1. Science Week Photo Booth
Jointly Reported by:
Goh Jian Mayne Sr1ScB
Yee Sue Wei Sr1ScB
Foo Xin Yu Sr3ScB
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
The Photo Booth event is held all through-out the Kuen Cheng Science Week starting from 3/7/2023 to 8/7/2023 everyday during recess time at the lobby in Block A for all students and teachers to get their pictures taken.
The Photo Booth, an all time favourite event amongst the students and teachers of Kuen Cheng High School has made a comeback. This time was brought to us in conjunction with the 2023 Science Week. Members from the Western Calligraphy Club volunteered to help complete the backdrop for the photo booth during the holidays. The backdrop brimming with liveliness and replete with significance, served to encapsulate us in the nature of science and its place in nature. There were also various science themed props which had been prepared by the committee for the students to choose from.
The backdrop was meticulously designed to display the elements of biology
The array of bright-coloured props signifying the wonders of science
The much-awaited Science Week Photobooth kicked off with a resounding success. With a sharp ring of the bell that signals the start of recess, many students were seen immediately flooding the lobby, the excitement and the eagerness to have their picture taken could be seen, as a long line of students is formed within 5 minutes. The photographers had their equipment ready and were clicking away at their cameras, working hard to ensure the highest quality of photos.
Meet the committee behind the one-of-a-kind bicycle generator!
Students posing with their favoured props in hand
The photobooth came to a close as the final click of the camera signalled the end of a week’s worth of hard work for the photographers.
2. “The Illumination of Silhouettes” Science Week 2023 Opening Ceremony
Jointly Reported by:
Jr3S(3) Hwang Victoria
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
After the excruciatingly complex examinations, the long-awaited Science Week has finally arrived. During this special week (3 – 8/7), there were many activities, science experiments and interesting facts being unveiled on the grounds of Kuen Cheng High School. To officially announce the opening of Science Week, an opening ceremony was held on the 5th of July 2023.
As most ceremonies are played out, the Principal of Kuen Cheng High School, Madam Chua Lee Lee has been invited to give a speech in front of all the viewers. She said that she was truly proud of the hardworking committee who worked tirelessly to make sure the success of this week’s events. Besides that, Madam Chua happily advertised by encouraging everyone to visit the Science labs this week to participate in the many interesting activities. A round of applause was given at the end of her thoughtful yet sincere speech.
Principal Chua Lee Lee giving a speech
Next was the mastermind of it all, the President of the Science Week, Craig Ng from Sr2ScA coming up to the mic to give his speech. He expressed his gratitude to his committee members who have spent countless hours working on all of the events that were being planned for Science Week. He also mentioned the experiments and events that were being held, such as a photobooth and Science subject related experiments.
The most memorable part of this ceremony was when some members of the committee came up to perform experiments live on school grounds. They stood in an organized line and lit a bucket of bubbles on fire and passed it along to each other, until they finally put the roaring flame into a safe stand. Then, Principal Chua was given the honors to take the flame and light a banner on fire, which quickly revealed the theme of this year’s Science Week “The Illumination of Silhouettes”.
The Illumination of Silhouettes
Afterwards, a song was sung harmoniously by a group of students. It is an original piece made by the members of Kuen Cheng Science Week. The song truly gave out a mysterious vibe and yet caused a drive to want for more. Last but not least, a commemorative photo was taken to keep this precious memory alive and in the books.
Science Week 2023 Commemorative Photo
3. Delving into Lesser Known Scientific Facts with ‘Xiao Guang小广’
Jointly Reported by:
Emily Kuok Yee Han Jr2Z(2)
In conjunction with the annual science week, Kuen Cheng High School organised an activity entitled ‘Scientific Facts with Xiao Guang小广’ during the second recess on the 5th and 7th of July 2023.
The activity was held in the form of a lively Q&A session between two student-MCs, which was broadcasted live to the entire school. On both days, the students explored various scientific fun facts regarding encounters in our daily life, including the dangers of fire in the kitchen and the reasoning behind them, the main reason for cotton candy baking failures, and why unguided bombs in WWII caused more damage to factories and machines.
The MCs then reminded everyone to be more cautious at all times and listed out several methods everyone could use to prevent accidents in their homes and other surroundings. Finally, they concluded by explaining a great benefit of science, namely allowing us to explore limitless possibilities within a limited time and space.
As a whole, it was an enlightening experience for everyone, instilling in us not only the wonders of science, but also the importance of SAFETY FIRST!
4. Deep Dive into Science Week 2023: Interview with the Presidents of Science Week Committees
Jointly reported by:
Emily Kuok Yee Han Jr2Z(2)
Goh Jian Mayne Sr1ScB
Yee Sue Wei Sr1ScB
Photography by:
Yip Yi Shyan Sr1C
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
Inexpressibly groundbreaking and enlightening, Kuen Cheng High School Science Week 2023 proves itself to be one of the most memorable highlights of the year. In order to delve deeper into the workings behind this extraordinary event, the Kuen Cheng Newsletter Club organised an interview with three Presidents of the Science Week Committees, which consists of the following members:
– Craig Ng 黄湛哲, Sr2ScA
– Kai Er 邝恺儿, Sr2ScA
– Ke Ying 陈科颖, Sr2ScF
Meet the brilliant minds behind Kuen Cheng Science Week 2023, with Craig in the middle, Ke Ying on the left and Kai Er on the right
In fact, this Committee(s) was formed around November 2022. Craig, a founding member of the committee had already written a proposal and sent for approval from Madam Law Seok Mooi, Head of the Biology Department. The initial plan was to only organize a science experiment exhibition but in the end, the committee also took charge of the whole science week event. The Committee was, in principle, made up of students from the Senior Middle Two Science Classes and had approximately 300 members. There were a total of six different main topics which were allocated among the committee, which consisted of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Astronomy and Integrated Science.
Group photo of the committee
The main topics and different groups were allocated among the three presidents. Craig was in charge of Math, Physics, Integrated Science, activity group and general affairs group, Kai Er was in charge of Biology, celebrations group and finance group while Ke Ying was in charge of chemistry. In the beginning, the science exhibition event was supposed to include both classes of senior middle two and one, but due to certain circumstances, only senior middle two classes were considered. Members would have to fill in google sheets to pitch their ideas which would first be approved by the committee presidents and then by the teachers.
The theme of this year’s science week— ‘Foreshadowing’ references the everlasting mystery which shrouds the divide between truth and falsehood, thus allowing countless misconceptions to emerge through the depths of all that is unknown and uncertain. Hence, it reveals the intended purpose of the science week, which is to encourage students to plunge beneath the surface of things in order to discover the real truth behind them, as well as their every reasoning and pattern. In other words, the committee aimed to help the participants to discover the underlying principles behind various daily scientific facts, as well as the procedures of numerous scientific experiments.
The presidents highlighted that they intended for the science week to break new grounds by introducing fresh ideas that contrast with previous science weeks. For instance, the six activities that were organized this year were unparalleled. These comprise three larger-scale events: Simulated Crime Solving, STEM Knowledge Competition and Mini Games, and three smaller-scale activities: Phantoms of Bubble Fantasy, Bicycle Electricity Generator and Mysteries Beneath the Sand. The series of bursting activities painstakingly curated by the committee has received wide acclaim from all participants. On top of this, the ingenious approach of producing a theme song and shooting a series of trailer-like promo videos were also unprecedented.
The opening ceremony was a tremendous success, with the striking flame-passing ceremony that left the audience awestruck. It was mentioned that the torch-passing ceremony symbolizes the passing down of the essence of knowledge, in the hope that the intrinsic spirit of scientific inquiry would be ignited amongst the students, propelling them to never stop seeking the truth. The committee shared that they wanted something striking and eye-catching, hence the conceptualization of the flame-passing ritual.
The trailblazing flaming-passing ritual of the opening ceremony
The presidents also stated that they could hardly express their pride for the science week theme song as it was one of the most outstanding parts of the science week but it was also one of the hardest and most time-consuming things to produce. The committee had sought help from the music composing society and teachers from the music department to produce the song. There were many problems which arose during the production of the theme song. One such problem was that they did not have a proper set-up to record the singers and the recording quality of the phone was below standard. However, they eventually managed to record the best version after going at it for many hours in the auditorium. The presidents also stated that they felt reassured by the fact that many reliable people were working on the theme song and they were sure the final product would be stellar.
When it comes to preparing for momentous events such as this, challenges are undoubtedly inevitable. The greatest obstacle faced by the committee throughout their preparation for the science week was one of those most arduous and troubling to mankind—time. Due to several conflicting events such as the bustling exam season, their preparatory work was seriously delayed. Therefore, it was quite a hustle as they hastened to complete the necessary arrangements and developments for the event during the last few months. Thankfully, however, they managed to accomplish it all before the deadline, bringing us the science week that has been much enjoyed by students and teachers alike.
In terms of their most memorable part of organising this year’s science week, the presidents stated that it was returning to the school during the holidays to work on the preparatory work for the event. Although the process took considerably longer than they had expected, they still managed to persevere through all their hassles and complications and eventually succeeded in organising this tremendous event.
When asked about which of the many events they would deem the most successful, the presidents gladly asserted that it was the experiment exhibition. One of the things that they were most satisfied with was the fact that they had added various new and innovative elements which were not explored in the experiment exhibition of 2019’s science week. Other than that, they also stated that they were pleased with the ample preparations they had managed to carry out as they had worked on it for a considerable length of time. Yet most gratifying of all was the unprecedented amount of positive feedback they had received from the students. This in itself was a well-earned reward for all their efforts in organising this particular event.
The Biology experiment exhibition
The Astronomy exhibition
The Physics experiment exhibition
The Chemistry experiment exhibition
The flames used during the Chemistry experiment exhibition were given a thorough safety check by the teachers from the chemistry department. Other dangerous materials were also given safety checks by teachers before being used. The materials for the different activities were bought by the committee members themselves and certain specialized materials were purchased with the help of teachers. The total cost was around RM 10,000.
Highlights from the Chemistry experiment exhibition
The presidents also mentioned that one of the highlights was the bicycle electricity generator that started a cycling sensation. According to them, beneath the success were the endless problems that surfaced, with a lot of them demanding urgent changes in plans. During the event, they received feedback on the height of the bicycle being too short, and some of the tires even melted due to the use of candlelights. The preparation stage was also exceptionally challenging, with various skills of the members put to the test, such as coding and programming skills to utilize electromagnets as a switch controller, technical skills to assemble and install all the parts, with the addition of drilling and woodworking skills during the making of bicycle stands.
The bicycle electricity generator at a glance
A closer look at the intricate installations of the bicycle electricity generator
Throughout the whole event, we witnessed the committee springing into action and busy coordinating all the bustling activities to ensure everything runs smoothly. Addressing one of our questions, the presidents revealed that there had been many unforeseen circumstances unrolling throughout science week. These range from the unsuccessful attempt of cutting the banner during the opening ceremony, to the less-than-expected enthusiasm of students towards the photo booth, to the publicity team having to rush to finish all the posters.
The presidents also stated that they had received positive feedback and comments from all the students and teachers who had participated in the science week activities. They deeply appreciated the enthusiasm and interest the students had during the entirety of the science week. Some junior students had even stated that the activities during the science exhibition were really immersive and fun and that they didn’t get enough of it. The committee also believed that they successfully accomplished their aim of teaching students to analyze information and determine whether something was true or false as well as help them understand the procedures of various different science experiments.
For juniors aspiring to lead the science week committee next year, the key advice is to prioritize effective communication among committee members and teachers. They have learnt that teachers from different departments have varying approaches in managing affairs, so it is important to make sure every party is on the same page before carrying out the plans. Prior to this, teachers would approach potential candidates to lead the committee but it is encouraged that those who are interested should take the initiative and write a proposal to be presented to the Head of the Biology Department, Madam Law.
The end of things is always bittersweet. When asked how they felt as the last days of science week crept in, and all the activities had come to their finale, the committee expressed their wistfulness in witnessing the end of such a remarkable event. Time seemed to pass by quickly and it seemed unreal that their 7, 8 months of preparation had passed by in just a week. Craig even joked that he might shed a tear or two just then.
On a side note, the committee particularly expressed their immense appreciation and laudation to all the committee members. Indeed, the triumph of Science Week 2023 wouldn’t have been made possible without the effort of every committee member.
A joyous photograph with the committee marked the end of the insightful interview session. A huge thank you to the committee for being with us and we wish all of you the very best in your future endeavors!
A group photo of the members of the Kuen Cheng Newsletter Club with the science week committee members
5. A Series of MIND Games: Science Week Game Booths
Jointly reported by:
Foo Zhing Yee Sr2ScA
Ang Ann Gie Sr2ScE
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
On 8th July 2023, a group of sixty Senior Middle One Science students gathered in front of the school hall to participate in the Booth Games, organized as an activity related to Kuen Cheng High School Science Week 2023. By engaging students in these activities, they get to educate themselves through learning and playing at the same time.
The first booth held a fishing game. Participants are required to use a fishing rod tied with a magnet to “fish” the paper clip holding the question papers. When the magnet picks up the question, the player must answer according to the question number. Participants have 3 chances to “fish” the questions. Two questions must be answered correctly in order to win a stamp.
Fishing game
For the second booth, there are a total of three checkpoints. Participants have to knock down the cups with the catapults and answer questions to earn both basic points and knowledge points as much as possible before moving on to the subsequent checkpoint. After completing all the checkpoints, participants will then only win a stamp to continue their game for the next booth.
Catapulting the cups
The third booth requires participants to toss a marble into one of the cylinder pipes and if the marble managed to drop into a paper cup, participants only need to answer one question whereas two questions needed to be answered when none of the cups did the marble fell into. A box is provided for participants to pick their paper slips and answer the questions.
At the fourth booth, the participants are shown 3 categories of chemical symbols. They are then required to use those chemical symbols to form words. The game is separated into 2 levels. At the 1st level, participants can choose whichever symbol to form an English word. Moving onwards to the 2nd level, participants are then asked to pick at least 3 chemical symbols to form a word and they are asked to name out the chemical symbols used.
At the fifth booth, participants spin the wheel to decide which game they will play. There are in total 5 games available with each game varying in difficulty. Creative games like using clay to form element compounds, listing food chains in an ecosystem, using emojis to let participants learn about inheritance in families, using pictures to determine moon phases and letting a coin stand on paper were carefully prepared and served as the best part of the event.
Spin the wheel
Students were awarded keychains for participation. The first 3 students, Denise from Sr1ScE, Leanne from Sr1ScE and Gerald from Sr1ScB were the fastest to finish the games and were also given notebooks as gifts. The bell rang at 10 am, marking the end of the games. With that, participants went off for recess. We hope to have more fun activities like this in the future!
6. “Theory Without Practice is Empty”: 2023 Science Quiz
Jointly reported by:
Cayden Chan Wei Han Jr1Z(2)
Khoo Xin Yi Sr2ScA
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
5th of July 2023, the much anticipated date for the teams participating in the 2023 Science Quiz. The competition was held in conjunction with Kuen Cheng Science Week 2023, with an aim to test the students’ knowledge of science facts and further inculcate a spirit of scientific enquiry.
For the preliminary round, teams of 3 gathered outside in the hallway at the school’s MML labs. When seated, the students were briefed on the rules and regulations of the competition, and the quiz promptly began. It covered the subjects of Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Students had 1 hour and 15 minutes, from 3:35 p.m. to 4:50 p.m., to answer the quiz as a team.
A Team Discussing the Quiz
“We made a few of the questions especially difficult so that we can find students with the potential to go for science-related competitions and build up such a community within the school,” stated Tan Wei Han (Sr2ScA), the main organiser of the competition.
6 teams were selected for the finals, from Sr1ScA, Sr1ScD, Sr1ScE, Jr3Z(5), Jr3 and Jr3.
Advancing onto the finals, all Senior Middle One Science students were allowed to spectate the match, which was held on the 8th of July in the school hall from 8:00a.m. to 10:30a.m.. Joining the committee were three special guests, namely Chang Kian Yau, Tristan Chaang Tze Shen and Yap Yong Sheng, our alumni who are notable not only for their science studies but also remarkable academic achievements.
From Left to Right: Yap Yong Sheng, Chang Kian Yau, Tristan Chaang Tze Shen
After a quick briefing of the rules, the first session of the finals began with a Quick Answer Competition where participants had to raise their hand first in order to be selected to answer within a certain duration. There were 10 questions in total, each with different point values. The teams were allowed to use a “helpline” only once, from which they would be able to get help from one of the 3 guests. However, none of the teams ended up using their helpline.
Jr3Z(5) Team
“Practice without theory is blind. Theory without practice is empty.” A committee member quoted Immanuel Kant, right as the second session started.
Each team had to build a bridge out of specified materials, some of which would be given as basic resources, others being taken on a first-come-first-serve basis.
The criteria for the bridge was that it must be built across a 50cm gap and must be 15cm wide for a robotic car (provided by the Robotics Club) to pass through. Each group was given weights to determine how much weight their bridge could hold. Points would be given per 100g of weight added onto the robotic car passing through. If collapsed, no points would be awarded. They were only given 1 chance.
Bridge-making
Using materials like wooden chopsticks, straws, pasta, newspaper, tape, popsicle sticks, rubber bands and more, the teams got straight to work and finished their bridge within 40 minutes.
During the bridge-making, the guests were given memorabilia and took turns talking about their past experiences with science subjects and competitions.
The bridges were then tested one after the other, with the highest scoring team adding 700g weights.
“We should’ve placed more weights. Our bridge clearly can withstand much more than that.” stated one of the competitors, only realising the importance of pre-testing their product after the competition ended.
The marks were tallied and the results are as shown:
First place : Sr1ScA
Second place : Jr3Z(5)
Third place : Sr1ScE
Honourable mention : Jr3Z(6), Sr1ScB, Sr1ScD
Group Photo