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May 15, 2025
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Science

Big Science Competition

On 8 and 13 May, 63 students from Years 7 to 10 participated in the Big Science Competition. Kilbreda students have participated in the annual competition, organised by Australian Science Innovations, for many years. Students complete the competition online and compete against students from around the nation. Thank you to the students who showed courage by giving the competition a go for the first time and to those who compete every year. We wait in anticipation of the results.

Students who competed this year:

YEAR 7YEAR 8YEAR 9YEAR 10
Keira Au
Maggie Belton
Alexandra Done
Annnabel Etienne
Kiara Fernando
Lucinda Hale
Sienna Marguglio
Maeve McLean
Vasiliki Mears
Isobel Miller
Miranda Nguyen
Hayley Ong
Una Pasic
Metua Tangianau







Mia Dobrohotoff
Sia Kaushik
Oriarna Papa
Hannah Lau
Tabitha Cross
Chloe Dixon
Jacinta Vo
Vanessa Comarmond
Matilda Gray
Teagan Smullen
Nolwenn Charret
Ruby Zarb
Olivia Fountain
Monique Sutton
Willow Mitchell
Victoria Hodgkins
Maya Sheahan




Kara Gurung
Celeste Healy
Scarlett Presnell
Keira Blackmore
Georgia Athanasiadis
Alexandra Kelsey
Suyen Delorino
Alice Ryan
Ruby Morrissey
Indigo Macdonald
Lily Reed
Scarlett Thomas
Zalia Cooknell
Olivia Eddy
Annalisa Athanasiadis
Charlotte Bodenstaff
Vivian Liang
Sophie Donnelly
Polly McCormack
Jara Merrick
Summer Murphy
Chelsea Willis
Hannah Ross
Emily Gamble
Grace Fry
Amelie Baker
Emma Greaney
Pratima Thomas
Zara Solomon
Rosana Smyth
Maddi Russell
Ashleigh Siebe










Calling all Year 11 Students: The National Youth Science Forum (NYSF)

Last year, we were proud to announce that Sarah Forsyth had been accepted into the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) Year 12 Program at the University of Queensland, Brisbane. The program is designed to give students a broader understanding of the diverse study and career options available in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to encourage continued studies in these fields. We would like to thank the Rotary Club of Beaumaris for sponsoring Sarah’s place in the program. Below is an excerpt from Sarah’s speech at the Rotary Club’s April dinner. Thank you to Sarah’s Biology teacher, Dr Sarah Avitabile, who accompanied Sarah to the dinner.

I think the most important part of my trip and the highlight of NYSF was the STEM visits. During these visits, each constellation group explored a variety of scientific fields, broadening our perspectives beyond our specific interests. Coming into the program, I was particularly interested in Biology, having completed VCE Biology the year before. My first STEM visit was to the Universal Field Robotics, where I learnt about their autonomous robots for mining, agriculture and construction industries to complete dangerous or repetitive tasks. I got to see first-hand some of the robots being tested and constructed. I even had the opportunity to witness someone remotely operating a robot inside a mine. The next STEM visit was to Forensic Science Queensland, where I was able to hear from Dr Linzi Wilson-Wilde, the director of FSQ and a range of other people, including chemists working in forensic analysis. They talked to us about their university studies and gave an insight into what their jobs look like, which was really interesting to hear about. We also got to do some hands-on activities, including examining evidence from a crime scene, analysing explosive substances, and using short tandem repeats to identify a suspect from DNA samples. Then, I had the opportunity to visit the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, where scientists study cancer, infectious diseases and other health challenges. Their research even played a role in understanding COVID-19 during the lockdown periods. During the visit, I had the chance to work in a real lab, using a micropipette and a gel electrophoresis machine to analyse real DNA, which was really interesting as I had studied gel electrophoresis in VCE Biology.

In January 2026, the NYSF Year 12 Program will run two summer sessions:

  1. The Australian National University, Canberra (6 –14 January 2026)
  2. The University of Queensland, Brisbane (13 – 21 January 2026)

Please note there are program and travel fees associated. With assistance from the school, students are encouraged to seek financial support from NYSF’s founding partner, Rotary Australia, by contacting their local Rotary Club. NYSF does offer a limited number of NYSF Access and Equity Scholarships; all students can apply for these after they are offered a place.

For more info:

Science Talent Search Launch Day

This year, we are thrilled to have 23 students competing in the Science Teachers’ Association of Victoria (STAV) Science Talent Search (STS).

STS is a competition open to all Victorian students. You can compete in divisions such as Inventions, Creative Writing, Posters, Games, Working Models, Photography and much more. STS is for everybody: for those planning a career in sciences or technology, for those interested in scientific hobbies, or for those concerned enough to present a point of view about science through the medium of poster, essay, video, photography, games or computer programs.

The theme this year is: Decoding the Universe – Exploring the Unknown with Nature’s Hidden Language.

To get students’ STEM juices flowing, we launched the competition with help from Adam Oldmeadow of Akorn Education. The day began with a variety of challenges designed to teach engineering concepts related to space travel, ranging from straw challenges to designing a space suit. Next, students faced the challenge of designing an aspect of a colony on Mars. We saw greenhouses, water treatment plants, areas for farm animals and plans for fertilising the Martian soil. Students showcased impressive amounts of creativity and ingenuity, so much so that we are considering sending some of the prototypes to NASA!

The day ended with students brainstorming ideas for their own projects. We are very excited to see what Kilbreda competitors produce over the next few months.

Sarah Chuck

Learning Leader: Science

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