retention comes when one is exposed to practical work.
Innovation via collaboration has been paramount in building student confidence in Science at Southwell and thankfully once again in 2022 students were able to share ideas, make mistakes, re-evaluate and improve their understanding.
This year the Year 7 units have focused on burning and combustion, investigations where the emphasis was placed on data collection and analysis, light and the human body.
For the Year 8 students topics have included how to carry out and write up an investigation, understanding basic chemistry and electric circuitry, as well as a unit on microscopes.
I would like to thank all those who took the time to produce a Science Fair project this year and congratulate both the prize and non-prize winners who went on to represent the School at the NIWA Waikato Science Fair.
To all the Year 8 students I wish you all the best for the future and hope you will look back on your time of working in the Southwell laboratories with fond memories.
Guy Velzian Science
Teacher
Ryan Koo - Lookin' Fresh
THANK YOU FOR 20 YEARS OF SERVICE, MR VELZIAN
Sophie Jones - The Perfect Brew
Anu Manda & Nurie Choi - What Are You Drinking?
NIWA SCIENCE FAIR AWARDS
Congratulations to the following students:
• Anu Manda & Nurie Choi
What Are You Drinking?
3rd - Year 7 Material World
• Mark Liao
Aneator Recens
Highly Commended - Year 8 Observational Drawing
Observational drawing Aneator Recens by Mark Liao
SCIENCE
Southwell School Yearbook 2022 63