The Chronicle 2022

E Block boys and “The Oreo Dilemma”

SCIENCE

Head of Department: Mr Matthew Higginson Teaching Staff: Mr Edward Jeffery, Mr Nkanyiso Ngcobo, Mr Clint Sliedrecht and Mr Grant von Mayer Lab Assistance: Mr Raymond Duma fter a turbulent 2020 and an interesting 2021 (due to the Covid-19 pandemic) we started the year off with a sense of normality. The boys were back in class and enjoying face-to-face lessons with no masks. Physical Science at Michaelhouse is putting into place the first building blocks in our quest to understand the world around us. It does not answer all the questions, but rather equips us with some knowledge and skills to allow us to start answering some of them. Our boys are given a solid theoretical foundation and then taught to have confidence in their ability to apply this knowledge to a wide spectrum of problems within the confines of the syllabus. Boys who have a questioning mind and who enjoy observing the behaviour of matter around them excel in Physical Science. The ability to think, sometimes on an abstract level, memorise and apply, a strong mathematical ability and the discipline of regular work will ensure that the pupil will do well in Physical Science. The class of 2021 had numerous disruptions over their Grade 11 and Grade 12 years. These disruptions did not seem to deter them and they produced fantastic results. 31% of the boys were able to achieve a distinction with 80% of the boys achieving an A, B or C symbol. The boys must be congratulated on their fortitude and resilience. A

The following boys received awards at Speech Day for Physical Science: • Edward Hamilton received the award for the most improved mark over the past year. • Frederick Waller received the Top Achiever award. • Frederick Waller received the JL Robinson award for outstanding achievement in theory and practical realms. • Frederick Waller received the Proctor Science Award which is awarded to the boy who achieves the highest combined mark for Physical and Life Sciences. The only award for Advanced Programme Physics went to: • Frederick Waller received the Top Achiever award. As a department we pride ourselves on the fact that so many C Block boys choose to take Physical Science as a subject, every year we seem to set new record numbers of boys selecting the subject. In 2023 we will welcome 83 boys into senior Physical Science. A vote of thanks must be extended to the academic staff and the laboratory technicians for everything they do in and around the Science Block. It is truly a team effort. We will continue to practically demonstrate the theory behind Physics and Chemistry at hand.

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