SCIENCE 2022 was another rewarding and challenging year. We returned to school, receiving the news that the 2021 cohort had performed exceptionally well in their final exams. Other successes followed, including Oscar Brown’s selection in the Australian Asian Olympiad Team for Physics and Flora Dong being invited to attend the Junior Science Olympiad Team selection camp. We again performed very strongly in the ANU’s Brain Bee Competition, placing first in the team and second in the individual events. Credit is due here to Janette Soper, who has given countless hours over many years to selecting and preparing students for the opportunity to participate in this competition. Staff have continued to engage in many professional development opportunities during the year. This will be important again next year as we migrate IT platforms and systems. Work has begun to align our junior curriculum more closely with the requirements of the MYP, which will continue over the coming years. Staffing and facilities continue to present challenges as the rapid growth in class numbers outstrips the ability to increase capacity at the same rate. Staffing was a significant issue during the year with the unanticipated movement of several staff, often at short notice, that left classes without allocated teachers for periods of time. This is an issue facing all schools locally and nationally, especially over recent years. This placed a heavy burden on many, and we are grateful for the members of the Department, especially Assistant Head of Department Janette Soper, who helped provide cover and continuity as best as we could for our students. The outlook for 2023 is positive, with a number of excellent staff joining us through the year and more talented individuals who will begin at the start of next year. The growth in numbers over recent years has created issues concerning the number of teaching laboratories available. There are a number of lines on the 2023 timetable that have 16 science/agriculture classes at one time, with only 12 laboratories within the Department. In addition, the need for a large staffroom to accommodate the whole science staff continues to be a pressing concern. These are expensive and long-term issues but must be addressed if the opportunities for our students are to align with our aspirations for them.
25 | CGS | Annual Report 2022
