On Tuesday 14th  March,  Marchwood Junior School held a ‘Science Day’ as part of National Science Week.

Lasting all day, the school buzzed with excitement as children, parents, staff and governors enjoyed a wide range of  science activities which included: a ‘Science Fayre’ in the Main Hall - a wide range of ‘stalls’ and activities which all could visit -  from ‘Finding out about Shadows’ to ‘Make a Kaleidoscope’, ‘Lava Lamps’, ‘Reaction Tests’, ‘Dental Health’, ‘Magnetic Games’ and ‘Magnetic Fishing’   
 
Also in the Main Hall was Parent/Governor Paul Curtis ‘on loan’ for the day from Philips Semi-Conductors, demonstrating the complexities of plasma TV and silicon chips and Parent Mark Biffin with BT electrical fault finding equipment.

 All day in the school’s Science Hut, (a dedicated science classroom), was Monica Cadden and Her Reptiles. Monica gave half-hour lectures throughout the day with opportunities to handle the snakes and lizards, a personal challenge for many children and adults!

All day in the school’s Drama Studio was Phil Hamilton with his amazing collection of Invertebrates which included a scorpion and a tarantula. Again, Phil gave half-hour talks and an opportunity to ‘look at’ his menagerie.

 Outside in the school’s ‘Science Garden’ the parent-run Gardening Club organised a range of outside environment based activities including a ‘Giant Worm Hunt’  and a sunflower planting competition - giant worm hunting!)

Organiser, the school’s Deputy Head and Science Manager, Evelyn Denison, said “For the whole day there was a real buzz of excitement and discovery in the air as children and adults found that science could be fun and educational at the same time.”

Headteacher , Steve Bassett, commented, “It was a brilliant day! 
Everyone was engrossed from 9 o’clock to 3.30 and everyone learnt something new, including me.

I’m now the proud and amazed owner of a tiny micro chip which apparently consists of 30 million transistors - and it’s only 1/4 of an inch square! ”