Dear Parent, 15/6/’23
I am delighted to announce that the school has won the Sentinus Challenge at the S.T.E.M experience day in Craigavon yesterday. This was led by a group of four P.7.s who represented the school at the challenge. They had to compete against 25 other schools across Northern Ireland and won first place. The winning design was designed by Blaithin, Sorcha, Michael and Matthew. The challenge requires the children to not have any insight into what they must design. At the event, all children were given a set of criteria to fulfil.
The children had to design a motorised vehicle to carry the spilled contents of a lorry down a motorway. Our children built a tractor. This involved designing a motor, adding two sets of wheels and attaching this to a cardboard frame. The aim was to ensure that the marbles (i.e. the load) would not fall off.
This involved the children understanding the concepts of electricity for creating the power, being able to measure to the correct size of cardboard to design the tractor and understand how axels operate for the wheels. The aim was to ensure that the vehicle worked, travelled 3 metres and carried all 5 marbles without losing its load.
We want to thank each of the children who represented the school so well. They did this on behalf of the entire P.7. class. This was the culmination of work that Mrs. Toal has led in her tutelage of S.T.E.M. initiatives. It has been building over the years and her legacy is now very evident. The children learn all the basic concepts of design, movement, materials etc. in class that were involved in their thinking yesterday. To Mrs. Toal, we are greatly indebted. Her hard work which takes place week on week with the P.6. and P.7. classes is much appreciated. The skills and concepts of science that children learn will carry on with them into school and indeed into life and the workplace.
As always, I say to the children, before any of them embark on a school trip that they need to carry themselves with pride, decorum and manners and that they need to bear in mind that they are wearing the school’s uniform. In other words, they are the school’s representatives. I wish to congratulate this group who represented themselves, their families and the school so well. We are all very proud of them.
My Best Wishes,
Ms. O’Neill.
Menu
