Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM)
The school places great emphasis on the STEM subjects and on providing pupils with high quality learner experiences within this domain, that will in turn lead to improved learner outcomes across the STEM subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. We participate in the 'Curious Minds' (formerly Discover Primary Science and Maths) initiative on an annual basis and we endeavour to open up meaningful lines of integration between the different areas of this initiative as we work towards achieving a Curious Minds award on an annual basis. The 'Curious Minds' initiative is co-ordinated at school level by Principal, Mr. Barry Whelan and he takes overall responsibility for coordination of the 'Science', 'Engineering' and 'Maths' elements of the programme. The 'Technology' element of the Curious Minds initiative is coordinated by Deputy Principal, Mr. Johnny Watson.
Curious Minds 2025-2026
We applied for our third Curious Minds Platinum award in the school year 2025-2026. This is the highest level of Curious Minds award. We were delighted to be awarded our third consecutive Platinum Award In May 2026. Click the button below to access the 'Log of Evidence' that we submitted as part of our Platinum award submission. N.B For optimal viewing, click 'SLIDESHOW' in the top right hand corner.
Feedback on our Curious Minds Platinum Awards Submission 2025-2026
Well done to all the learners in Scoil Fionntáin Naofa, Shanahoe for your great work in STEM this year. It is great to see the learners engaging in practical activities to support the natural environment and biodiversity in the school grounds.
I was very impressed with your work on Technology and the different learning opportunities for coding and even VEX robotics. I was also impressed with the engineering activities, from a chair for your teddies to marble runs and suspension bridges. It’s a great idea to keep a journal to record all your engineering tasks and activities. Well done on your STEM open evening to showcase all the wonderful work in your school this year.
It is clear that there was a development of skills and learning opportunities in Technology and promotion of positive dispositions towards coding and technology as outlined in your Pre- Platinum Aims. It is clear from your pre and post data collections that the pupils grew in confidence in their coding skills along with team work, creativity and problem solving. Pupils also saw the importance of coding in their everyday lives. The reflections from the teachers also outlined how coding supported learning across multiple subject areas. Parents also noted the growth in problem solving skills and how this also promoted team work.
Well done to everyone in Scoil Fionntáin Noafa for all your hard work across the year in STEM. Congratulations on receiving a Research Ireland Curious Minds Platinum Award.
I was very impressed with your work on Technology and the different learning opportunities for coding and even VEX robotics. I was also impressed with the engineering activities, from a chair for your teddies to marble runs and suspension bridges. It’s a great idea to keep a journal to record all your engineering tasks and activities. Well done on your STEM open evening to showcase all the wonderful work in your school this year.
It is clear that there was a development of skills and learning opportunities in Technology and promotion of positive dispositions towards coding and technology as outlined in your Pre- Platinum Aims. It is clear from your pre and post data collections that the pupils grew in confidence in their coding skills along with team work, creativity and problem solving. Pupils also saw the importance of coding in their everyday lives. The reflections from the teachers also outlined how coding supported learning across multiple subject areas. Parents also noted the growth in problem solving skills and how this also promoted team work.
Well done to everyone in Scoil Fionntáin Noafa for all your hard work across the year in STEM. Congratulations on receiving a Research Ireland Curious Minds Platinum Award.
Curious Minds 2024-2025
We applied for our second Curious Minds Platinum award in the school year 2024-2025. This is the highest level of Curious Minds award. We were delighted to be awarded our second Platinum Award in May 2025. Click the button below to access the 'Log of Evidence' that we submitted as part of our Platinum award submission. N.B For optimal viewing, click 'SLIDESHOW' in the top right hand corner.
Feedback on our Curious Minds Platinum Awards Submission 2024-2025
Congratulations to all in Scoil Fionntáin Naofa, Shanahoe, Co Laois - it has been a privilege to assess your submission and award you the Research Ireland Curious Minds Platinum Award. This was an extraordinary piece of work that required the whole school community to bring to fruition.
To the learners - the photos show just how much you enjoyed the learning and exploring experiences throughout the year. You are so lucky to have such a beautiful learning environment. It is obvious how you appreciate it as you are all so willing to promote and develop it with your gardening and maintenance skills - replacing herbicide use with weeding is so much harder and yet you seem to thoroughly enjoy the task. Your new pond will give you plenty of opportunities to have generations of tadpoles as well as insects and plants. It's always good when a school develops links with their community outside the school and your pairing with the Men's Shed had advantages for both of you- some lovely bird and bat boxes. Your involvement with the Crocus Project is an indication that you consider the world outside Shanahoe - a truly admirable quality. I did not know Laois was only county that not only did not touch the sea but was bordered by counties that also have no coastlines. So you must have enjoyed the opportunity to visit Dun Laoghaire and learn skills that will be of huge advantage to you in the future - water safety, as well as benefitting from exploration of that natural environment with beach combing.
I compliment Mr Whelan on his dedication to the task. The instructional posters around the schools, the array of photos of the activities, the termly surveys of the progress of the project and their analysis all were excellent. He could not of course have organised the range of activities without whole-hearted support of all the staff - so my compliments to the whole staff on your dedication, cooperation and teamwork. Your practice of encouraging playful learning opportunities while also challenging your learners is an example of "what school should be like".
Congratulations to all in Scoil Fionntáin Naofa, Shanahoe, Co Laois - it has been a privilege to assess your submission and award you the Research Ireland Curious Minds Platinum Award. This was an extraordinary piece of work that required the whole school community to bring to fruition.
To the learners - the photos show just how much you enjoyed the learning and exploring experiences throughout the year. You are so lucky to have such a beautiful learning environment. It is obvious how you appreciate it as you are all so willing to promote and develop it with your gardening and maintenance skills - replacing herbicide use with weeding is so much harder and yet you seem to thoroughly enjoy the task. Your new pond will give you plenty of opportunities to have generations of tadpoles as well as insects and plants. It's always good when a school develops links with their community outside the school and your pairing with the Men's Shed had advantages for both of you- some lovely bird and bat boxes. Your involvement with the Crocus Project is an indication that you consider the world outside Shanahoe - a truly admirable quality. I did not know Laois was only county that not only did not touch the sea but was bordered by counties that also have no coastlines. So you must have enjoyed the opportunity to visit Dun Laoghaire and learn skills that will be of huge advantage to you in the future - water safety, as well as benefitting from exploration of that natural environment with beach combing.
I compliment Mr Whelan on his dedication to the task. The instructional posters around the schools, the array of photos of the activities, the termly surveys of the progress of the project and their analysis all were excellent. He could not of course have organised the range of activities without whole-hearted support of all the staff - so my compliments to the whole staff on your dedication, cooperation and teamwork. Your practice of encouraging playful learning opportunities while also challenging your learners is an example of "what school should be like".
Curious Minds Platinum Award for the school year 2024-2025
Curious Minds 2023-2024
We applied for a Curious Minds Platinum award in the school year 2023-2024. This is the highest level of Curious Minds award. It was our first year to apply for the award and we were delighted to be successful in achieving it. Click the button below to access the 'Log of Evidence' that we submitted as part of our Platinum award submission. N.B For optimal viewing, click 'SLIDESHOW' in the top right hand corner.
We applied for a Curious Minds Platinum award in the school year 2023-2024. This is the highest level of Curious Minds award. It was our first year to apply for the award and we were delighted to be successful in achieving it. Click the button below to access the 'Log of Evidence' that we submitted as part of our Platinum award submission. N.B For optimal viewing, click 'SLIDESHOW' in the top right hand corner.
Feedback on our Curious Minds Platinum Awards Submission 2023-2024
'Congratulations to you all in Scoil Fionntáin Naofa on achieving the Platinum Award 2024. You have done a tremendous amount of work throughout the school, well done exploring everything from Moth traps to biodiversity maps, sowing lettuce and scallions to card games. Good to see too that you are not fair-weather environmetalists but can brave the frosty weather for outdoor activities.
It was a great idea to survey your community initially so that your project could be focused. It was also worthwhile to use the project for the continued development of your IT infrastructure, to embed practice and to make better use of the resources that were already in the school. Making IT part of the bigger curricular picture in school meant it became more meaningful across the curriculum. And you certainly accomplished that as is indicated in your feedback on how STEM has impacted – a lot of work for staff but well worth it as it establishes and improves collegiality and work practice.
The feedback from parents indicates that they have seen positive changes in their children’s attitudes and practice.Most importantly the Learners engaged in many activities and gleaned both enjoyment and learning from them. This was clearly indicated in the wonderful display in your Log of Evidence and the very positive feedback from the Leaners. Keep up the good work – Go néirí libh'
'Congratulations to you all in Scoil Fionntáin Naofa on achieving the Platinum Award 2024. You have done a tremendous amount of work throughout the school, well done exploring everything from Moth traps to biodiversity maps, sowing lettuce and scallions to card games. Good to see too that you are not fair-weather environmetalists but can brave the frosty weather for outdoor activities.
It was a great idea to survey your community initially so that your project could be focused. It was also worthwhile to use the project for the continued development of your IT infrastructure, to embed practice and to make better use of the resources that were already in the school. Making IT part of the bigger curricular picture in school meant it became more meaningful across the curriculum. And you certainly accomplished that as is indicated in your feedback on how STEM has impacted – a lot of work for staff but well worth it as it establishes and improves collegiality and work practice.
The feedback from parents indicates that they have seen positive changes in their children’s attitudes and practice.Most importantly the Learners engaged in many activities and gleaned both enjoyment and learning from them. This was clearly indicated in the wonderful display in your Log of Evidence and the very positive feedback from the Leaners. Keep up the good work – Go néirí libh'
Our Curious Minds Show & Tell in March 2024
Curious Minds 2022-2023
'Log of Evidence' for our Gold Award Application
(Please click each of the tabs below to access work completed in that area of STEM and 'Show and Tell' as outlined in the different sections of the 'Log of Evidence', that we submitted as part of our application for a Gold Award in 2022-2023)
We were delighted to be awarded a 'Curious Minds' Gold Award for our work across the STEM subjects in 2022-2023
Feedback on our Curious Minds Gold Award Submission 2022-2023
'Congratulations to the teachers and learners in Scoil Fionntáin Naofa. You have earned an SFI Curious Minds Gold Award for a very good year's work. You have shown a wide and varied range of STEM activities.
It is nice to see samples of the learners work on their investigations. The practical research work done using technology is good to link different aspects of the curriculum. The Showcase seems to have been a great success. It is good to see so many learners presenting work. Well done to everybody involved and keep up the great work'
'Congratulations to the teachers and learners in Scoil Fionntáin Naofa. You have earned an SFI Curious Minds Gold Award for a very good year's work. You have shown a wide and varied range of STEM activities.
It is nice to see samples of the learners work on their investigations. The practical research work done using technology is good to link different aspects of the curriculum. The Showcase seems to have been a great success. It is good to see so many learners presenting work. Well done to everybody involved and keep up the great work'
Discover Primary Science and Maths 2021-2022
Please click the tabs/buttons below for the presentations from the 'Log of Evidence' that formed our submission for a 'Discover Primary Science and Maths' award 'Plaque of Excellence' for/in the school year 2021-2022. We hope that you enjoy viewing our work across the five elements of the programme.
Please click the tabs/buttons below for the presentations from the 'Log of Evidence' that formed our submission for a 'Discover Primary Science and Maths' award 'Plaque of Excellence' for/in the school year 2021-2022. We hope that you enjoy viewing our work across the five elements of the programme.
Feedback from 'Discover Primary Science and Maths' regarding our award of a plaque of STEM excellence in the school year 2021-2022
Congratulations to all the learners in Scoil Fionntáin Naofa, Shanahoe. Your application for the Plaque in STEM was a pleasure to review. Your Log was laid out so clearly with plenty of evidence to show that you engaged with STEM and enjoyed the experiences.
I particularly like the way you appreciate your place in history – with you plans to leave a lasting effect in the Shanahoe of the future. Planting 25 apple and pear trees and 25 native trees is a great example of planning “for the future generations in Shanahoe”. You made great use of your local environment to bring science into the school – spring lamb visits, building a wormery, studying frogs, etc.
You mentioned in your application that you might consider the Badge of Excellence in the future – it has a different focus but would be well within your capabilities. You are worthy recipients of the DPSM Plaque 2022. Well done once again
Congratulations to all the learners in Scoil Fionntáin Naofa, Shanahoe. Your application for the Plaque in STEM was a pleasure to review. Your Log was laid out so clearly with plenty of evidence to show that you engaged with STEM and enjoyed the experiences.
I particularly like the way you appreciate your place in history – with you plans to leave a lasting effect in the Shanahoe of the future. Planting 25 apple and pear trees and 25 native trees is a great example of planning “for the future generations in Shanahoe”. You made great use of your local environment to bring science into the school – spring lamb visits, building a wormery, studying frogs, etc.
You mentioned in your application that you might consider the Badge of Excellence in the future – it has a different focus but would be well within your capabilities. You are worthy recipients of the DPSM Plaque 2022. Well done once again
