Athboy pupils get award for cracking da Vinci"s code

Two projects by Meath secondary students were highly commended by judges at the BT Young Scientists of the Year exhibition in the RDS last week, while a project by a local national school won an award in the primary section of the competition. Second year students at Athboy Community School, Richard Brown and Shane McMillan, received a highly commended award for their project, entitled the 'Helical Air Screw Model 2". Teacher Leah Di Lucia explained that their project is based on a design by Leonardo da Vinci that was found in one of his notebooks that he never actually built. The concept is similar to that of a helicopter. Richard and Shane built the model according to da Vinci"s design and were delighted that it flew. Ms Di Lucia said the students had been interested in Leonardo da Vinci and came across the helical air screw model on the internet and decided to do their project on it. She added that Richard and Shane absolutely loved taking part in the exhibition. 'They were nervous when the judges came around at first but then they got used to speaking and they had a lot more confidence towards the end. There was a great buzz in the place,' she said. Both students are members of Athboy Community School"s science club. 'I am absolutely delighted and very proud of what they achieved to get that far,' added Ms Di Lucia, who runs the club. A project by Eureka Secondary School, Kells, student Helen Iliff, was also highly commended at the exhibition. Helen"s project was entitled 'Is the future nuclear?". 'I looked at nuclear power and the advantages and disadvantages compared with coal power and the best options for Ireland in the future. Overall, nuclear was a much safer way of making power,' said Helen. She said she was delighted to be highly commended and said the exhibition was a brilliant experience. Helen, who is from Moynalty, is a fifth year student and said while she doesn"t know what she would like to do after school she would like to do something in the sciences. Her teacher Mary Byrne said: 'Helen is very enthusiastic and is a hard worker. She loves science and has a great interest in it. This is her second time to take part in the competition'. Meanwhile, pupils from Kilbride National School were also celebrating after winning an award at the exhibition in the primary school section. About 100 primary schools took part in the exhibition and Kilbride NS"s project on the eye and the pupils" knowledge impressed judges so much that they presented them with one of the three prestigious awards. School principal Deirdre Gleeson explained that the project was undertaken by fourth, fifth and sixth class pupils and was entitled 'To see or not to see - that is the question". The project involved the young Kilbride pupils undertaking research on the eye and how it works and they also dissected a cow"s eye and conducted experiments. The pupils presented their project to judges last Friday, who commended the children on their knowledge and also their ability to dissect the eye in a safe way. Ms Gleeson said she was delighted that the school"s project had won the award and that the pupils had put a huge amount of work into it. She added that she was very proud of them.