Congratulations to our ICC students Anthony, Zoe and Catherine for winning Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards in this year’s British Physics Olympiad.

Anthony Yang     Gold award

Zoe Zhang        Silver award

Catherine Ku      Bronze award

The British Physics Olympiad

The British Physics Olympiad Committee is composed of the university of Oxford, the Institute of Physics and the Odgen Trust. The office is located in the physics department of the university of Oxford. Since 2016, ASDAN China  has officially cooperated with the British Physics Olympiad organising committee..

The competition features a new type of question, which are proof based in order to expand students’ lateral thinking, and stimulate students’  potential in Physics. It is a very challenging competition.

Teacher

Physics is the most fundamental science and gives students a strong foundation for a range of careers from engineering to medicine. In our school the majority of students take Physics for IGCSE and A level. In addition to the regular classes, we have an academic extension programme.. For Physics, students learned additional content beyond the curriculum as well as deepened their understanding of basic concepts. They also had an opportunity to apply more advanced Mathematics knowledge in solving the competition-style problems. We focus on two main competitions: Physics Bowl (US) and British Physics Olympiad (UK) that students can take part in according to their future direction. This year grade 10 students performed well in the British Physics Olympiad Intermediate Challenge with Yang Siwei (Anthony) getting a Gold award which is given to the top 10% of students. Anthony has also been very active in promoting interest in Physics among the student population. With his friend Wade he gave a presentation to all boardersabout Nikola Tesla..

As a student I took part in a number of International Physics Olympiads and it was one of those that sparked my interest in Chinese culture, which is why I am teaching here now. I am glad to pass on my experience of such events to our students and very proud of Anthony’s achievement this year. I am impressed by his motivation and dedication to Physics and the example he sets for our students in setting high standards and challenging himself further. Zoe and Catherine also deserve mention and I am certain they will continue developing their potential.

“I strive to teach my students the habit of lifelong learning and push them outside the boundaries of exam curricula. In addition to academic competitions, I also focus on promoting interdisciplinary projects and establishing a Maker culture with activities such as Electronics, Robotics and 3D printing. A supportive environment where students are not afraid to take on big challenges is very important in developing the skills of creativity, teamwork and resilience.”

——Stanimir Rachev

Students

I like physics very much. This is my second favourite subject (after Mathematics). I have read many books and films and TV works related to physics. What inspires me most is Hawking’s book. At the same time, there are two films and TV works, The Theory of Everything and The Big Bang Theory. These make me more interested in physics. I haven’t won any similar award before. This is the first time. There is still a lot of room for improvement.

In primary school, I didn’t pay much attention to my science class, so my natural philosophy was very poor. In junior high school, I gradually found that physics is a very sacred subject, because its research covers a wide range from subatomic to galactic, from the smallest vibrating particles to supernovae, so I went deeper and deeper into this subject later. Junior high school teachers are very responsible, so I have made great progress in physics. I am very grateful to my junior middle school teachers. Their help has brought me great influence. When I was in high school, the physics teacher here was also very patient and responsible, and was an indispensable help for my progress.

——Anthony

Two days before the exam, we began to do the real exam questions. I think it is very important to discuss with each other under the pressure of time. Two other students in another class and I often discuss problems with each other and encourage each other. In my opinion, the competition is not about whether you have done a lot of exercises. Instead, you should lay a solid foundation and flexibly apply it to your daily life and explain some phenomena by yourself.

At ordinary times, I also like physics, and I often see some principles of it. For example, when I take a shower, there will be fog in the mirror. But one day when I don’t see the fog, I will do experiments to see whether it is affected by the temperature.

——Zoe

Parents

Anthony’s parent:

This physics prize confirms the progress you have made , but I think it means more！ It makes you believe a proverb deeply ”no pain, no gain!” we hope you be more confident! Be more self-discipline! Be yourself！

Zoe’s parent:

May 9 was a very happy day as we found out that she had won the certificate, thanks to the efforts made by her and her teachers. By participating in this contest, my child has enhanced her interest in physics. However, winning a prize does not mean that you have reached your goals and rest. Learning is Like a boat sailing against the current. We must forge ahead or be swept downstream. Humble and hard work can achieve better results.