Tag Archives: science

Admissions, Just for fun!, Ridley News, Tips for New Ridley College Students, Upper School

Get to Know Your Prefects: Max C. ’20

Meet Max ’20 – a boarder from California, who has found home at Ridley, as a member of Dean’s House. Although he can often be found in the Tiger Arena, this athlete has a knack for science as well! Read some of the highlights of his first year at Ridley below.

Why were you most excited to attend Ridley when you first started?

Coming to Ridley, the thing I was most excited for was to play ice hockey and be a part of the Ridley boarding school culture.

What makes you proud to be a Ridleian?

I am proud to be a Ridleian because of the variety of things that Ridley strives and excels in. At Ridley, our culture cannot be defined as solely a sports school or academic school because we have a student body that can be and is successful in so many different aspects.

What is your favourite part of Ridley life?

My favourite part of Ridley is the boarding life offered. Boarding life truly adds to the Ridley culture and atmosphere of connecting us and bringing our community together. The culture within our boarding Houses has allowed me to form some of the strongest bonds and friendships that I have in my life.

What has been your favorite Ridley experience?

Road trips with my hockey team have been some of my greatest Ridley experiences in the last year. Road trips were a huge part of the journey last year with my team. In the moments from hotel room fun to warming up at the ice rink, I have had the time of my life with my best friends and teammates.

What is the best part of being in your boarding House?

Having my friends nearby all the time. This makes living in the house always a super fun experience with many friends to share the good times with.

What has been your greatest accomplishment at Ridley?

Winning the award for the best medical sciences project in the Niagara Regional Science and Engineering Fair. This reward was the accumulation of countless hours, help from my teachers, and dedication into a project that I was truly passionate about. That is why winning this award and receiving the recognition for my project has been one of the most meaningful and greatest accomplishments of my life.

Who is your favourite faculty or staff member and why?

My favorite faculty member is Mrs. Roud. As both a teacher and Head of House, she is so caring and helpful. Without her constant love and support there is no way that I could have had such an amazing first year at Ridley.

What part of being a Prefect are you most excited for?

I am very excited for many things in the role of a Prefect. What I am most excited for however is to be a role model in the Ridley community and have the chance to inspire other students. Coming to Ridley, I looked up to the Prefects and they were a great inspiration to me. Now, I am excited be a role model for other students and inspire them just as I was as a new student.

How has Ridley prepared you for the future?

Ridley has taught me how to challenge myself and has shown me that when I push myself, I can accomplish so much more than I previously thought. The opportunities that Ridley has given has influenced me to step out of my comfort zone and learn so much more about who I am and want to be in the future.

What advice would you give prospective students about Ridley?

The one piece of advice that I would give to Ridley students is to take advantage of the amazing opportunities that Ridley has to offer. Ridley has so many opportunities for students of all interests. For me, this meant pursuing the IB Diploma and also playing Prep Hockey. And, even if you have never tried some of these things or are nervous of stepping out of your comfort zone, Ridley is an amazing opportunity to try new things with a student body and faculty that will be nothing but supportive.

Academics, Lower School, Ridley News

Ridley Junior Scientists Win at Science Fair

Six Lower School students competed at the Niagara Regional Science and Engineering Fair (NRSEF) held on March 29th at Brock University. The Grade 7 and 8 students worked hard all year to get their projects ready for the competition and it showed, as the group won the Junior Division with the highest combined score.

Ella Belfry ‘22, Chloe Cook ‘22, Olivia Massis ‘22, Taylor Searle ‘22, Syni Solanki ‘21, and Isha Walia ’22 combined to win nine awards. Syni and her project “A Novel Approach to Causing Apoptosis in Ovarian Cancer Cells,” which tested the use of garlic and hot pepper extracts on reducing ovarian cancer cells, were chosen to represent Team Niagara at the Canada Wide Science Fair in Regina, SK. This is the second time Syni will represent Ridley and Team Niagara at the event.

Continuing Ridley’s tradition of fostering global mindedness and service to others, the science projects focused on finding alternative and accessible ways of bettering the lives of the less fortunate. This year’s projects included solutions to water transportation, filtration, and purification. “It’s something they were passionate about,” says Mr. Ben Smith, a MYP science teacher.

The 55th Niagara Regional Science and Engineering Fair is dedicated to encouraging students within the Niagara Region in science pursuits. Over 200 young scientists participated in the fair, with their projects reviewed by approximately 100 judges composed of local scientists, engineers, and businessmen.

Academics, Just for fun!, Ridley News, Upper School, Upper School Trips

Experiential Learning Away from Home

Ridley students participated in three experiential learning trips over the March Break: a South African science adventure, Vimy 100, a history trip commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and our Ridley rowing crews hit the shores of Vancouver Island for pre-season training.

In South Africa, students had the opportunity to learn about and contribute to ongoing field research. They visited the Balule Game Reserve, where our young scientists participated in lectures and collected data on insects, herbivores, and birds—they even experienced a mock-charge by an elephant. The second week was spent at Sodwana Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with scuba diving—five students earned their PADI open water certification—reef ecology lectures, snorkeling, rock pool tours, dune walks, and a surprise visit from some local Zulu dancers. View photos.

North of the equator, Ridley students had a chance to relive history as they toured the many historic sites from both World Wars in France and Belgium. They visited the Vimy Memorial—which is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the WWI battle, Passchendaele—where they experienced a recreation of a WWI battlefield, and Juno Beach—the site of Canada’s D-Day Landing in WWII. Other stops included Ypres, the Menin Gate, Dieppe, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Napoleon’s Tomb. The group visited the graves or memorials for nine Old Ridleians, who died fighting in the two World Wars.

“It was a moving, rewarding, and emotional trip” – Mrs. Linda Chang, Ridley Parent

Leaving behind the thawing Royal Henley course in Port Dalhousie, our competitive rowing crews spent part of their March  break practicing on Canada’s West Coast, at Shawnigan Lake School. The trip focused on team-building and technical development. Ridley crews rowed through snow during one training session, while (before another in Victoria) they enjoyed a visit from a group of seals. Ample time on the water and competition with rowers from the University of Victoria, Victoria City Rowing Club, and the Canadian National Team, have our crews ready for upcoming spring regattas.

Our Ridleians showed how dedicated they are, using their March break–a time for rest and relaxation–to better themselves, better their team and better the environment. There is no doubt that these students returned home with stories to tell and memories that they will carry with them.

 

Academics, Lower School

Lower School students fuse their passion with science

On January 29th, 32 Grade 7 students eagerly lined the halls of Lower School, ready to showcase their scientific reasoning. For the past three months, these students have been exploring self-assigned hypotheses and investigating possible conclusions for the 9th annual Lower School Science Fair

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For nearly a decade, the Lower School Science Fair has encouraged young Ridleians to discover their interests and fuse them with science. Students aren’t assigned an area of study, but instead, are asked to find a topic that they are genuinely curious about. Using the online application, Science Buddies, each student answers a number of questions, rating their level of interest for everything from microbiology to psychology and even the television shows they enjoy watching. Upon completing the online application the students is then provided a list of possible science projects and topics to consider, each one relating to a topic or field that he or she enjoys. This not only creates a broad spectrum of science experiments, but also motivates the students to challenge themselves and make discoveries of their own.

According to Mr. Ben Smith, Pure and Applied Sciences Subject Coordinator and Lower School Science and Math Teacher, the main goal of the science project is not to be proven correct in their findings, but to propose a question and provide a reliable answer. “It’s just as important to fail as it is to be proven right,” says Mr. Smith.

In 2014, Jaden Kidd ’19 had a theory that bioluminescent algae, if placed in mason jars, could provide an alternative to electricity in countries with limited access. Despite his hypothesis being proven incorrect and the algae not producing the expected results, he went on to receive the Biology Award at the Niagara Regional Science and Engineering Fair – success is achieved through the findings and the knowledge that accompanies it rather than a proven theory.

For the past three months, the students worked in class to complete their projects, with the help of Mr. Smith. Students began with their hypotheses, predicting the conclusions of their experiments, and then proceeded with their studies. On the day of the Science Fair, after three months of hard work, these Ridleians presented their findings to curious members of the community.

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This year, judges, parents and the staff of Ridley College were blown away by the projects that our Grade 7 students produced. The students dove into the project, showcasing research that spanned a wide range of topics. Some students focused on chemistry, while others focused on the human brain. Some discovered their experiment was a success, others did not have the same outcome. Despite the results, each student was left feeling proud of their work and many intended to continue their research out of pure curiosity.

We are proud to announce this year’s winners:

First Place: Syni Solanki  – Graphene and Water Desalination

Second Place: Sakura Telfer – The Science of Spherification

Third Place: Spencer McLean – Video Game for the Blind

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These three students, along with our runner ups (Olivia Grubic; Memory Recall, Jacob Lytle; Sunflower Pith Water Filtration, and Ciara Blew; Margarine vs. Butter), will apply to represent Ridley at this year’s Niagara Regional Science and Engineering Fair.

Congratulations to all Grade 7 students, who not only challenged themselves, but also discovered their own personal passions.

 

Academics

Mad Science in Mr. Bowen’s Chemistry Class

Yesterday, Mr. Bowen’s Grade 10 Chemistry class performed a series of demonstrations illustrating concepts that students have been learning in class. Each group explained the safety precautions of the demonstration as well as what we were about to see and why it was happening. Check out the video below to see what the students were up to – definitely some cool demonstrations!