Vacancy List 1 of 2019: Promotion Posts

The above-mentioned vacancy list can be downloaded here. Closing date for applications is 18 July 2019.

Einstein's message to a bellboy in 1922

Although Happiness Day was on the 20th of March, this short video (4,25MB) from www.yourdost.com with Einstein's message to a bellboy has a profound message for all of us as well.

Coming from the great Einstein, it is worth thinking about what he said. We live in such a broken reality, attached to so many cosmetic influences, that it is no wonder so few people experience real happiness. What are you going to do about it?

Examination dates for May/June 2019

The final dates for the internal grade 10 to 12 examinations in May/June 2019, and the accompanying broadcast dates for IBP memo discussions are available here. There was a change in the grade 12 examination dates, and the IBP dates have changed as well. Check that you have the correct ones.

Technical science will be written on the same date as physical science in grades 10 and 11; in the case of grade 12 on the same date as physical science paper two.

2019 Eskom Expo for Young Scientists

The organisers of the 2019 Eskom Expo for Young Scientists in Welkom are ready to receive your registrations.

\\\\*** Take part in this exciting event! ***////

The Expo is scheduled for 23 and 24 August 2019. Closing date for taking part is 5 August 2019.

Click here to download a pdf file with all the detail. Pages 1 and 2 deal with organisational info, pages 3 to 6 give descriptions of the different categories, page 7 lists the categories and page 8 gives the dimensions of the display boards.

Examination dates: NSC 2019

(C) https://pixabay.com/p-308611

Are you looking for the dates of the NSC examination in October/ November 2019?




Click here to go to the calendar on this website for PhySci and TecSci dates. You can also click here to download the complete circular from the FSDoE.

Selection test for the ICHO: Lebogang Seseane

Today is a great day for Lebogang Seseane, a grade 11 learner of Akademia Secondary School in Brandfort. 

Lebogang has done well enough in last year's National Science Olympiad that he was shortlisted to take part in the selection test for the 51st International Chemistry Olympiad (ICHO). Those who qualify will DV take part in the ICHO that takes place in Paris (France) from 21 to 30 July 2019.

The selection test takes place today and we want to wish Lebogang all of the best. Thank you to Mr M Sello, Lebogang's physical science teacher, for the effort put in with preparations, organisation and other related matters. We are very proud of Mr Sello and Lebogang!

Mr M Sello and Lebogang Sesiane

PAT for Technical Sciences: Grade 12 for 2019

DBE has released this year's PAT for technical sciences. Please note it is for 2019.

Click here to download the Afrikaans version (Not available anymore).
Click here to download the English version (Not available anymore).

National diagnostic reports: NSC examination November 2018

The national diagnostic reports of the NSC examination of Nov 2018 are available on the NDBE website. 

You can also download the report in which physical science is addressed by clicking here; then follow further links.

Examination guidelines for teachers

No assessment requirements have changed. Hence, the previous versions of the examination guidelines for teachers are still in use. They are as follows:

• For physical science grade 12; the 2014 version
• For physical science grades 11 and 10; the 2015 versions
• For technical science grade 12; the 2018 version
• For technical science grades 11 and 10; nothing released by NDBE

To download the above-mentioned examination guidelines, go to this page and follow links from there.

Concerning the learner content documents (Examinable content/Eksamineerbare inhoud), the following:

• The documents are Free State documents.
• It is just an extract of the applicable content sections of the examination guidelines.
• They are not available on this website.
• It will DV be distributed in hard copy format to schools.
• An e-version will in due course be available via the teachers' private cloud space. Get the link from your subject adviser.

Take pride in your work and make a REAL difference

(C) https://pixabay.com/en/tiger-happy-euphoric-cat-nature-160601/

Look at this amazing video (see link below). It shows with great effect how one person can distinguish himself/herself from others by doing things slightly different; something small but with great results. Teachers, take this as an example and find things you can do differently to make you great in the eyes of your learners! Take them somewhere! Click here for the video.

(C) https://pixabay.com/en/leader-leadership-manager-team-2206099/

Physical Sciences: Start as soon as possible

Due to the huge volume of content in each of grades 10, 11 and 12, it is very important to start with the work as early as possible. 

The sequence of topics in these grades is the same as last year, as well as the duration per topic. Hence, use last year's work schedule to guide you for the first week or two, but do not print it. We are going to distribute a 2019 edition of the Free State Assessment Guidelines for physical sciences, with minor modifications from the 2018 edition. 

In due course, the 2019 edition will be available on this website (2018 edition is still available) and one hard copy will be distributed per school during the upcoming start-up meetings.

Congratulations from Premier and MEC: Matric resuls of 2018

Matric results of 2018

Congratulations to everybody who has done well in the final grade 12 examination of 2018.

NDBE has published four reports so far. It is available at the NDBE website, but you can also download it from here. Click each of the following links:

Technical report (4,3MB)
Examination report (21,5MB)
School performance report (26,0MB)
School subject report (7,1MB)

New Year 2019

Message for 2019: Please listen to science

Merry Christmas

The last newsletter of the year, number 2 of 2018, is available. It gives an interesting overview of the past year's activities. Click here to access it.

More than 200 000 pageviews

Thank you to all the readers of this website! 

It was a good feeling to observe that the number of pageviews exceeded 200 000 recently. Today it stood at 200 589.

Another interesting phenomenon is to see who the audience is. This picture shows where our readers are.

Best wishes and continue to enjoy hwscience.blogspot.com.

The amazing influence of drones and robots in Amazon's distribution centre

The future of deliveries will change completely when robots and drones are used more and more. The Wall Street Journal has recently published a very interesting article about Amazon's distribution centre in Baltimore, USA. 

The impact of human labour is getting less and less due to the amazing abilities of robots, drones, coding and computers. Is there a lesson in this for us in South Africa? We struggle so much with service delivery in general. Think water, electricity, delivery of your parcels and other mail, etc. Click here to go the page with interesting articles and follow the links from there. Alternatively, go straight from here to the article. You can read the original version here. In case it is not available, here is a printout of the article.

DBE, Siyavula and Sasol Inzalo Online Diagnostic Assessments

DBE, in partnership with Siyavula and the Sasol Inzalo Foundation, has developed an online platform for teacher diagnostic assessments in physical sciences (grades 10 to 12).

We have previously invited Free State teachers to take part in this, but now there is another opportunity to take part. Click here to read the circular from the DG of DBE, Mr H M Mweli, and click here to read the circular from the FSDE.

From these circulars you will see that:

• The assessments are focused on grade 10, 11 and 12 teachers.
• No data is needed for Vodacom and MTN subscribers.
• You can earn SACE professional development points (PDPs).
• The Free State has a target to reach until end of March 2019 and again for the end of March 2020.

What to do now? 

• Siyavula has asked for the contact details of all grade 10 to 12 physical science teachers.
• They will contact you by sms to enrol in the programme.
• Please use this opportunity for self-development as soon as you hear from Siyavula; it might even happen during the holidays. Best wishes and enjoy the experience!

Vacancy: Expo Provincial Coordinator (Northern Cape)

Somebody involved in Expo sent this to me. A vacancy exists for an Expo coordinator in the Northern Cape. Closing date is 19 December (I guess the 2017 is a typing error). Click here for more detail.