STEM Archives

Psychology Award for Kristen

by Matt | Aug 2, 2024 | NEWS, Senior School, STEM

Kristen Armitage Honored with PTAQ Excellence in Psychology Teaching Award

Senior School Psychology Teacher Kristen Armitage has been awarded the prestigious Psychology Teachers Association of Queensland (PTAQ) Excellence in Psychology Teaching Award. This accolade is dedicated to Professor Gerry Tehan, a champion of integrating psychology into high school curricula in Queensland.

“It is an honour to receive this award dedicated to Professor Gerry Tehan, who supported Queensland teachers in implementing psychology into high schools. He was an inspiring and dedicated educator,” says Kristen.

“The Cathedral School has supported me by encouraging me to apply for various QCAA roles and attend QCAA training and events. I have been blessed to work with another talented psychology teacher, Renita Baker, to share ideas and polish our program, as well as a dedicated Head of Science, Rebecca Smith, who ensures that all our resources and assessments are of a very high standard,” Kristen acknowledged, highlighting the collaborative and supportive environment at her school.

“Kristen is known for her dedication, innovation, and commitment to excellence in psychology education. She actively engages in professional development, attending conferences such as the Positive Schools Conference and the QCAA Chiefs Conference, and completing certifications like Youth Mental Health First Aid and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid. Kristen also implements creative and technology-enhanced instruction methods, organises unique learning experiences like NeuroSTEM-Day trips and sleep study lab visits, and contributes significantly to the ATAR Psychology syllabus. She mentors preservice teachers and supports the broader educational community in Townsville. Kristen’s exceptional contributions to psychology education and her visionary leadership make her a deserving recipient of the PTAQ Excellence in Psychology Teaching award. Her journey exemplifies dedication to personal and professional growth, innovative teaching practices, and a strong commitment to mentorship and community engagement.” Rebecca Smith – Head of Science at TCS.

Kristen graduated with a Bachelor of Education in Middle and Senior Schooling and a Master of Education in Guidance and Counselling from the University of Southern Queensland (USQ). She is currently halfway through a Master of Education with a specialisation in Educational Leadership at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Kristen’s roles as a QCAA Chief Confirmer, Lead Endorser, and Marker for Psychology keep her at the forefront of internal and external assessment processes.

SPARQ-ed Brisbane

by Matt | Jul 22, 2024 | NEWS, Senior School, STEM

My experience at the SPARQ-ed Program in Brisbane.

By Pia Plath, Year 10

Over the mid-semester holidays, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Brisbane to participate in a program known as Students Performing Advanced Research Queensland Education, or SPARQ-ed for short. This program is at Princess Alexander Hospital within the Translational Research Institute.
Before I tell you about my experience with SPARQ-ed, let me tell you how I ended up there. During a science class last year, Mr. Bamber introduced SPARQ-ed and encouraged us to consider applying. Initially hesitant, I eventually decided to give it a shot when applications reopened a year later. With a teacher’s recommendation and a few paragraphs explaining my interest, I applied. A few months later, I received the news that I had been accepted.
Fast forward six weeks, and I found myself in Brisbane. The first day was daunting as I discovered I was the only Year 10 student and only person from North Queensland. Fortunately, I had nothing to worry about as all the 11 and 12 students were very welcoming. In fact, meeting the other students was one of the highlights of the program.
Our focus during the program was on treating cancer cells by targeting their rapid replication. Interesting fact: this is why your hair falls out during chemotherapy because your hair cells are also constantly replicating so the chemotherapy targets these cells. On the first day, we familiarised ourselves with the lab equipment. Later that day, we began administering chemotherapy to the cancer cells we were studying, aiming to deplete the number of nucleotides in the nucleus.
On day two, we introduced a drug known as Chek1 inhibitor to the cells. By inhibiting Chek1, we allow the DNA helicase to continue unwinding DNA into more vulnerable single strands.
On day three, we conducted staining procedures, attaching fluorescent antibodies to different locations in the cell for microscopic examination. This was my favorite day as we spent all day in the lab working with the cancer cells.
Day four involved analyzing our cells under a microscope. Our cancer cells were examined under a microscope worth half a million dollars.
On day five, our final day, we presented our findings to numerous professors who had given presentations to use earlier in the week.
After taking part in SPARQ-ed, you can submit a report that may earn you an ATAR point for any University of Queensland course. If travel expenses are a concern, scholarships are available from the Lions Medical Research Foundation.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this program to anyone interested in science. The opportunity to engage directly with cutting-edge research that is pushing the boundaries of scientific knowledge is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

F1 In Schools

by Matt | Jun 24, 2024 | Junior School, NEWS, STEM, Technology

F1 in Schools Recap: TCS Explodes onto the Scene!

By Aidan Myles, Junior School Technologies Teacher

What a day it was at the F1 in Schools competition! The Cathedral School made a powerful entrance and left a lasting impression, securing a series of impressive results that sped us straight into the winner’s circle. As the only primary school to enter the Primary School Division, TCS naturally took home the title of Primary School Champions. Our team showed that when it comes to commitment and skill, we’re driven to succeed.

The standout of the day was William Finter, who rocketed to first place in the Primary Cadet Class competition. William secured victory over a range of tests, including his track performance, poster presentation, judges interview, and finally his car design in connection to competition regulations.
John Scanlan also demonstrated exceptional prowess in the knockout reaction challenge, finishing 4th out of 110 Cadet Class teams that included students from Year 5 to Year 12. His explosive reaction times demonstrate why Kirwan SHS is already looking forward to seeing him return next year.

Alex Johnson and William Finter continued to showcase their skills by qualifying in the top 8 out of all Cadet Class teams. Mark Peachey, the event host made special mention of how impressive it was to see three Primary School students qualify to the top 8. Our team of ten students performed outstandingly throughout the day. Judges, teachers, and parents alike remarked on their enthusiasm and knowledge about their cars and the meticulous design process that powered them to such high speeds.

To cap off an already incredible day, you might have caught a glimpse of us on Channel 7 news. AND, we have two unannounced wild card entries into the State Finals! William’s car qualifies automatically, but we will have two more entries to come.
Congratulations to all the Cathedral participants! You’ve not only exploded onto the scene but also set a high bar for future competitions.

Keep racing ahead, champions!

To find out more about F1 in Schools visit: https://www.f1inschools.com/

Science & Engineering Challenge 2024

by Matt | Apr 24, 2024 | Middle School, NEWS, Senior School, STEM

By Maddi McLean & Miles Lyster (Year 10).

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Photos: JCU Townsville

32 students from both Year 9 and 10 participated in the Science & Engineering Challenge on Wednesday in the first week of school, term two.

The students were split into groups of four to take on a series of challenges throughout the day. These included building earthquake-resistant towers, building planes, powering a city and more. However, the climax of the day is undoubtedly the results of the bridge-building competition. While most groups take on two different challenges, one group from each school spends their day building a bridge to carry a weighted cart across it.

After watching with bated breath, our bridge group which consisted of Year 10 students Maddi, Sam, Alyssa, and Chelsea tied for first, securing our landslide win at the competition, and beating the next school by 200 points. Due to the nationals being held in Townsville, our school has been able to skip the states and advance straight to the national finals in October. Hopefully we manage to place highly there, too.

Photos: JCU Townsville

To find out more about the Science & Engineering Challenge visit JCU Townsville or via Facebook

Science Week 2023

by Matt | Aug 20, 2023 | NEWS, STEM

‘Innovation – Powering Future Industries’

Highlights from The Cathedral School’s ‘Innovation’ themed Science Week.

Orpheus Island Biology Excursion

by Matt | Mar 7, 2023 | NEWS, STEM, Year 12

Each year, the Year 12 Biology students set out on a three-day field trip to Orpheus Island to study the ecosystem, basing themselves at JCU’s Research Station.

Story by James Haydon, Emily O’Callaghan & Sara Jalaleddine.

‘From the 16th to 18th of February, the Year 12 Biology students were enjoying the outdoors, using transects and quadrats to collect data in a Fringing Coral Reef Flat Ecosystem. This was one of the many activities that were planned for us.

Our camp to Orpheus Island began at 4am on Thursday the 16th of February. The alarm clocks went off and we raced to get ready to be at school by 5am. It was pouring rain. This was making our teachers, Mrs Smith, Mrs Morrison and Mr Farrell very concerned. However, we persisted and packed the bus ready to leave for Lucinda. The boat ride from here was eventful – well it depends on which boat you got to ride. Mr Farrell’s group had it easy, 50mins of travel and they had arrived at the JCU Orpheus Island Research Station. Unfortunately, the rest of us were left to a 90min trip and it was a rough ride!’

‘The itinerary was jam packed – arrival, induction, unpacking, and by 11am we were already seated in the lecture theatre starting our first lesson. We connected with Dr Allison Paley, a Marine Biologist and researcher in the fields of coral biology and coral eco-physiology. That afternoon we completed our first snorkel off Pioneer Bay. We were all given a different area to survey, across deep, mid, and shallow waters.

We ran 10m transects out under the water and collected data on four different coral forms. While we had a lot of fun being in the water, we were really tired at the end of the first day. However, our itinerary indicated that there was more on the agenda for the evening! We worked in groups to cook the meals and at night one was spaghetti, a crowd-pleaser.

By 7.30am on the Friday, we were already in stinger suits ready for the next snorkel- this time we got to go out in the boats and collect data in a different bay. After a quick lunch, we spent the afternoon exploring the reef flat – collecting data in two different habitats, mangroves, and the sandy flat. Part of this involved us looking for mudskippers and shrimp-goby burrows. This was a lot of fun.

Our last night ended with butter chicken and hard-boiled rice – we had located a rice cooker for this meal but it decided to break halfway through the cooking process. This meant rice was heated up in smaller amounts using the microwave – it is safe to say the rice was not the tastiest thing on the menu. With all that said, we had a great experience. It was really awesome to be able to connect with Dr Paley in the field and then be able to collate all of our data as a cohort.

If you do Senior Biology – this is an opportunity you do not want to miss. We would really like to thank all of the staff for their work in organising the trip.’