Huge congratulations to our Senior Maths Team, who represented the school in the IMTA Team Maths Competition.
Students Kevin Iwanik, Fahim Ahmed, Jack Moran, and Ese Erhabor, along with their teacher Mr. Brennan, achieved an outstanding result by finishing joint second in the region. This is an impressive accomplishment in such a highly competitive competition. We are incredibly proud of the students’ hard work, dedication, and commitment. Well done to the entire team on this fantastic achievement!
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Students from St Mary's Academy CBS, Carlow enjoyed outstanding success at the Kinia Creative TechFest, held at Explorium in Dublin, securing top awards across multiple categories. The school's 1st year robotics team claimed the Robotics Award after impressing judges with their innovative project. The students transformed a standard workshop bench into an interactive robotic playing field, designing, building, and programming five robots. The robots competed in a series of exciting challenges, including a fast-paced soccer game and a sumo wrestling tournament. Team members included Davey Curran, Cayden Horan, Ruairi Kavanagh, Cillian O'Donoghue, James Sheehan and Calin Valicov.
St Mary's Academy CBS also took home the Sustainable Technology Award. Students T.J. Keating, Craig Power and Karol Szatkowski were recognised for their environmentally focused project of a self-powered automated garage designed to protect vehicles during extreme weather. Powered by falling rainwater, the system uses a movable platform to guide a parked car safely into the garage, offering protection during adverse conditions and severe flooding. The project stood out for its strong combination of sustainability, engineering skill and real-world application.
In addition to the team successes, Karol Szatkowski achieved individual recognition in the H2GP fastest lap competition. He recorded the fastest time of the day with an impressive lap of just 9.45 seconds in his hydrogen-powered car, earning top honours in a highly competitive field.
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Huge well done to our Junior students Muhammad Irshad, Siddharth Sharma and Emil Jaskula, who recently competed at the ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalists Finalists Awards with their project AQD 17 – The Air Quality Device. Their innovative eco health and wellbeing project focuses on improving indoor air quality. The device monitors CO₂ levels (ppm) using sensors and colour indicators, and automatically responds by mechanically opening windows when air quality drops, helping to improve ventilation and create a healthier indoor environment. We are incredibly proud of their creativity, hard work, and commitment to sustainability.
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Ms Mason, a science teacher at St. Mary’s Academy CBS, has been named one of four Irish educators to receive a prestigious grant as part of the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) 10-Year Anniversary celebration. This global initiative, which has reached over one million students across 16 countries, is dedicated to advancing biotechnology education.
To mark its 10th anniversary in Ireland, ABE awarded €20,000 in bursaries to four teachers, including Ms Mason, to enhance science education in their schools. Ms Mason will use the grant to establish an after-school genetics club the school, offering students hands-on learning in molecular biology and biotechnology.
Through ABE, students gain practical experience with professional-grade scientific equipment, bridging the gap between classroom theory and real-world scientific challenges. Ms Mason's project aims to inspire students and strengthen their interest in biotechnology, contributing to both the school and the wider ABE community.
Update December 2024: We are thrilled to share the fantastic news that Ms. Mason has been selected as one of only 12 educators to receive the prestigious Amgen Master Teacher Fellowship. This is a remarkable achievement and a well-deserved recognition of her dedication to advancing science education.
As part of this fellowship, Ms. Mason will develop an innovative genetics project and curriculum in collaboration with Teagasc, Ireland’s agriculture and food development authority. The project will involve her students, ensuring hands-on learning and fostering a deeper understanding of genetics. Once completed, the curriculum will be shared globally on LABXchange, a renowned online learning platform, enabling educators and students worldwide to benefit from her expertise.
Celebrating a Decade of Impact: ABE Ireland Awards Grants to Innovative Teachers
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Dr Martin Naughton, Sagar Sapkota, Carmel Naughton and Taoiseach Simon Harris pictured in Trinity Business School on Saturday the 12th of October.
We are extremely proud of Sagar Sapkota, a past pupil of St Mary's Academy CBS Carlow, who has been awarded a prestigious Naughton Foundation Scholarship worth €24,000. Sagar, who achieved an outstanding 625 points in his Leaving Certificate and worked very hard during his time at St. Mary's CBS, received the award at a ceremony on Saturday, October 12th, in the Trinity Business School in Dublin. The award was
presented by Dr. Martin Naughton, his wife Carmel, and Taoiseach Simon Harris.
Sagar’s who is now studying Mechatronic Engineering at Dublin City University, is an inspiration to all students at St. Mary’s CBS. His hard work and commitment show what is possible through perseverance and excellence. The Naughton Foundation, which has awarded over €6 million in scholarships to more than 450 exceptional students since 2008, recognizes the brightest talents in science, engineering, and technology across
Ireland.
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Our 2nd year students TJ Keating, Evan Glynn and Craig Power are showing incredible dedication and creativity as they prepare for the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSE). This prestigious event offers a platform for young innovators to showcase their projects and explore solutions to real-world challenges, and our students are rising to the occasion with enthusiasm and hard work.
This year, we are thrilled to collaborate with SETU, where students are receiving expert guidance from researchers and utilizing their state-of-the-art science laboratories to refine their project and continue to carry out hearing tests. The teamwork and collaboration among our students have been inspiring to watch. They are engaging in peer feedback, sharing resources, and learning from each other's strengths. These experiences are fostering critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a sense of camaraderie that goes beyond the classroom.
We wish all our participants the best as they put the finishing touches on their projects. Whether or not they bring home prizes, their passion and hard work are already a success worth celebrating!
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2021 Collaboration between 2nd year class group , Trinity College & the National College of Art and Design
"We were very impressed with the responses and we think your students are a very creative and observant group of young people"
Dr Kamila Kwasniewska
Research Fellow
Botany Department
School of Natural Sciences
‘The Lichen Art Citizen Science Project’
This project brought to life the connections between Science, Art and Poetry. Class 2H worked on a outstanding project and produced a wonderful piece of artwork which captures the imagination.
Lichen each Other - (2nd Year Student)
Soft, bushy, green is he
Helps the environment and even helps me
In love with the branch, together they bloom
Without each other, leads to its doom
Covering the branch, quite chaotic
What can I say, they are symbiotic
The branch, the book, the lichen, the colour
Together they complete one another
Shaped like saucers, textured like mushrooms
Some like it, while others hate fumes
Colonising conditions, soothing to severe
Living in clusters, gives insight on clean air
They are bio-indicators of hygiene in our little sphere