Head of Science, Dr Alison Stevens, said the visit was
planned for the Forensic Science Unit because it gave
students a hands on experience and real life context using
examples of crime in which Forensics is used.
On arrival, students were greeted by a wall of early mug shots
before moving on to learnmore about Forensic Science. The students
looked at how Forensic Science, including blood and fingerprints, is
used to identify perpetrators of crime.
The students also learnt about the unique nature of their own
fingerprints before getting the chance to take their own. Students
also tried on the police uniforms which was was a highlight of the
trip.
Year 8 student Isobel Scherf said the visit was a great way to learn
about Forensics.
“It gave us a better idea of how forensic science is used in a real
crime investigation and how crucial it can be to solving a case,”
Year 8 students ventured into the world of crime, fingerprints and DNA in their study of Foren-
sics. A visit to the Police Museum in Porirua gave Year 8 students a chance to learn about how
Forensic Science is applied in the real world.
QMC Crime Scene Investigation
Isobel said.
“We were also able to delve into the techniques- and lift our own
fingerprints in the process!”
In Year 6, students are challenged to think not just locally but
globally, as they complete their final year of the Primary Years
Programme.
A recent inquiry into How we Organise Ourselves sparked an
idea to raise funds for Oxfam during the Junior School Mothers’
Morning. The students were learning about Economic Systems and
Globalisation, and how they contribute to inequality and wealth
distribution in the world. Year 6 student Madeline Ware says many
children, especially girls, in the world do not receive a proper
education.
“Education is very important. It has an effect on how you can
work and earn money,” Madeline says.
A guest speaker from Oxfam, an aid and development charity,
visited the Year 6 cohort to talk about the positive effects of Fair
Trade. Inspiring the students to use Fair Trade ingredients, they
baked a delicious assortment of delights, including banana bread,
chocolate cake, chocolate and caramel slice and ginger slice.
As guests on Mothers to School Day, our Junior School Mothers
were served the baked goods at morning tea, for a gold coin
donation. This raised over $400 for the charity.
Year 6 student Beatrice Fordham Duncan says it was fun to
make the slices, but more importantly, they were happy to make a
difference.
Another initiative was around a local charity Kaibosh. Some
Year 6 students were invited to see first-hand the work Kaibosh
does, including Lilly Taulelei, who says food rescue is not as easy as
it sounds.
Year 6 Queen Margaret College students have
been raising money to fight hunger and
poverty in their local and global community.
Putting Community First
“We learnt about how they receive and process the food
donations before serving to community groups,” Lilly comments.
“Some of the donations also go to the Soup Kitchen, while spoiled
food is sent to Black Sheep Animal Sanctuary or Kai to Compost.”
Motivated by Kaibosh’s vision of Zero Food Poverty, Zero Food
Waste, the girls then decided to hold their own fundraiser at school.
“We wanted to make a difference but it had to be something
simple,” Lilly says.
A fundraising lunch for the Junior School was the answer, so the
girls busied themselves organising the menu of sliders, corn fritters
and fruit kebabs. All food was made by the students at school, which
was a challenge in itself according to Lilly. The group raised $241.38
with the fundraiser.
“We learnt that ten dollars can feed 17 people, so just think about
how many people we will be feeding with the money raised,” Lilly
says.
Pelin Sevi with mother Pinar Sevi