Chemistry matters
13 Nov 2017
Eight Year 12 students – Wills Wynn Thomas, Fawzan Sugarwala, Andreas Nicolaou, Josh Ting, Jayavi Premaratne, Jisu Kim, Alexander Hlavac and Han-young Kim – have made it through the first stage of selection for the NZ Chemistry Olympiad and been invited to join the group training programme for next year’s International Chemistry Olympiad.
With external examinations looming, preparing for the two-hour selection test – which assumes knowledge of NCEA Level 2 Chemistry – was an ideal way to consolidate their knowledge. “These boys are very high achievers and in line for great academic outcomes in the end-of-year examinations,” says HoD Chemistry Scott Franklin.
Taking part in this type of enrichment programme raises the bar for capable students, allowing them to improve their depth of knowledge in their chosen field. “The problem solving skills they gain by exploring chemical principles in abstract scenarios and through challenging problems is of great benefit in the long term,” says Scott.
The annual Chemistry Olympiad is an international chemistry competition for teams of young people from around the world. The New Zealand team is selected, trained and coordinated as a collaboration between universities and high schools. The 2018 Olympiad will be held in July in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
