Presentation Castleisland students were among the winners with four major awards in the STEM programme when the Munster Technology University Tralee SciFest announced its winners earlier this week.
Emma Buckley, Danielle Moriarty and Cara Fleming won the Boston Scientific Medical Devices Award for their project: Which Face Covering is the most Effective?
The girls’ project was deeply researched and informative on the different types of face coverings and the environmental impacts of incorrect disposing.
Data on Face Coverings
Their research referenced experiments carried out at Duke University. These students carried out their own experiment and surveyed their local community to gather data on just how knowledgeable we truly are on the topic of face coverings.
The results were most revealing, and this award recognised the high level of research and reporting achieved by the students.
Fiona Brosnan, Tara Enright and Joanna Moynihan are the proud recipients of The Merit Award.
This group of scientists explored the use of screen time for both educational and recreational use. They gathered their own background research before they developed their project.
They surveyed a range of students in different year groups to establish patterns of screen time among young people and identified the effects of screen time on them.
Following in-depth experimentation, the students presented their findings for both recreational and educational purposes.
Screen Time – The Effects
They identified how screen time use effected step count, blood pressure, productivity level, sleep, and happiness. The results are astounding.
Presentation Students also received awards for First and Second place in the Intimidate Physical Sciences Category Awards.
Abigail Martin and Daria Oliwniak picked up the prestigious award of first place for their investigation into coated and non-coated tablets.
These girls took essential scientific knowledge of acid and bases and the digestive system to design an experiment to mimic what happens when tablets reach the stomach and the small intestine.
They used everyday household supplies such as lemon juice, baking soda and Panadol as the chemicals for their project.
Science in Everyday Life
This approach highlights once again for our STEM students that Science is not just a school subject but is part of our everyday lives. The girl’s presented their findings in a clear and concise manner, using images, data tables and graphical presentations.
Danielle Moriarty, Cara Fleming and Emma Buckley also received second place in this category, due recognition for the high quality research and presentation of their work.
SciFest will provide trophies, plaques and other prizes to the students when they return to school in September.
STEM Collection of Awards
The STEM collection of awards for Presentation Castleisland is once again expanding.
Principal, Katherina Broderick congratulated the award winners for their tremendous achievement:
“I have seen the presentations and I found them to be really insightful, interesting and most impressive.
“The commitment to research and the high standard of the presentations of their scientific findings assures me that these students are well placed to have promising STEM careers if they choose to follow that path in the future,” said Ms Broderick and she also congratulated the school’s science teacher, Tracey Dooley for her leadership of STEM in the school.
“Ms. Dooley’s unstinting commitment ensured that the TY students gained this level of success in SciFest and other STEM programmes.
“These students will now represent Presentation Castleisland in the next stage of the competition, the National Final on November 19th,” said Ms. Broderick.
You can contact The Maine Valley Post on…Anyone in The Maine Valley Post catchment area who would like to send us news and captioned photographs for inclusion can send them to: jreidy@mainevalleypost.com Queries about advertising and any other matters regarding The Maine Valley Post can also be sent to that address or just ring: 087 23 59 467.
