Students from Allanson Primary School had the chance to see the fun side of science last month as they were one of seven primary schools from the region to travel to Brunswick Junction to celebrate Leonardo Day.
Leonardo Day, named after the Italian artist, scientist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, has been running for 30 years as a celebration of science for smaller schools in the area.
More than 140 year four to year six students from seven primary schools from around the region took part in the day at Brunswick Show Grounds last month.
The aim of the day was to get students interested in science, by showing the practical ways it is used and what career opportunities there are.
The day was originally started by Edith Cowan University teaching students in 1989 and has been held every year since.
The task of coordinating the event has since been taken over by the schools in conjunction with local high schools and other organisations to promote the benefits of studying science.
As part of the day, the students divided into groups and spent 30 minutes at each station completing different types of practical science experiments.
The experiments included a wide range of activities including designing elastic-powered cars, learning about how fossils are made and making their own, learning about human anatomy and how to make plaster casts and observing water samples, as well as demonstrations of drones, robots and virtual reality technology.
The stations all featured activities with local high schools and organisations getting involved, including Scitech, Waste Wise, Water Corporation, the Department of Fisheries, Australind Senior High School, Bunbury Catholic College, Eaton Community College, Manea Senior College and Newton Moore Senior High School.
The day also allowed students to mingle with their peers from other schools and make new friends along the way.
The seven schools participating in the program were Allanson Primary School, Brunswick Junction Primary School, Our Lady of Lourdes School, Dardanup Primary School. Clifton park Primary School, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and St Michael’s Catholic Primary School.
One of the highlights of the day for the students was seeing former Allanson students, such as Manea Senior College medical health and specialist program student Ashlinn Cain, return to Leonardo Day to organise activities and share their knowledge.
Allanson Primary School is the only one of the Collie primary schools to be invited to and take part in the day since its inception.
