Catholic schools across the Archdiocese immersed themselves in the world of science, participating in different activities designed to foster an interest in scientific pursuits as part of National Science Week.

This year’s theme, ‘Deep Blue: innovations for the future of our oceans’, encouraged the consideration of economic, environmental and sustainable solutions to generate healthy oceans, economies and communities.

As part of their Term 3 science topic, living and non-living things, Year 2 students at St Mary’s Primary School, Young, had fun planting lawn and snow pea seeds. They hypothesised how tall their plants would grow and learnt about the factors needed for growth such as sunlight, water and soil depth. Year 2 were excited to track the growth of their plants throughout the Term.

Over at Ss Peter and Paul’s Primary School, Goulburn, Year 5 and 6 students enjoyed designing and building their own oil rig that could withstand the elements of the ocean. They even got to test their prototypes against the elements.

Year 7 students at Hennessy Catholic College, Young, tried their hand at some code cracking in their weekly science classes.

Students at St Mary’s Primary School, Moruya, worked cooperatively in teams to share ideas and work through solutions as they designed and created their own eco-river systems in their school sandpit.

Some of the Catholic schools in the ACT participated in the Australian National University’s ‘Satellite Selfie’, creating giant displays on their school ovals that could be seen from space. Year 8 students at Merici College, Braddon, formed an ‘M’, while over at St Michael’s Primary School, Kaleen, students created a giant rainbow. St Joseph’s Primary School, O’Connor, chose to display a blue tree, symbolising the St Joseph’s school community and the theme of this year’s Science Week.

At St Thomas Aquinas Primary School, West Belconnen, students participated in a ‘floating challenge’. There was lots of fun and laughter involved as children crafted sail boats out of paper and natural resources, testing them on the water to see how they would float.