The new VCE Chemistry data book is out.
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) March 8, 2024
Freshly printed for my students.
I'm expecting very mixed reactions when I see them tomorrow.
There's so much to unpack here 😅 pic.twitter.com/XWYy3Dn87T
It's an honour to teach an emerging generation of STEM processionals at Kennedy College. Happy International Women's Day, everyone.
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) March 7, 2024
Our new Scientific Investigations class at ✱ Kennedy College explored conservation of mass using magnesium ribbon in hydrochloric acid. 🧑🏻🔬
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) March 7, 2024
This class is building scientific enquiry skills using a new problem-based learning (PBL) experiment every lesson this term. They'll… pic.twitter.com/lYkGVWIU8C
We're teaching IUPAC organic nomenclature to Year 9 students 💪🎉
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) March 6, 2024
It's difficult at first but the students thrive on the challenge. We scaffold the learning process in our IGCSE Chemistry Unit 4: Organic Chemistry unit to start with memorising the first ten alkane names, then… pic.twitter.com/kgkNg0RpKQ
Pre-VCE Chemistry students at ✱ Kennedy College explore all 23 known and hypothesised states of matter, and all 8 types of colloids. 🧪
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) March 2, 2024
Each student then chooses a state of matter and brings it to life in a 30-second, 1-slide micro-presentation spoken individually to the whole… pic.twitter.com/t0BZ6g0ANQ
Updating the Kennedy College website this morning reminded me how proud I am of the students' achievements here. 🎉🥳
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) February 29, 2024
Our chemistry extension students, on the whole, excelled in everything they entered last year (2023). 🏆
Competitions reward tenacity, not participation.… pic.twitter.com/AJaTc8dUW6
VCE Chemistry students at ✱ Kennedy College made sustainable, plant-based biopolymers using potatoes this week.
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) February 24, 2024
Potatoes contain two types of starch: amylose and amylopectin. Students extracted and separated the two types of starch then polymerised the amylose fraction with a… pic.twitter.com/buqISsxeoa
Students at ✱ Kennedy College crushed 8 aspirin pills (C₉H₈O₄) and reacted them with sodium hydroxide solution to release salicylic acid (C₇H₆O₃).
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) February 22, 2024
They then added ethanol and an acid catalyst to re-esterify it into ethyl salicylate (C₉H₁₀O₃), which is yellow, viscous… pic.twitter.com/bkbHbFx39z
Here is a close-up view of some of the science experiments Kennedy College students have been doing in Term 1, 2024:
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) February 15, 2024
Testing marker inks and Skittles using chromatography 🌈🍬
Swabbing surfaces to compare their levels of microbial contamination 🦠🧫 pic.twitter.com/SvkGyne8u1
Happy New Year to the entire ✱ Kennedy College community. I hope everyone's feeling rejuvenated and buzzing with energy after the holidays. 😎😎
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) January 24, 2024
2023 was an epic year filled with so many incredible achievements from our dedicated, hardworking students 🏆 🏆
Now, let's rev up… pic.twitter.com/m6aSHzoVrc
Congratulations to ✱ Kennedy College students Nina, Leonard and Maggie, who won a Silver Award at the RACI Titration Competition 2023.
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) December 8, 2023
Nina and Leonard also won prizes at the Science Talent Search in 2023, and Maggie also won Silver in the RACI Chemistry and Art Competition… pic.twitter.com/nHpUarBLfW
"All the way from Melbourne" 🇦🇺🦘🦘
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) December 5, 2023
I'm looking forward to hosting the Saturday Social on December 16th at 11:00am GMT 🇬🇧 live right here on X Spaces.
Prepare questions and anecdotes and join the conversation. Or just listen in! https://t.co/Vq8RrR9dbC
Our students made short science videos, which we then compiled into a movie called Science at Home.
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) November 29, 2023
We were listed as a runner-up for the Royal Institution of Australia's SCINEMA International Science Film Festival. 🏅🎬
Congratulations to the six best video-makers who… pic.twitter.com/5Qywkv8zo9
👩🔬🧪 Exciting Monday evening at ✱ Kennedy College!
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) November 28, 2023
Our Pre-VCE Chemistry students successfully transformed aspirin into ethyl salicylate.
First, the students added a strong base to hydrolyse the aspirin into salicylic acid and ethanoic acid:
C₉H₈O₄ + H₂O → C₇H₆O₃ +… pic.twitter.com/9KmtNDpoVD
Students practiced pipetting 20 µL volumes this week at ✱ Kennedy College.
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) November 22, 2023
Their precision was outstanding. This hands-on experience not only hones their laboratory techniques but also instills a deeper understanding of the meticulous nature and careful precision of scientific… pic.twitter.com/Ly4UWzluqj
Year 8 and 9 students did gel electrophoresis this week at ✱ Kennedy College. They will use the results to identify the parents of two children using DNA fingerprinting.
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) November 22, 2023
There are so many discussion points! Why do the gels at the top run faster than the gels at the bottom? Why… pic.twitter.com/IxUFBkaiYb
Pre-VCE Chemistry students at ✱ Kennedy College conducted a titration experiment with HCl and Na₂CO₃ using tricky phenol red as the pH indicator. 🧪
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) November 18, 2023
The reaction:
Na₂CO₃(aq) + 2HCl(aq) → 2NaCl(aq) + H₂O(l) + CO₂(g)
Phenol red showed its unique colors: starting orange,… pic.twitter.com/0vmlRz0vsb
✱ Kennedy College entered 5 students into the Science Talent Search 2023, and their achievements were all outstanding! 🌟
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) November 14, 2023
🏆 MAJOR BURSARY for Kean's Patterns in Nature series of scientific photographs, where he photographed fractals in nature at different scales including… pic.twitter.com/2EqgQOo8bH
🤩 Year 9 students at ✱ Kennedy College explored electrochemistry this weekend by constructing three galvanic cells using Cu, Fe and Zn. 🌟
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) November 12, 2023
👩🔬 They started by predicting the potential difference between each pair of half-cells based on the electrochemical series in the VCE… pic.twitter.com/WGf0yiPfp3
We did it! Our IGCSE Chemistry students, most of whom are in Year 8, transformed aspirin pills into star anise flavouring today at ✱ Kennedy College using ethanol and a strong base. 🧪
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) November 5, 2023
First, the students added a strong base to hydrolyse the aspirin into salicylic acid and… pic.twitter.com/jXO3dOQrva
In the ever-evolving world of design, young talents often shine the brightest. Among these emerging stars is ✱ Jason Wonlee Kua, a talented Kennedy College student from who recently secured victory in the esteemed Australian Research Council's @Recarb_Hub Competition. 😁
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 31, 2023
It's a… pic.twitter.com/ONjqWWZADD
VCE Chemistry students at ✱ Kennedy College crafted biodiesels from canola oil, ethanol and a potassium hydroxide catalyst. 🧪
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 30, 2023
After separating the biodiesel from the glycerol/catalyst layer, we gauged its heat of combustion. 🔥
Using stopwatches and a slow-motion camera, we… pic.twitter.com/fMxbyADB1l
2023 has been an exciting year full of achievements for students at ✱ Kennedy College
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 27, 2023
STAV Science Talent Search 2023
🏆🏆🏆 3 Major Bursaries (top prizes)
🏅🏅 2 other prizes
ASI Big Science Competition 2023
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 6 High Distinctions
ASI Chemistry Olympiad 2023…
2023 has been an exciting year full of achievements for students at ✱ Kennedy College
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 27, 2023
STAV Science Talent Search 2023
🏆🏆🏆 3 Major Bursaries (top prizes)
🏅🏅 2 other prizes
ASI Big Science Competition 2023
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 6 High Distinctions
ASI Chemistry Olympiad 2023…
Congratulations to Elizabeth at ✱ Kennedy College, who came first 🥇 in her age group in the RACI Crystal Growing Competition 2023. 🙌🏻💎🏆🤩#chemistry #crystallography #STEM #Education #Melbourne #Australia pic.twitter.com/jKvD01Ydge
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 27, 2023
Two ✱ Kennedy College teams (all Year 11 students) achieved GOLD awards in the RACI Titration Competition 2023! 🥇🥇
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 25, 2023
I'm also very proud that one of our Year 10 teams won a SILVER award. 🥈🥈🥈
We practiced many times using solutions in the plastic bottles I kept from last… pic.twitter.com/g8kZXinAuU
I had the privilege of attending the University of Cambridge alumni annual dinner at @artscentremelb this month. 🍽️
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 24, 2023
The highlight was listening to @TimCostello.🎙️
Great speeches, great conversations with great company… and great food, of course.🌟😎
It's a pleasure to be a… pic.twitter.com/GOz5GZRQFR
🔬 Our VCE class at ✱ Kennedy College made biofuels using canola oil, two types of alcohols, and two different catalysts. This contributes to the search for sustainable energy solutions. 🌿
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 23, 2023
🧱 Jean Piaget's constructivist approach encourages students to construct their own… pic.twitter.com/HrF2w8KpXx
Congratulations to all the hard-working ✱ Kennedy College students for their achievements in the International Chemistry Quiz 2023!
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 19, 2023
🏆 20 students achieved High Distinctions
🏆 41 students achieved Distinctions
Here's a photo of just five of them.
They've worked hard for… pic.twitter.com/g1vqu45BCe
We continued @RoyalSocBio Biology Week by extracting the DNA from fruits in our Pre-VCE Biology course: kiwis, bananas, blueberries, and strawberries. 🧪
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 17, 2023
🍌 First, bananas. These are triploid fruits with three sets of chromosomes. Following the same process, DNA was successfully… pic.twitter.com/d0Sm57zIHG
✱ Kennedy College proudly participated in @RoyalSocBio Biology Week 2023 by building 3D DNA models yesterday🧬
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 15, 2023
Make sure it's a right-handed double-helix ✅
Make sure the nucleotides are paired correctly ✅
Make sure the nucleotide sequence comes from a real gene ✅
The… pic.twitter.com/W5Ltq2O2LX
Remember that Jason won the AM2D logo design competition in 2022 as well! Two years in a row!https://t.co/Vrf0WmHA5N pic.twitter.com/vxFgl8BDlI
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 12, 2023
I'm so proud of Jason from ✱ Kennedy College, who won the logo competition by Recarb Hub at Monash University. 🏆
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 11, 2023
Recarb Hub is a brand-new multi-million dollar research facility on Monash University's Clayton campus. Their goal is to turn atmospheric CO₂ into invaluable… pic.twitter.com/SN6y12cIia
I'm so proud of my students' achievements! 🤩🤩
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 9, 2023
Here's just one of the 5 images from Kean's science photography series called Patterns in Nature.
Kean photographed five fractals in nature at different scales and researched the science behind how they all form. This included… pic.twitter.com/Y6PcIzpwKc
✱ Kennedy College entered 5 students into the Science Talent Search 2023, and their achievements were all outstanding! 🌟
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 5, 2023
🏆 MAJOR BURSARY for Kean's Patterns in Nature series of scientific photographs, where he photographed fractals in nature at different scales including… pic.twitter.com/jEkEhUD04g
The ✱ Kennedy College excursion to BioEYES was amazing! Here are more photos 📷📷#STEM #Biology #Gratitude #Education pic.twitter.com/RgVD9oT3cu
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 4, 2023
✱ Kennedy College students visited BioEYES for an amazing genetics excursion at Monash University! 🙌
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) October 4, 2023
We had a learning session on genotypes, phenotypes and embryonic development, enriching our understanding of genetics. 🧬
But we didn't just stick to theory; we examined… pic.twitter.com/OB2PgFBKiu
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 🌕
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) September 30, 2023
中秋节快乐！🌕
9 years ago, I made a poster explaining the chemistry of mooncakes. From Maillard reactions to starch gelatinisation, it's amazing how much science goes into these treats!#MidAutumnFestival #Mooncakes #Throwback #STEM #Science… pic.twitter.com/jKBky214kt
Here are more photos of our amazing Kennedy college excursion at @MonashPharm this holiday. We are so grateful! 🏫📸
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) September 28, 2023
We used 3D molecular models, looked at stereoisomers, examined functional groups, and learned about slow-release meds. Enlightening! 💊
Special thanks to Helen… pic.twitter.com/qYYa9Awf2w
Had an incredible day visiting @MonashPharm in Parkville! The campus is a hub of innovation and learning. So grateful for the opportunity! 🏫
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) September 27, 2023
A huge shoutout to Helen for organising our visit and to David, our teacher, for bringing the subject to life. Thank you both! 🧪
We… pic.twitter.com/c4JwLBmhh9
I'm so proud of how well our Kennedy College students performed in the CSIRO Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge! 🎉
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) September 25, 2023
For most of the students, computational thinking isn't even their forté… but the students aced it anyway 🤩
Their hard work and dedication have truly paid… pic.twitter.com/HajAw3KwwO
I'm thrilled to announce the 20 brilliant minds from ✱ Kennedy College who achieved High Distinctions in the International Chemistry Quiz! 🎉👩🔬👨🔬
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) September 22, 2023
This isn't just a testament to their hard work, but also a reflection of our proud educational philosophy. At Kennedy College, we… pic.twitter.com/YXLMKJVB8n
Physics
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) September 16, 2023
is so pretty 🌈
I'm excited about VCE Physics Unit 1, which starts next term (Term 4, 2023) at Kennedy College ☺️
VCE Physics Unit 1 Area of Study 1: Light and Heat
We will learn about the electromagnetic spectrum, refraction, reflection and total internal reflection,… pic.twitter.com/fVOR5rxUct
Hot off the press! 🔥
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) September 14, 2023
My new VCE Chemistry textbook is out now!
for Units 3 and 4
of the 2024 study design
+ 180 explainer videos for OUP subscribers 🙃 pic.twitter.com/1UiDqEP4b8
We've been testing transpiration rates of plants under different conditions in Pre-VCE Biology Unit 2: Animal & Plant Physiology 🦍🍀
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) September 4, 2023
🔴🟢🔵 Bright RGB lighting arrays make a small difference to transpiration rates.
🔥🔦🔥 Heat lamps make a huge difference to transpiration… pic.twitter.com/WgA5N3L9sf
Hello, VCE Physics 🤩
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) August 31, 2023
Welcome to Kennedy College
Starts Term 4, 2023
Surrey Hills, Victoria 🇦🇺
🎨🖌️📏📐👨🏻💻
Enrol here: https://t.co/qMl6jW5Iob#VCE #STEM #Melbourne #Australia pic.twitter.com/0y35TOU87K
Congratulations to Jason at ✱ Kennedy College, who designed the winning logo for @Recarb_Hub, a new ARC-funded laboratory situated at @MonashUni Clayton Campus
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) August 29, 2023
We are very proud of you! 🎉🥳
See the logo here: https://t.co/dTwSWNAh94#design #logo #chemistry #Sustainability pic.twitter.com/Uk0iq2tBbU
RACI Chemistry and Art 2023 results are in!
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) August 28, 2023
Congratulations to two ✱ Kennedy College students:
Maggie for winning SILVER 🥈 in Australia
Kevin for winning BRONZE 🥉 in Australia
There were so many exceptional entries from highly talented students this year.#chemistry #STEAM… pic.twitter.com/LLSCtLIXmV
These are fascinating! 🤩
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) August 20, 2023
The 37 elements look great in this display case
with a tabletop stand
🧪👩🔬💎⭐️
Thank you, @SBattenResearch!
from Kennedy College 🤝🙏😃#chemistry #elementsets #STEM pic.twitter.com/m7ZTBQh6B8
Thank you to Julia for making cupcakes for Kennedy College’s second birthday!
— James Kennedy (@JamesKennedyEDU) August 15, 2023
Thank you also to Ella for making logo cookies!
Now, we just need to win gold in the @RACInational Titration Competition next week 💪🏆🙌
I have full confidence in our excellent teams of students! 😁 pic.twitter.com/HZKXYPH6uu
James Kennedy 