On Friday 29th March 2019, the gymmnasium came alive with the buzz of all-things-scientific in our 3rd Annual Junior School Science Fair. There was a truly impressive level of participation from almost every pupil in KS2, and their efforts to show scientific study and learning was awe-inspiring. 84 projects from individuals and groups of friends were on show for all to see. Friends and families poured in to view these projects which varied in the science fields, encompassing biology, ecology, chemistry and physics. 

The judges, the senior school science department, worked tirelessly to interview every single participant and we thank them for their gargantuan effort to closely examine all the projects and then make the extremely difficult decisions about winners in each year group. Not an easy task at all! 

Once again, what we saw was the significant effort and huge amount of learning that this science fair created so a very big 'Well Done' to all who took part. 

This term Year 8 pupils have demonstrated excellent research and critical thinking skills by completing an action science project. We are delighted to be sharing the outcomes with you.

The pupils chose topics relating to our Year 8 science curriculum, particularly our Chemistry unit 8E and Biology unit 8C. These are 1) climate change and extreme weather events, 2) electric cars and 3) smoking. They carried out a pupil-directed collaborative research process, giving over much of their personal time, thus going above and beyond their normal science work.

First, the pupils became involved in secondary research, collecting and analysing information from articles and the internet. Then, they designed a primary research in order to learn more about their chosen topics. This took the form of surveys and/or experiments. Their final step was to utilise their findings in a way that would make a positive difference to their community, mainly by informing members of the public.

Through their actions, the children link knowledge gained in lessons to everyday life, as well as undertake the responsibility to seek sustainable and equitable solutions to controversial issues. Thus, they make a vital step towards becoming active citizens.

Below you can find the pupils’ actions:

• a video on electric cars, by Sergios and Aris
• a leaflet on smoking by Pervin and Panayiotis
• a video on electric cars by Tara and Isabella
• a leaflet on electric cars by Konstantino and Thisseas
• an art poster on electric cars by Apollon and Nikolas
• a video on climate change and extreme weather events by Antigoni and Konstantino

For the past few weeks, our Year 9 pupils have put their brains and hearts into creating their own science projects which we are delighted to be sharing with you.

The pupils chose the topics, all of which link to our Year 9 science curriculum. They examined their topic thoroughly, often devoting much of their personal time as this went beyond their normal science work.

First, the children engaged in pupil-directed secondary research, which entails learning from relevant articles. Then they designed their own primary research to learn more about their chosen issue by distributing online surveys to other pupils in the senior and junior school of St. Lawrence College. Their final step was to think of a way they could use those findings to counter each problem by informing members of the public and influence them to bring about change. Three of the projects aim to inform through the creation of videos and one in the form of an article and a petition.

Through their actions, the children illustrate valuable skills such as critical thinking, care, responsibility and courage. At a time when meaningful communication has become more difficult, these pupils managed to express themselves and take a vital step towards becoming active citizens. Throughout the duration of these projects, they demonstrated resilience, overcame obstacles and collaborated despite the challenging circumstances.

Below you can find the results of all this hard work:

• a video on sound pollution, by Fang Fei Liu, Han Xu, Zihan Zhang and Yuxuan Sun - Click here
• a video on skin cosmetics, by Arthur Bastos Ferreira and Stefanos Peralta Galanopoulos - Click here
• a video on artificial ultraviolet tanning by Harry Tsanis - Click here
• an article on energy drinks, by Dorothea Svistunova - Click here

Congratulations to all of them!

There were scientists all around SLC during British Science Week this March. In every class, investigations, enquiries and STEM activities were in full swing. At the end of the week, St Lawrence College Junior School proudly hosted its annual Science Fair – a true extravaganza of all things scientific, where our pupils happily showcased their learning. What a great way to celebrate an important skill set and demonstrate that we are all curious learners, ready to tackle big questions with confidence.

On Friday 14th March, we were very pleased to hold our annual Junior School Science Fair in the gym. The pupils from Years 3 to 6 took their chance to showcase their scientific understanding and shine like real scientists.

There were some truly outstanding entries, and the judges had to think long and hard about what the children, working on their own or in groups, had managed to achieve. There were chemistry experiments, physics investigations, biology experiments and even challenging AI related studies, all presented with flair and confidence by our young learners for their peers, teachers and parents too. 

Thank you to our Science Leader, Ms Maniatis, for putting on such a wonderful event which was enjoyed by all who attended. 

Without a doubt, connecting science to day-to-day life is essential in promoting a deeper understanding of the world, as well as enabling pupils to become critical citizens. This year, year 8 pupils worked on controversial social and environmental issues relevant to the science curriculum. They did so by carrying out projects on topics of their own choice, in which they constructed mind maps; solved ethical dilemmas; engaged in secondary and primary research. Finally, they utilised knowledge gained to carry out actions with the aim of contributing to the raising of awareness. An example of this is a leaflet on fast food and a leaflet on smoking/vaping, which can be accessed using the highlighted links. The action materials were presented in class and attracted an audience of fellow pupils who came to engage with the presentations. 

Congratulations to everyone!

For the past few weeks, pupils in year 8 have been working on a project in relation to a socio-scientific issue. What is a socio-scientific issue? It is a controversial socially-relevant issue that is informed by science. Some socio-scientific issues, relevant to our Year 8 science curriculum, are presented below through pupils’ project work: lithium batteries; energy drinks; veganism; smoking; fast food. During the project, pupils engaged in secondary research by collecting and analysing data from the internet. Then, they conducted primary research by creating surveys and/or planning experiments. Finally, they used information from their research to carry out an action with the aim of contributing to the raising of awareness.

Below you can find links of the pupils’ actions.

• a leaflet on lithium batteries by Tommy, Louis and Jia
• a video on energy drinks by George D., Jed and Sofia
• a leaflet on veganism by Georgina and Natalie
• a leaflet on smoking by Alexia
• a slide show on fast food by George H. and Meiran

Congratulations to everyone!

On Friday 17^th March, St Lawrence Junior School held a wonderful Science Fair in the gym. In preparation for the event, the KS2 children had worked at home on projects of their own choice individually or in groups, to present a scientific investigation. The aim was to show-case their learning on a chosen subject and their grasp of the Scientific Method. The pupils made an outstanding effort to create and innovate, to deepen their understanding, and to handle themselves as mature learners during their interviews with the judges.

Their displays and demonstrations were entertaining as well as educational and reflected the wealth of learning that this science fair had brought about. Well done to all our enthusiastic participants – you put on a great show!

During our annual Science Day on Friday 18th March, each class carried out investigations in both STEM and Scientific Enquiry activities. Year 4 created ‘elephant toothpaste’ and made containers to see which would float best and hold the greatest weight. Year 5 created invisible ink using lemon juice and used a heat source to reveal a secret message. In Reception classes, our pupils constructed weightbearing arches using pipe cleaners and beans. Across the school, science and technology ruled the day!  

As part of British Science Week, we are planning a very special Science Day for our pupils. On Friday 18th March, Reception to Year 6 classes will enjoy a fun-filled day of experiments and STEM activities! We are looking forward to seeing them use their creativity and knowledge to tackle the challenges they will be faced with.

This week, our Year 8 pupils presented their projects on the topic of fast food.

The pupils’ research project on ‘How fast food affects health and the environment’, linked to the science department’s  unit on ‘food and digestion’, and gave the pupils the opportunity to explore various aspects of the topic in an open-ended manner. Thanks to their research on this unit, the pupils have been motivated to make positive decisions about their diets, as well as to take action and further and inform and educate our school community, through a poster presentation event.

The event took place on Monday13^th of January, with teachers and pupils from across the senior school visiting the Year 8 science class. During the poster presentation, the Year 8 pupils set their stations around the classroom and presented simultaneously, as their guests circulated and asked questions. They explained the controversies of the topic, described the conclusions and made proposals for the future, discussing their views.

There was definitely a real buzz around the room and our guests were impressed by the pupils’ presentation and debating skills. Several pupils expressed that the experience of researching the topic and what they had learnt through listening to pupils would encourage them to rethink their fast food consumption. Well done Year 8!

"I predict success" they said, and boy were they right! Friday 10th March was an amazingly experimental day at St Lawrence as the children of KS2 (years 3 - 6) brought their best selves to school to put on a science fair of superb quality and first rate effort. 

Having prepared their projects at home with friends and family also involved in the fun, they showcased their learning with an eye-catching array of displays all about the subjects they'd chosen to explore and exhibit. Every topic imaginable was there to see, from foaming chemical reactions, to coloured flower petals, erupting volcanoes, intoxicated plants, to studies of the brain and human reactions to certain stimuli. The Senior School science teachers who were judging the entries really had their work cut out for them in choosing winners for each year group. 

So what was the conclusion? That it was an amazing and inspiring day for all! Well done to those children who participated.

In celebration of the British Science Week this March, teachers organised a wide range of events including several lessons taught by senior school pupils to our junior school children. They were terrific and enjoyed by both the children-as-teachers and their pupils. Through lessons involving STEM activities with exciting physics topics, and exciting biology topics like Adaptation, the children were completely engaged in learning. Bravo to our budding teachers from Year 7!

On Tuesday 4th April, Year 4 had a school trip to Planet Physics at the Hellenic Cosmos in Tavros, as part of their science curriculum this term. The children are studying the fascinating topic of States of Matter, learning all about how temperature changes affect the state of matter of a material. There were experiments with these changes and live demonstrations.

Learning isn't confined to the classroom at this school!
 

On Thursday 15^th December, the Year 3 children visited Trofoupoli as part of their Science Unit and took part in an educational programme on nutrition, the digestive system and the human body. They had lots of fun playing numerous interactive games.

Later on, they visited the Ellinikon Experience Park for a picnic lunch and enjoyed playing on the playground equipment. A fun filled day for all!