Ruth Freeman of Science Foundation Ireland with award-winning students.
Science students at the North Monastery Secondary School enjoyed a very successful 2016. They won a number of awards both regionally and nationally. One of these awards was given on their development of a prototype designed around the innovation of a smoke alarm system. This design subsequently won an Excellence in STEM award which was presented by Dr. Ruth Freeman (SFI) at the SciFest National Finals, in Dublin, November 2016.  The design required a good understanding of electronic circuits, coding and the ability to understand technical specifications from manufacturers’ datasheets. The students understood the technical requirements and were also able to solve the various technical issues that arose during the projects development. This ability to think for themselves and to develop appropriate problem solving strategies is the basis for developing expertise in the STEM subjects, specifically for Physics and Applied Mathematics . In addition, these subjects provide an excellent entry point to the world of Engineering and Scientific Research as careers when students pick their fifth year options for the Leaving Certificate. Teachers in the North Monastery are fully committed to enabling exploring minds and in furthering their interest and curiosity, in science, by providing extracurricular activities that allows students to develop an excellent grounding, in the subject.
Mr. K. Ruby and Mr. Murphy
