05 Dec 2016
Congratulations tp the HHS Forensics Team
On Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 November 2016, the Year 9 Sutherland Shire Interschool Forensic Science Competition was held for 11 Shire High Schools. Teams from all schools participated in this challenge across the two days. Lara Newton, Chloe Wiltshire, Scott Wilkes, Max Kypriotis, Ethan Lehn, Ben Spowart and Andrew Armstrong from Year 9 competed at the Tuesday event at Lucas Heights Community School Venue against Engadine, Menai, Port Hacking and two teams from Lucas Heights Community School.
This is a long running Forensic Science Competition and involves solving a real life murder. Students from around the globe participate in this competition including the UK and Singapore and the scores are recorded.
Our students were given a murder case which took UK Forensic Experts and Police three days to solve and our students were given five hours. The students had to take on roles and learn a skill set for that particular role including Lead Detective, Detective, Chief Inspector, Lead Forensic, Analyst and Forensic Specialist. The students needed to learn skills under time restrictions and then take this skill back to their team. The goal of this challenge was for a team to have speed, accuracy and precision for the full 5 hours.
The process was designed to be extremely difficult and place our students under constant pressure and strict time limits. For example, our team were given 7 DNA samples which they had to individually pipette into a DNA tray as a team in a very short time period and they were not permitted to make any mistakes or they lost points. Imagine trying to hold a DNA pipette extremely steady to transfer the DNA to the DNA processing tray without missing or piercing the DNA Gel when your team is watching you and the clock is ticking. Our students finished first and placed first in this activity for accuracy and precision.
Our team was also given 45 minutes to identify suspects and then make requests for specific evidence about these suspects such as witness statements, finger print information and alibis. If they were on the wrong track they wasted valuable time. At one stage the table they were working on was absolutely covered in paperwork and information and as a team they had to keep it in order or risk missing vital clues.
The Heathcote Team had superior team work. During the 5 hours of intense pressure at no stage did they lose focus they just kept on task and encouraged each other to get it done. Menai High School was very strong but our team applied lots of pressure to them.
After an absolutely impressive performance I am very pleased to advise that Heathcote High School was the silver medallist to Menai High by a mere 160 points. Ben Spowart who participated with one of the Lucas Heights Teams was a Bronze Medalist.
To put our team's result of over 220,000 points into the global context of this competition, the organisers confirmed they were the closest competition in 13 years to come anywhere close to breaking the record set by a UK High School in 2003 and they missed out be a mere 2000 points.
This competition was tough mentally and physically and our team should be extremely proud of their efforts and deserve our congratulations for this outstanding performance.
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