Chemistry Students Rise to the RACI Titration Challenge
Precision Under Pressure
An impressive 15 teams of Year 11 and 12 SACE and IB Chemistry students represented Saints Girls in this year’s Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Titration Competition, with weeks of lunchtime preparation leading into the event.
The competition challenges students to accurately determine the concentration of unknown chemical solutions using precise laboratory techniques and calculations. Students first standardised a sodium hydroxide solution against a known oxalic acid standard before using the standardised solution to determine the concentration of an unknown oxalic acid sample through careful titration, concordant results, and detailed calculations.
Lunchtime practice sessions quickly became a familiar sight in the laboratories, with students carefully reading burettes, recalculating results and refining their technique, knowing that precision mattered at every stage. The competition demanded an impressive level of concentration, patience and consistency to achieve accurate concordant results.
It was fantastic to see students working collaboratively within their teams, checking calculations together, discussing technique and supporting one another through the challenges of complex analytical Chemistry. The experience also provided valuable insight into the type of laboratory work used in university science, medicine and research settings.
Having 15 teams enter this year was a wonderful achievement and reflects the strong enthusiasm our students continue to show for Chemistry and scientific problem-solving.
Congratulations to all the girls involved for the dedication, professionalism and care they brought to the competition.
Melissa Lee, STEM Innovation Leader
Lan Hin, Science Teacher
Problem Solving in Action: A Term of Mathematical Challenge and Collaboration
Locked Boxes and Big Thinking
There has been a real buzz around Mathematics this term, with girls across the Secondary School stepping into challenges that pushed them to think differently, work together and back themselves. From tackling one of South Australia’s most respected Maths competitions to racing through locked-box challenges in the Arts Centre, it has been wonderful to see students embracing Maths in such energetic and hands-on ways.
Earlier this month, more than 130 girls from Years 7 to 12 took part in the Hamann School Mathematics Competition (HSMC). The competition is known for stretching students well beyond everyday classroom Maths, with questions designed to challenge logical thinking, creativity and perseverance. What was most impressive was not simply the willingness to attempt difficult problems, but the way girls kept returning to questions, trying new approaches and refusing to give up when answers weren’t immediate.
That same energy carried into last Friday’s Mathematics Escape Room incursion for Year 7, 8 and 9 students, where the Jeffreys Linn Arts Centre was transformed into a fast-paced challenge space filled with locked boxes, coded clues and themed puzzle stations. The room quickly became a mix of excitement, noise, movement and teamwork as students raced between stations solving problems against the clock.
One of the highlights of the day was watching how naturally the girls collaborated. There were constant conversations around strategy, girls helping one another work through mistakes and teams celebrating the small wins together. The persistence shown throughout the event was outstanding. Even when answers were incorrect, students kept recalculating, rethinking and trying again — exactly the kind of resilience and problem solving we hope to nurture through experiences like these.
Students shared:
“It was very fun and it was a great way to get our brains and our bodies moving!” – Eliza
“I found it really enjoyable and a great bonding experience being able to have fun with people in other classes and it was super enjoyable to compete against other people.” – Charlotte
A huge thank you to Mrs O’Brien for creating opportunities that continue to make Mathematics feel engaging, challenging and genuinely enjoyable for our girls. The excitement and conversations following both events have been wonderful to hear across the School.
Melissa Lee, STEM Innovation Leader
Samantha O’Brien, Head of Mathematics
