This year there are five steps involved in the award process:

• Step 1 – Prescribed activities – do one activity relating to each of the four strand units in the Science curriculum (a total of four). These can be Discover Primary Science (DPS) activities from the pack/website or your own ideas, or a mix of both
• Step 2 – Visit a DPS Discover Centre or invite a science speaker to your school
• Step 3 – Attend or hold a science event (e.g. a science day or evening in your school, a group from the school attending a science week event or the BT Young Scientist & Technology exhibition)
• Step 4 – Maths – give three examples of how you have integrated maths into your science work. This can include your own examples or the new maths extensions for DPS activities launched this year
• Step 5 – One activity relating to the Science Week 2010 theme – “Our Place in Space” – check out the PrimaryScience.ie website for some space activity ideas

If you have any queries, contact us at primaryscience[at]forfas[dot]ie. Remember that all log books must be with Discover Primary Science by close of business on 6 May 2011.

Vouchers for science equipment

This year Abbott Ireland will be sponsoring vouchers for science equipment for 60 randomly picked award-winning schools (minimum two schools per county in the Republic of Ireland). These vouchers will have to be redeemed by the end of October 2011.

Abbott is also partnering with Discover Science & Engineering to develop a new “At home” section on the PrimaryScience.ie website.

Abbott Ireland manufactures and markets a broad range of healthcare products including medical devices, and pharmaceutical, diagnostic and nutritional products. It is one of Ireland’s leading healthcare companies, employing almost 4,000 people.

DPS on Facebook

Check out Discover Primary Science’s new Facebook page and like us to become a fan – this page will be have updates throughout the year about science and maths related materials.

Kevin, from sixth class in Fermoyle National School, Lanesboro, invented a seatbelt clasp light for better car safety. His winning design is “a light which is situated in the push button of a seatbelt and will illuminate when the car lights are switched on to make it easier for the passengers to locate seat belt plugs in the dark”.

Minister Conor Lenihan at the prizewinning ceremony with Enda Brien, one of the young winners featured in the national media today

Kevin was presented with his award at the prize-giving ceremony in Kilkenny yesterday, by the Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Conor Lenihan.

The annual competition is sponsored by the Irish Patents Office and aims to encourage primary schoolchildren “to be innovative and creative in finding solutions to everyday problems”. This year there were more than 2,000 entries from 140 schools.

Some of the winners featured in today’s national newspapers, including the Irish Independent and Irish Times. Many of the entries will also be on display in McDonagh Junction Shopping Centre in Kilkenny for the next fortnight.

They include an “i-hat” (an iPod built into a hat), a navigator trolley for finding elusive supermarket products, and an automatic dog-feeder that allows owners to go on holiday without having to place their pet in a kennel.

1st to 3rd Class winners

• 1st place – Katie Walker (Scoil Mochua, Celbridge, Co Kildare), for a “swim watch” which counts the lengths you swim and time taken for each length
• 2nd – Evan Rossiter (St Columcille’s Senior National School, Knocklyon, Dublin) with a “two-in-one shoe” that can change from, for example, a runner to a hurling boot
• 3rd – Enda Brien (Kiltormer National School, Ballinsloe, Co Galway) for a portable DVD player for people with disabilities

4th to 6th Class winners

• 1st place – Ronan O’Connell (Scoil Mhainchin, Enistymon, Co Clare). His safety sensor in an electric cooker ring can detect if the ring is on but there has been no saucepan on it for 50 seconds, then automatically switches off
• 2nd – Morgan Hole (Scoil Bhride, Mountnugent, Co Cavan) for a lightweight, insulated compartment for bottled gas to stop it freezing during cold weather
• 3rd – Josh Kelly (St Mary’s Boys National School, Monaghan)  with his pressurised children’s stair gate which works on the same principal as a pedal bin

Local winners

The Co Kilkenny winners in the “Best Local Entries” category were:

• Roisin Coady (St Brigid’s NS, Coon) for a remote controlled electric silage pit cover
• Cathal Ryan (St Leonards NS, Dunamaggain) for a system of hinged flaps that hang under the eaves of a house to prevent birds from nesting

• Discover Primary Science activity, including the 26 March deadline for schools to register if they want to apply for an Award of Science and Maths Excellence
• Greenwave 2010 – what it is and why schools should join in
• Winners of the Maths Attack competition

Check out the web version of the Discover Primary Science eNewsletter

The Taoiseach's Awards

The centre began as a pilot project in May 2006, bringing 20 gifted primary school students from disadvantaged areas to special after-school classes at Dublin City University’s campus.

Since then, over 200 students between the ages of nine and 12 have attended the classes, which cover subjects including sports science, medicine and engineering.

The centre is a joint project by the Irish Centre for Talented Youth and DCU’s Access office and is financed by Discover Science & Engineering.

The Taoiseach’s Public Service Excellence Awards are open to all projects in the public sector. From a total of 208 entries, 20 projects were selected by an independent selection committee to receive an award.

Learn more

Visit the Irish Centre for Talented Youth’s website

Read more about the Taoiseach’s Awards

Part of the Discover Primary Science (DPS) programme, the awards acknowledge the efforts of primary school children and teachers across Ireland who have shown an increased knowledge of science and maths.

Last year, 512 primary schools won an award and it is hoped that this figure will increase in 2010.

Launched in 2004, the DPS programme has gone from strength to strength, with over 90% of all primary schools across the country registered to participate today.

The success of Discover Primary Science was also recognised as part of international review last year.  This year, an additional focus on maths will be incorporated into the programme in recognition of the importance of mathematics in teaching science.

Smart Economy

Fourth class pupils Chloe Judge (10) and Kelsey Muresan (11) at Gardiner Street National School in Dublin at the launch of the awards

Speaking at the launch,  the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Conor Lenihan, said: “Discover Primary Science is a key educational initiative in our goal to build a Smart Economy as the hands on approach of the programme ignites a passion for science and maths in the pupils who participate in it.

“The level of participation in Discover Primary Science is a testament to the fantastic science and maths education taking place across the country.

“It is very important that we build a foundation of young people who have a keen interest in science and mathematics as they will be the scientists, engineers, technologists and mathematicians of the future.”

Peter Brabazon, Programme Director, Discover Science & Engineering, said: “We are aiming to help Ireland become one of the top performers across Europe in maths.

“As a result we have put a strategic focus on incorporating maths into all our activities during the year in a bid to help young people improve their problem solving activities.

“There are lots of activities like building periscopes and paper helicopters which introduce mathematics concepts such as algebra and angles to primary school children to show them that learning maths can be fun.”

How to take part

Schools registered under the DPS programme applying for an Award of Science & Maths Excellence must keep a Discover Log, recording their science related work which must be submitted by 23 April 2010.

Credit is given for providing evidence of involvement in:

• One activity relating to each of the four strand units in the Science Curriculum (four activities in total)
• Visiting one of the Discover Primary Science accredited Discover Science Centres or inviting speakers to school to talk about science related topics
• Holding a science display day or event
• Giving three examples of how the participating school integrated maths into their science classroom activity

Key dates

The assessment of the Awards of Science & Maths Excellence process begins following the closing date for submissions on 23 April 2010.

Registered schools, who have submitted their intention to apply on the website by 26 March, will receive an application form in the mail, close to the submission date.

Learn more

Visit PrimaryScience.ie for more information on the awards and the DPS programme.

Check out more photos from the launch on the DSE Fickr page.

Discover Primary Science is a flagship project run by the Discover Science & Engineering (DSE) awareness programme, which also publishes this website, Science.ie

DSE’s objectives are to increase the numbers of students studying science, engineering and mathematics, to promote a positive attitude to careers in these fields and to foster a greater understanding of science and its value to Irish society.

The Discover Primary Science website

Learn more

Visit PrimaryScience.ie

Learn more about DSE

Find out more about the Golden Spiders

The fair will take place from Thursday 14 January to Saturday 16 January. It is open to fourth, fifth and sixth class pupils in the Republic of Ireland and Key Stage Two students in Northern Ireland.

To find out more about how your class can exhibit at the fair, check out the RDS Primary Science Fair website.

Closing date for entries is Friday 27 November 2009.

The allocation of the 100 stands is on a strictly first come, first served basis and teachers interested in entering their schools are strongly advised to contact the organisers as soon as possible by either emailing primarysciencefair[at]rds[dot]ie or phoning 01 2407990.