We recently reported on the visit to our labs by Dr Aki Minoda, a group leader at RIKEN research institute, mentioning that Dr Minoda was a very active supporter of the Science Department. Today we are delighted to report that thanks to her help, the Biology lab is on its way to conduct a new and very exciting range of experiments.
This past week, Saint Maur International School held its annual Middle School Science Fair. The 6th and 7th Grade students presented their scientific research to staff, parents, and other students from Grades 5 to 11. It was the culmination of two months of research and testing and while many of the students were nervous, they did brilliantly presenting to such a broad audience.
Every year the PSG kindly host a Bingo Bash for our Elementary Students. Not only is much fun had by all but the lucky winners win a special prize – A visit to the Chemistry laboratory with a friend.
As the academic year draws closer to the end, many students are looking forward to receiving their Yearbooks. In the Science Department we adopt a molecular approach to the ‘mugshot page’.
A feeling of excitement had been building up for some time within the Science Department due to the fact that with the state of emergency being lifted, we would be able to once again host a lecture by a world-class researcher for the benefit of our IB students. Our guest this time was Dr Aki Minoda, Team Leader of the Laboratory for Cellular Epigenomics at RIKEN’s Center for Integrative Medical Sciences.
Over the past few years, a number of highly motivated Biology students have taken upon themselves to produce video tutorials presenting specific laboratory techniques in the aim of helping fellow students as well as the extended online community to refine their fundamental lab skills. Those videos have been overwhelmingly positively received, all of them achieving numbers of views that go well beyond the tens of thousands, and they are by far the most popular videos on our school’s Youtube channel.
Saint Maur’s relationship with Riken (理研) goes back to 2014 when Grade 11 IB Biologists were invited to visit the famous research institute on a yearly basis. This cooperation consolidated further when Dr Akiko Minoda offered to host a group of Grade 12 students for a summer lab experience in 2018.
In their Climate Control IPC unit, students from Grade 4 - in their various groups - picked a particular topic (Energy, Plant & Animal, Atmosphere and Weather & Climate) and created a board game to reflect their understanding of the unit.
You may have noticed that the Grade 11 chemists were particularly stressed at the start of April this year. They were gearing up for the start of the practical phase of the IB Individual Investigation in Chemistry.
Last Friday afternoon, the Grade 6 and 7 scientists presented their findings from the Middle School Science Fair Investigation. Due to COVID safety precautions, this year’s Science Fair took place with a limited audience of administrators, teachers, and school staff. We also welcomed the Grade 5 students who enjoyed getting “a taste” of what to expect next year when they move into Middle School.
This year, Grade 9 students have been studying atomic structure and bonding in Chemistry class. One of the most enjoyable assignments of the year is when they bring together what they have learned and construct a three dimensional model of a molecule.
What do Bingo and Chemistry have in common? We all know that they are both fun(!) so on Friday 16th April three excited elementary school students visited the Chemistry Laboratory in the Science Centre to claim their prize for winning the PSG bingo competition.
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83 Yamatecho, Naka Ward Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-8654
Email: info@stmaur.ac.jp
Phone: +81 (0) 45 641 5751
Fax: +81 (0) 45 641 6688
