Farlington Prep School girls were amazed, inspired, enlightened, excited and thrilled all throughout last week when Science Co-ordinator, Jackie Johnson, organised a terrific five day Science extravaganza.
All of the pupils, from Reception to Prep 6 inclusive, joined in an array of well-planned workshops. The week kicked off with a visit from the ‘Niteowls’ Team which gave the girls the opportunity to see these birds of prey at close quarters.
On Tuesday, Neil Spellman, aka ‘The Animal Man’, visited the School to show his amazing collection of vertebrates and invertebrates. All of the audience, including the staff, were invited to hold some of the animals. English teacher, Sarah Welsh, showed her tenacity when she volunteered to hold the tarantula!
On Wednesday all the girls took part in a ‘Science Circus’ where they visited five different workshops. These ranged from looking at the aerodynamics of flying invertebrates to separating colours using chromatography. The girls were mesmerized by a ‘magic show’; producing luminous liquids, changing the colour of fire and discovering how dry ice works.
The weather on Thursday was ideal for some field study work in the School’s extensive grounds. A team from Pulborough Brooks Reserve lead the workshops involving pond-dipping, discovering a Sussex hedgerow, an invertebrate hunt and habitat studies.
On Friday, some of the girls visited Horsham Stone Quarry to examine 130 million year old sedimentary rock. Another group enjoyed a session on the Van de Graaf Generator and the girls in Prep 4 and Prep 6 visited the Science Museum in London.
Prep School Headmistress, Joy Baggs, commented on the fact that the School had always enjoyed the benefits of a strong Science Department. “The Science Week was absolutely brilliant” she said, “and to top it off in style we received notification that Farlington had been awarded the National Primary Science Mark at Silver Level. Next Year we will be going for gold!”