The school has just completed the DPSM STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) National Excellence Award Programme. The DPSM STEM Excellence Award Programme is part of the Science Foundation Ireland Awards programme for schools. The Award is designed for schools that adopt a whole school approach to engaging students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Alongside the normal teaching objectives of the school curricula in these areas the school runs dedicated focus weeks on Science, Engineering and Mathematics. There are Science and Technology clubs available in the school as after school activities. During our open day the visiting children got many opportunities to sample the activities the boys have enjoyed throughout this school year. One of the most popular activities tried out by many visitors to the school was the Volcano making experiments set up by Second Class pupils – the smell of vinegar said it all on the day! The school collaborates with outside agencies and groups who specialise in the STEM areas. The children and their families were able to view items constructed during the whole school engineering construction week organised in the school this year. Science Week 2015/16 resulted in endeavours in the construction and programming of LEGO designs. Visitors to the school heard about and viewed photographs of one of the highlights of the year-long STEM programme that involved workshops for the pupils with past-pupil, Mr. Niall Leahy, Engineer and Mr. Hugh Smiddy, Head of Business Development at the Tyndall Institute at University College Cork.
Midleton CBS Primary School Finalists in the National Scratch Computer Programming Competition 2016
Pupils from Midleton CBS Primary School have qualified for the Scratch Computer Programming National Finals later this month. “The Game of Space” created by First Class pupils, Bradley O’Brien and Caelum Evans, has been selected to proceed to the Scratch Competition National finals on Thursday 28th of April 2016. The Scratch Competition National Finals will take place in the RDS Main Arena, Dublin. Lero – the Irish Software Engineering Research CentreSince 2007 Lero – the Irish Software Engineering Research Centre has run an Education and Outreach Program to encourage students to discover and learn about computing and software development. Midleton CBS Primary School teachers, Mr. Eoghan Riordan and Miss Michelle Martin have been using “Scratch” materials for the last three years to support pupils at Midleton CBS Primary to learn this visual programming language that makes it easy to create interactive stories, animations, games, music and art and to share these creations on the web. DPSM STEM Excellence Award ProgrammeThe school has prepared entries for the National Competitions over the last three years and all at Midleton CBS Primary School were thrilled at the wonderful achievement of the teachers and their students who have qualified for the national finals. Every best wish to the young technologists Bradley and Caelum as they present their design work to the adjudicators, students and teachers from all over Ireland and the general public on April 27th at the RDS Dublin. 1916-2016 CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS Cuimhnigh, Smaoinigh, Samhlaigh 2016 is a very important year in the history of Ireland. This year we mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising, a key moment on Ireland’s path to independence. Proclamation Day – Lá an Fhorógra – Tuesday March 15th 2016 was a moment designated by the Government of Ireland when every school in the country began the day by reading the 1916 Proclamation. Sixth Class students, Kyle Sigerson and Michal Banach read the 1916 Proclamation for the Midleton CBS school community and invited guests. The 1916 Centenary programme is an invitation to everyone, of all ages, to join in a year of commemoration, conversation and exploration. During recent months the pupils at Midleton CBS Primary School studied the 1916 Proclamation. Gregory Troy (Sixth Class) accepted a special commemorative copy of the Proclamation and read part of it with members of the Defence Forces when they visited the school as part of the preparation for the Centenary Celebrations. All the classes then went on to write thirteen new Proclamations for Generation 2016. The new proclamations were presented in a souvenir booklet given to the guests and the pupils on Proclamation Day. The Proclamations for Generation 2016 are still on display in the school hall and they share with us the values, ideas and hopes expressed by our pupils during this special year. The National Flag, was presented, by the Irish Defence Forces, to Midleton CBS Primary School during Term One. On that day, the flag was accepted on behalf of the school, by three First Class pupils – Arun Covaci, Noah Hegarty and Shane Buckley. The National Flag was hoisted on Proclamation Day by Mark Stack, a pupil in First Class and the great grand nephew of Austin Stack (1879-1929). He was assisted by Mr. Michael Ryan, Chairperson of the Board of Management and Mrs. Mary Cunningham, Príomhoide. The children shared their many talents throughout the ceremony. The National Anthem was played on tinwhistles by the pupils of Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Class. Once the National Flag was hoisted, every child in the school sang Amhrán na bhFiann. Diarmuid Murphy, Fifth Class, charmed the gathering by reading the poem, he had written called “Signatories of the Proclamation”. The guests, including a large number of parents, enjoyed a concert of song, dance and poetry and then viewed the extensive 1916-2016 Exhibition of work completed by the students. A large model of the GPO, hand-made by Third Class, was at the heart of the exhibition. A 1916 tenement room constructed by the First Classes drew much interest as did the superb projects, stories, art work, model ships and multi-media displays presented by the children at every level of the school. Also on display were the completed Souvenir 1916 Study Books presented to every child – Third to Sixth Class – by the Board of Management in conjunction with the Midleton CBS Past Pupils’ Union. Following the morning ceremony, concert and opening of the exhibition the pupils retired to their classrooms to enjoy a special 1916 Table Quiz for the seniors and 1916 Bingo for the junior pupils. Early afternoon saw the entire school assemble in the playground to take part in a monster sing along followed by a Céilí Mór Flash Mob when everyone danced the Siege of Ennis!! It was surely an extraordinary day – an historic day – a day to remember. Engineering Week took place this year from 28th February – 5th March. This week gave the children an insight into the wonderful world of engineering. Engineering Week followed our very successful Science Week event which took place during the first term.
All classes participated in the Engineering Week project challenge. Some of the amazing projects created included; rockets, parachutes, catapults, bridges, cars, a medieval round tower, a playground, windmills and green machines. Both pupils and staff worked with determination to plan, design, create and display these incredible projects. An exhibition of the projects in the hall allowed all pupils to explore the engineering work. Representatives from each class presented, explained and demonstrated their projects to the visiting classes. Therefore the children learned about the processes that were involved in the creation of each project while also being able to ask any questions that they had. All of the boys were fascinated with the work of their fellow pupils and the atmosphere in the hall was inspiring! Engineering week also facilitated the visit of two local engineers. All classes had the opportunity to learn about engineering from people working directly in the field of engineering. The classes learned about all the different types of engineering and how some form of engineering affects mostly everything in our daily lives. Interactive activities ensured the children actively engaged with the engineers and each other, while exploring engineering in the world around us. Thanks again to our generous visiting engineers! Engineering Week 2016 was a great success in Midleton CBS Primary! |