TAS look at the science of a 'crime scene'

These developments align the Junior School more closely with the Senior School program, which runs five activities days across terms one, two and three culminating in activities week in term four.

During these activities the teaching and learning process is now more informed by both the International Baccalaureate Primary Years' Program, as well as the school's membership of the global organisation Round Square, which has set IDEALS (Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership and Service).

Recently, a prefects' initiative to raise funds for the Red Cross' Fiji appeal was taken into the Junior School classroom as well, with units of inquiry addressing the concepts behind the fundraising activity itself.

"Down the track we will establish classroom relationships with different IB PYP schools around the world. Other activities will be designed to deepen understanding through responsible action, like developing a school vegetable garden which grows food that can be distributed to others," head of Junior School Ian Lloyd said.

On the most recent activities day students were divided into their sporting houses and rotated through a range of activities. In one students made butter, curds and whey.

Throughout the process, they learnt first hand how physical action (whipping) can change the properties of a substance from one state to another.

Tom Gellie, Year 5, enjoyed being in the senior science labs with lab manager Mr Gordon McLennan, and 'solving a crime'.

"We had a jumper from the crime scene that we looked at under the microscope to see what it was made out of," Tom said.

"We tried wool, cotton, and synthetics. The jumper matched to being made of wool.

"Then we rotated to the skull group and made up the muscles of the skull using different coloured play dough.

"The colour blue was for the eyes, pink was for the inside muscles and the red for the outside muscle.

"It was really interesting and a lot of fun."

Jasper Russ also liked this activity.

"The three main things you have to do are observe, measure and record," Jasper said.

"We were put into three groups, my group firstly had to do the burning soil activity were we had to weigh soil before and after heating it over a Bunsen burner."

Classmate Toby Inglis was taken with a trip to the Museum of Printing.

"You would have thought that it was just old paper, old tube tyres and writing ink. But no. There was way more to it," Toby said.

"First the guide showed us an old handle press printer made in 1927. I got to keep a cat made with letters that he printed for me.

"Another printer I admired was the oldest one there. It was made in 1820's and was made of silver. All the printers were very old and extremely unique."

Mr Lloyd said it was all part of exciting students, staff and parents alike.