Published on: 15 November 2013


Six Christ Church students have been selected to participate in select Olympiad Summer Schools during December and January. The boys were invited to attend after their outstanding performances in their respective qualifying examinations in Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Informatics.

In August, more than 3,000 students sat the Australian Science Olympiad Exams in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Richard Tien (Year 11), who received a Distinction for Physics and a High Distinction for Chemistry, qualified for the Chemistry Summer School while Nicholas Lim (Year 11), who received High Distinctions in both Chemistry and Physics, qualified for both and has chosen to attend the Physics Summer School.

The boys will join 70 of Australia’s most talented science students at an intensive residential program at Monash University in January. It is from these summer schools that students earn a spot at representing Australia at the International Science Olympiads.

The following Year 11 boys also sat the Science Olympiad Exams and received awards: James Weight (Distinction for Biology), Aaryen Mall (Distinction for Chemistry), Brandon Afiat (Distinction for Chemistry) and Christopher Popovic (Distinction for Chemistry and Physics).

Head of Mathematics Jan Honnens said the Australian Mathematics Trust co-ordinated the selection and training of students aiming to make the national teams for International Mathematics Olympiad and the International Olympiad in Informatics. “About 25 of the top achieving students in each area are invited to attend of the summer schools as part of that selection process,” Mr Honnens said.

Nicholas Pizzino (Year 9) and Leo Li (Year 9) have been invited to attend the Mathematics Summer School in Melbourne in the forthcoming holidays after receiving high distinctions in the four-hour long Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad in August.

Devin He (Year 9) and Samuel Thompson (Year 10) were selected to participate in the Informatics Summer School in Canberra after receiving silver medals in the three-hour long Australian Informatics Olympiad in September.