Year 11 students Mao Oishi and Mahee Navaratne participated in the UQ FEAST Program (Future Experience in Agriculture, Science and Technology), to experience the rewarding science careers through hands-on activities and workshops.
UQ FEAST is a four-day residential event at The University of Queensland, Gatton campus inspiring Year 11 and 12 students to pursue study in the field of science.
During FEAST we explored all aspects of science including anatomy dissections, animal/plant science and biomedical science and test drive what it’s like to be a UQ student by taking part in hands-on workshops run by current students and staff. We have also explored some of the biggest challenges faced by scientists, including climate change, biosecurity, feeding the world and protecting endangered wildlife. In the evenings we got to stay and get a taste of life at UQ’s Halls of Residence and take part in social and sporting activities.
One of the activities that we enjoyed was the animal anatomy session, where we got to actually use the technology used for wildlife tracking to find a certain animal, and the dissection of the pregnant pigs. We got to interact with the scientists and gained new skills and diverse perspectives that will help me in the future.
During the Program, we attended sessions hosted by UQ PhD professors such as Dr Lyndal Huse who shared her incredible journeys to receiving their Doctorate degree. It was very inspirational to hear about the impactful field research they have conducted to make their mark in the Agricultural and Veterinary fields.
Through the many workshops we participated in, we were able to access and learn how to use equipment used for wildlife tracking and herbicide dispersion. It was amazing to see how they are implementing modern technology to make daily tasks more efficient.
The Gatton campus also has a great variety of wildlife on sight. Ranging from equines, bovine and sheep herds. We were able to do practical work with these animals such as health assessments on sheep and milking dairy cows using industrial equipment.
Overall, this was an incredibly fulfilling and immersing program that granted us hands on experience through practical activities with consultation with specialists in the field. The workshops and activities present STEM in an engaging manner and cater for student with all different backgrounds and interests. This programme allowed us to make unforgettable connections with fellow attendees and UQ students. We highly encourage all Somerset students to participate in this annual program.
Year 11 student, Isabel Hong and Kyonosuke Naito, Year 12 have been short-listed in the John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition, held by the University of Oxford. As finalists, Kyonosuke and Isabel are invited to Oxford University in September for the gala dinner to announce the winners and participate in seminars and lectures on critical thinking.
The competition is highly competitive, with 755 submissions in the Philosophy category alone. The categories have set questions and include History, Politics, Philosophy, Economics, Psychology, and Theology. There is also a Junior category for younger students. The John Locke Institute website has the details at https://www.johnlockeinstitute.com/essay-competition.
The essay competition is highly prestigious. Students who receive a ‘Commendation’ are encouraged to include that award on their university applications, and when applying for a scholarship, or an internship.
Isabel is in Year 11 and studying for the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Isabel responded to the Philosophy question:
When, if ever, can acts involving only consenting adults be morally wrong?
Kyonosuke is in Year 12 and studying for the Queensland Education Certificate and he responded to the Philosophy question:
If our actions are a consequence of our capacities and preferences, and if those things are, in turn, a result of our genetic inheritance and the external world in which we happen to find ourselves, are we ultimately responsible for our choices?
We wish Kyonosuke and Isabel all the best in the final round of judging in September.
Our top Science students from Year 9 and 10 recently travelled to Saint Stephen’s College to compete in the South-East division of the Science and Engineering Challenge. Students worked in teams of three or four to devise strategies to solve problems related to the varied and practical elements of a career in science and engineering. The hands-on activities ranged from designing a suspension buddy to carry cargo on the undulating surface of Mars, to constructing a water turbine capable of generating the greatest amount of power.
Each completed activity earnt points for the school’s team, with the day culminating in a competition of the strongest suspension bridge. Our bridge was the strongest of the day, withstanding a trolly weight of an incredible 4kg, putting Somerset on top of the points tally. We came away as the Science and Engineering Champions for South East Queensland for Day 1 of the Competition.
Unfortunately, our score was not high enough to beat the winners on Day 2 who will now compete in the State Challenge. Meanwhile, we are looking ahead to 2023 and already practicing some of the challenges in Science Club. Students involved must be congratulated on there incredible teamwork and lateral thinking – they presented themselves as wonderful representatives of our College.
The annual RACI (Royal Australian Chemistry Institute) Titration Competition is a highlight on the Science Committee calendar and this year we entered the largest number of teams yet. Titration is an Analytical Chemistry technique used to determine the concentration of an unknown solution. It is used in almost all branches of Chemistry and is actually used quite commonly in everyday life, for example, wine making and water testing in swimming pools is based on titrations. The goal of the competition is to determine the exact number of moles of an unknown substance. It is a test of accuracy, precision and patience. Students with the least error in their final value are the most successful. While all students showed commitment to their training this year and developed expertise in the technique, there were a few students who excelled.
Congratulations to the following students:
Lael Jeon – Credit
Jaden Lee – Credit
Lillian Tan – Credit
Eden Dovrat – High Distinction
Our Cairns trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity. From small fish swimming beside you, to huge trees towering above you. Everything went so smoothly, and everybody had a smile on their face.
The t-shirt designs were eye catching and stood out, everybody knew where you were! The hats looked stunning, and each name had a different personality added to it, which was sure to make you laugh. We had the amazing opportunity to go to the Great Barrier Reef for a whole day. The instructors taught us so much on how to take care of the reef and what marine life lived within it. The crystal-clear water with millions of fish swimming around made you want to jump in the moment you saw it. The Daintree rainforest walk was historical and entertaining as well as extraordinary to be able to stand in a sacred sight, and for the first time, we all enjoyed getting muddy and bitten alive. The lollies at Kuranda were soon regretted as it made everybody have a sugar rush. Kuranda Scenic railway was sure to take your breath away within moments during the peaceful ride looking at the stunning waterfalls and mountains that took to the skies. The crocodiles’ teeth were as large as your hand and most stood back, cowering in the corner trying their best to hide their fear.
The airport ride home was hard, nobody wanted to leave. After the airport, when we arrived in Brisbane and hopped on the bus everybody could feel urge in their belly, the feeling of being so close to home, but also a ting a dread, not wanting to say goodbye to the stunning adventure. When we arrived back, everybody was so grateful. We were the luckiest children on Earth, thanks to the wonderful teachers who organised and even had the bravery to take all of Year 6on this wonderful trip.
- Xanthe Stewart, Year 6G
On a cold but memorable morning on Monday 30 May 2022, Year 6 embarked on the annual Cairns trip. On this incredible journey, we discovered thousands of years of history in the Daintree Rainforest and Mossman Gorge, explored the Great Barrier Reef and put on our ever-protective bucket hats to get up close and personal with the iconic Northern Queensland animal … the Crocodile!
Throughout these experiences we have cemented countless friendships and instilled an everlasting bond between the Year 6 cohort. A special thank you goes to the teachers and staff who accompanied and supported us on the trip. You were patient, kind and understanding (even when we were tired, grumpy students) but above all else you made this trip enjoyable. The Year 6 students are forever grateful.
- Angus Fraser, Year 6S
In IAS we were given a ‘clay tablet’ that the Sumerians used to write on using the cuneiform language but, instead of clay, it was a shortbread dough. We learned about how Cuneiform impacted on the lifestyles and situations of the Sumerians.
For example, it might be used for trading when they had to trade for different products, such as crops and materials, in which they would need to write down the number of crops they had for harvesting. They might have also used Cuneiform for writing down their laws and rules, daily events and even astronomy.
Cuneiform was created because it was the easiest and most effective way to communicate in writing, by using symbols, made up from the wedge-shaped symbol. ‘Cuneus’ means wedge in Latin. We made the wedge-shaped symbols by using the side angle of a chopstick. We wrote some cuneiform symbols on our tablet and in the end, had a reward to eat them!
A big thank you to our Chef, Mr Furlong for recreating a Sumerian Clay tablet for us to experiment with the cuneiform system.
Selected students in Year 12 were invited to participate in the Bond University Mathematics Extension Program in Term Two. The Program was conducted over two days during the school holidays, 11 and 12 April. Graduates from the Year 12 Extension Program are eligible to receive an early offer into their chosen degree, subject to meeting the academic entry requirements.
The academic component of the program involved students getting a taste of how to use R programming (most for the first time) and applying their mathematical knowledge to solve a problem. The Program was pitched at a high level and our students displayed resilience and adaptability.
Aarav Rawley was awarded a Credit Certificate.
Byron Morris was awarded a Distinction Certificate.
Nathalie Brown achieved a High Distinction award and received a $5000 bursary.
Aaron Lim was first place in the Mathematics Extension Program and has earned a 50% Scholarship to Bond University. Congratulations to Aaron!
Professor Bruce Vanstone and Professor Steve Stern (who ran the academic component of the Program) reported to me that they were genuinely very impressed by all the students from Somerset College. Congratulations to these students.
Congratulations to Geoff Frost who has claimed the title of Fitness Member of the Month for June. Well done Geoff!
Somerset College proves itself as the top school in the South Queensland School Conference winning the overall points trophy. This years Trophy Regatta saw 14 Schools compete at Wyaralong Dam on June 4. With strong competition in all the events it was important all crews put in their best performance of the Term Two season to bring home the Overall Points Trophy.
The day started perfectly with the Year 8 Girls Quads winning Gold and Silver in their quad races and Callum Miles winning Bronze in the Year 10 Boys Single Scull. The Year 8 Boys then won their Quad race, which was their first win for the season, a great time to pull out their best result. Nathalie Brown and Emelia Fink won Silver in the Open Schoolgirl Double Scull and Georgia Daly followed that with a Bronze in the Open Schoolgirl Single Scull. For the Open Schoolboy Single Sculls, Callum McClure won Gold which was another outstanding row improving on previous races with Thomas Gray winning Bronze.
When the winds picked up the race officials made the decision to cancel all remaining Year 8 events which spoilt Somerset College's chance of winning back the Andrew Butler Trophy for overall Girls points and at risk of missing out on the overall Trophy too. But with a Bronze medal for the Year 10 Boys Quad of Jake Phillips, Callum Miles, Bowen Mansell, Luke Oishi, and Jack Hodge, followed by a Silver Medal for the Open Schoolgirl Quad of Eliza Strong, Georgia Daly, Nathalie Brown, Emelia Fink, and Natalia Zotti it was going to come down to the last few races. Jack Hodge and Max Ward-Harvey won Bronze in the Year 9 Schoolboy Double with Luke Oishi winning Gold in the Year 9 Schoolboy Single Scull. For the Year 9 Schoolgirl doubles, Brooke Bowden and Alanja Thomson won Silver and Noa Chester-Haviv and D D Dai won Bronze. When the final tally was added up it was only five points separating us from Trinity Lutheran College. I have no doubt that by scoring points for the Second Senior Girls Quad of Lillian Tan, Momo Uchida, Maya Pearse, Sage Stevenson, and Esme Fink we were able to win the overall Trophy and celebrate as the best School in the South Queensland School Rowing Conference.
Rowers will celebrate the results at the Presentation Dinner on July 26 and switch training to focus on the School State Championships in Bundaberg from September 17 to 19. It’s never too late to join the rowing program as we search to get stronger and stronger. If you are up for the challenge, make sure you give it a go.
South Queensland Schools Conference Trophy Regatta Results
Overall Points Trophy – Steve Hinchy Trophy – Somerset College
Year 8 Schoolgirl Champions – Somerset College
Year 8 Schoolboy Champions – Somerset College
Open Schoolgirl Champions – Somerset College
Open Schoolboy Single Scull Division 1 – Callum McClure
Year 9 Boys Single Scull Division 2 – Luke Oishi
Year 8 Boys Quad Scull Division 1 – Will Hoult, Byron Taylor, Benji Strong, Angus Riddle
Year 8 Girls Quad Scull Division 2 – Brooke Bowden, Alanja Thomasson, Maddi McLaughlin, Natalia Zotti
Open Schoolgirl Quad Scull Division 1 – Emelia Fink, Nathalie Brown, Georgia Daly, Eliza Strong
Open Schoolgirl Double Scull Division 1 – Nathalie Brown and Emelia Fink
Year 9 Schoolgirl Double Scull Division 2 – Brooke Bowden and Alanja Thomasson
Year 8 Girls Quad Scull Division 1 – Isabella Vujanovic, Audrey Cirocco, Aanika Soni, Livi Budd
Year 8 Girls Quad Scull Division 2 – Esther Fink, Tamar Chester-Haviv, Camilla Guthrie, Noa Chester-Haviv
Open Schoolgirl Single Scull Division 1– Georgia Daly
Open Schoolboy Single Scull Division 2 – Thomas Gray
Year 10 Boys Quad Scull Division 1 – Luke Oishi, Bowen Mansell, Callum Miles, Jake Phillips
Year 10 Boys Single Scull Division 1 – Callum Miles
Year 9 Boys Double Scull Division 2 – Max Ward-Harvey and Jack Hodge
Year 9 Schoolgirl Double Scull Division 2 – Duo Duo Dai and Noa Chester-Haviv
Year 8 Boys Quad Scull Division 2 – Michael Zeng, Xavier Foster, Luis Pearse, Hugo Derksema
Somerset Spartans participated in the Queensland Schools Futsal Cup during the holidays. Our Under 14 Girls, Under 14 Boys and Under 16 Boys participated in this two day event. Please read below a short recap from our Spartans and learn how our Under 14 girls became Runners Up!
With a training day on day one of school holidays, the teams prepared themselves fort a two-day tournament. The coaches focussed on the formation, tactics and set plays in the training sessions. On the first day of the tournament each team played five matches. By day two all teams were graded for the Cup, Shield and Plate pools.
The Girls showed their skills on the first day, winning all their matches. Following a strong performance, the second day continued into the Cup Pool. The parents saw the team make the Grand Final against a very strong Kawana High School in what was high quality final. After going two goals down early, the girls showed their Spartan spirit answering back with two goals of their own. Neither team gave up, making it a 2-all draw at full time before the dreaded penalty shootout. Unfortunately, it wasn't our day.
The Under 14 Girls finished an impressive runners-up. What a great achievement to become second place form the 24 schools who competed! Congratulations girls on a fantastic performance: Ari Thake, Georgie Zerbst, Zara Ryan, Livi Budd, Arya Denzongpa-Bathols, Natalia Zotti and Sarah Nickels. Thank you to our Coach Nigel for coaching the Under 14 Girls.
The Under 14 boys entered the tournament eager-eyed and optimistic, coming up against Bayside College in the tournament's opening fixture. Despite conceding an early goal, the boys quickly bounced back through a well-executed counter-attacking play between Jacob and Bailey. Despite coming agonisingly close to a match-winner, the opening game concluded in a one-all draw. Games 2, 3 and 4 were hard-fought losses at the hands of Ripley College, Assisi Catholic College, and Kawana Waters SHS. Assisi and Kawana went on to play in the tournament final. It was against quality oppositions that the boys stepped up, playing some of their best futsal. Brilliant defensive efforts came from Casper, Nicholas and Kenshin who ensured the Spartans remained competitive to the very end.
Day two of the competition was do-or-die, with the 14 boys entering the knockout stage. Despite moments of individual brilliance and some exciting build up play between Nash and Zach, the boys fell just short of a semi-final appearance. The team's last game was an exciting fixture between Somerset and Fortitude Valley with the Spartans giving their all to round off the tournament with an emphatic 6 to 2 win. Goals to Stephen, among others, rewarded his perseverance and persistence throughout the competition.
The tournament proved to be a valuable learning experience for The Under 14 Boys, and one that coach Kydra Walden was immensely proud to be a part of. The boys displayed tenacity when faced with adversity and created a positive team culture for years to come. A big thankyou to all the students who took time out of their holidays to represent the college. Bailey Pourre, Kenshin Tateno, Stephen Omenka, Jacob Moir, Zach Moir, Nash Kennedy, Nicholas Klaassen, and Caspar Crampton. Thank you to Coach Kydra for coaching the Under 14 Boys.
The QSF futsal tournament was a great experience for the Somerset Under 16 Boys. Every game they played was competitive. Credit to the boys, as all their games were close which created a fantastic opportunity for them to compete. Michael Klaassen, Hayden Goldsmith, Phoenix Crampton, Rylan Kennedy, Charlie Razack and Leo Razack fell short of making the Plate semi-final on penalties. The team enjoyed the well organised tournament, and it was a challenge to play so many different schools in which we don’t play in the Gold Coast. Overall, the tournament was a success. Thank you to Coach Jonathon for coaching the Under 16 Boys.
Thank you to parents, students and coaches for this season. We hope to have you all back next season!
For any questions about Football and Futsal, please contact our Head of Football and Futsal Maarten De Kruijf.
Our Somerset Spartans and nine of our College coaches competed at the Gold Coast Albert Tennis Club Championships, held Sunday 17 July. Many of our Spartans have been training hard this year to compete at these events and it showed, as they produced some great results and displayed high levels of tennis and sportsmanship.
Out of a total draw of 38 players, Somerset had three out of the four semi-final spots taken by students in the Junior Under 18s' draw, which is an amazing result on its own.
Orion Burdett, Ethan Stewart and Timofey Korin displayed some incredible tennis to climb their way through the draw, with Orion eventually taking out the whole event, defeating the top ranked player in the draw. On his way to the final, Orion only dropped four games and won 32 out of his five matches. An amazing performance of which he should be very proud.
Coaches also participated in this event, with Lachlan Yarwood competing in the Open Singles, winning the Consolation draw, and Lachlan Treacher competing with Orion Burdett in the open doubles, narrowly losing by one point to the fourth ranked pairing in the quarter finals.
We would like to extend our thanks to the parents who survived and supported our Spartans throughout the long 12-hour day and congratulate all the Spartans below on a successful tournament!
Inca Burdett
It has been a super busy time for chess recently, with Inter-School events and many events across the holidays. For a full wrap of the Inter-School events, please read below.
Over the holidays there some of the biggest events in Queensland being held. The first of these was the Gold Coast Open which featured 204 players.
Byron Morris took on the challenge of the Premier Division (which featured a number of Australian Olympiad team members) and was performing well before illness struck and wiped out the back end of his tournament.
Lyanna Chan, Aarav Rawlley and Jennifer Yeung took part in the Major Division which tested all three players across the weekend. Aarav was the standout of the three with 4/7 in what was a very tough field.
In the Minor Division, Oscar Credland-Ballantyne scored 4/6 to finish =11th. Annika Lim, Paul Sang Yum, Paris Liu, Jackson Yeung also all played in this division and performed well – for some it was their first major tournament!
Directly following the Gold Cost Open, was the Queensland Junior Championships in Brisbane, with Under 8, Under 10, Under 12 and Under 18 divisions being played.
In the Under 8 division, Paul Sang Yum scored 5/8 to finish =13th.
In the Under 10 division, Calen Tang recovered from an early loss to score 7/8 and tie for first position and retain his title from last year!
In the Under 12 division, Calen backed up and scored 6/8 to finish = fourth to continue his impressive week. Oscar Credland-Ballantyne scored 5.5/8 for =ninth position in another great performance. Harrison Qu scored 4/8 as one of the youngest players in the field, whilst Paris Liu and Annika Lim also took part in the event.
In the Gold Coast Winter Cup held last week, 21 Somerset students competed making up 1/3 of the field! Top scorer was Oscar Credland-Ballantyne with 5.5/8 for ninth place, whilst Paul Sang Yum scored 5/8 as did William Zhao and Kush Veeramachaneni.
On the final weekend of the holidays, Calen Tang and Harrison Qu travelled to Redcliffe for the Peninsula Open. Calen took some impressive scalps over the course of the weekend and scored 4/6 for =10th position and a share of his rating group. Harrison took on many players above him in the field but still scored 2/6 for the event, placing him =sixth in his rating category.
On the weekend just gone the Arianne Caoili Memorial Tournament was held. Arianne was a former Somerset student, Women’s International Master and Australian Representative who tragically passed away following a car accident in Armenia in 2020. Calen Tang, Oscar Credland-Ballantyne, Harrison Qu, Ruhara and Sanaaya Mapabandara, Annika Lim and Paul Sang Yum all took part in the event, with the highlights being Sanaaya finishing as the second best primary girl, Ruhara the third best secondary girl, whilst Harrison was second in his rating group.
We look forward to seeing everyone again at lunch clubs and the Friday afternoon chess which returns for the duration of the term. For any questions about chess, please contact me via email.
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