Science Active School - Annesley Junior School

Annesley Junior School became a Science Active School in 2024 for their commitment and dedication to Science Education, and their involvement with and support of SASTA. 

Science at Annesley Junior School

Annesley Junior School has been thrilled to be recognised as a Science Active School in 2024. At Annesley science is celebrated and passions are developed. The specialist science teacher sees all classes in the school and has a dedicated science space to ignite curiosities. 

At Annesley, Science teacher Christiana Schammer supports open-ended student investigations and creates an environment that nurtures curiosity and fosters a sense of wonder about the natural world. Provocations such as intriguing objects or posed questions are introduced to spark students' interest.  Students are encouraged to ask questions, make observations and form hypotheses. Plenty of time is provided for opportunities for hands-on exploration and experimentation. 

As a supporter and member of SASTA Christiana regularly attends the annual conference and professional learning that is offered. She is the Oliphant Science Award coordinator at the school and has applied her knowledge as a judge over numerous years. Students at Annesley regularly enter the Awards and have been part of the prize winners for the last 5 years. Their projects are interesting and demonstrate excellent scientific knowledge. 

Annesley’s entrepreneurial program ‘Enterprise’ seeks to develop young people with the attitudes and skills they need to successfully navigate the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world. All students engage in entrepreneurial learning every week which requires creativity, problem solving, perseverance and collaboration. Students regularly choose the area of science to pursue their strengths and passions. Projects such as slime making, bath bombs and creating science videos are just a few of the things student have undertaken. The school farm is also a favourite area of interest during Enterprise. The growth of living things and the cycle of life are keenly observed through vegetable plantings and the resident chooks and rabbits.

Learning in science is also fundamental in Annesley’s experiential learning program that takes the learning out into the world. Students ‘learn by doing’ in a range of natural settings. This program, The Quest builds upon skills and curiosities as students visit various locations and grow in their understanding of the local environment.

Do you think your school has what it takes to be a Science Active School? Apply here!