International Day of Immunology at GTAC
On Monday 13 May, eighteen year 12 Biology students, along with Ms Emily Dickinson and Mr Myers Nguyen, attended the ‘International Day of Immunology’ program at GTAC.
The day commenced with an engaging keynote lecture from Professor Shalin Naik, a lab head at the Walter and Eliza Hall (WEHI) Institute of Medical Research. Students were given an insight into Prof. Naik’s decorated career in medical research and science communication including as a television presenter. He emphasised the importance of ‘out of field’ experiences with helping his success in academia. Prof. Nair also gave students an overview of the immune system and delved into the intricacies of how different immune cells help to fight infection and cancer.
Our students then engaged in three different immunological workshops. In the first workshop, student used bioinformatics to investigate the risk of different of animal species in contracting coronavirus. After that, the students explored different infectious and non-communicable diseases in mouse models using microscopy. Finally, students performed a lab technique called an ‘ELISA’ to determine the mystery tuberculosis carrier at a hospital. Throughout these sessions, students were able to talk to the facilitating scientists and PhD students and learn about their journeys and careers.
Below a student’s reflection of the excursion:
‘I thoroughly enjoyed the guest speaker’s presentation, particularly the video which he produced on the innate and adaptive immune system – very helpful for students who were being exposed to the Unit 4 Biology content for the first time. I also enjoyed the bioinformatics session and being able to ask immunologists about what they enjoy about their profession, what they do and the challenges they face. Overall, this excursion was really eye-opening for me and I would recommend it to any Biology students who are interested in immunology.’ – Jessica Luong (12C)
Mr Myers Nguyen – Science Teacher
Year 7 Science – Mission at the Melbourne Zoo
Every year, all year 7 students go to the Melbourne Zoo to discover and learn new things about animals as part of their Classification curriculum in science.
This was another successful excursion with 240 students attending under the supervision of a team of 17 teaching staff and ES staff.
At the zoo, excited students were free to roam and trekked around the zoo where they explored the Gorilla Rainforest trail, the Lion Gorge, Dino Trail, Australian Bush, the Trail of the Elephant, Wild Sea, Reptile House and the humid but breath taking Butterfly house.
Students had some missions to complete at the zoo, which were to attend a workshop led by an experienced zookeeper and some ‘Meet the Keepers Presentations’ around the zoo to learn about the animal’s characteristics and adaptations. Students also needed to collect exclusive stamps from the teachers stationed at the enclosures. There was a lot of walking involved but by the end of the day, students had accomplished their mission, so well done!
A special thank you to Ms Angela Hanley for organising this huge event and to all other staff and ES staff who attended or helped organised the day to make this a memorable experience for everyone.
Below is a reflection from two students:
‘On the 2nd of May, 2024, the year 7’s of SASC went to Melbourne Zoo. We can guarantee that everybody who went enjoyed it, not only were the pictures fabulous but the food was superb!
The enclosures were in great condition, leaving the animals happy at their homes. With every animal we visited, friendly zoo keepers greeted us with interesting facts. It was evident that the zoo takes pride in conservation and education!
At the zoo was a diverse span of animals, ranging from majestic elephants to playful meerkats, the experience had everybody’s attention.
The highlight of the day were definitely the outgoing lemurs! The visitors were allowed to be in the enclosure with them, creating a stress free environment for the lemurs. They were playful and adventurous.
Overall the zoo was certainly a fantastic and memorable experience’. – By Anh Au and Riam Ihsan 7H
Ms Jennifer Truong – Maths & Science Teacher
Big Science Competition
Australian Science Innovations host the Big Science Competition each year which aims to challenge students to demonstrate and apply their knowledge of science concepts. Each year the number of participating students from St Albans Secondary College has increased and this year saw ninety-six Year 7-10s competing. The results were pleasing with 30% of students achieving a credit or above. The Year 8 group stood out with an impressive 56% achieving a credit or above. Well done to everyone who challenged themselves in 2024, and I hope to see more students enter in 2025!
Ms Angela Hanley – Science Coordinator
