Meet St. Marys’ successful scientists of tomorrow

From Derry Journal: Meet St. Marys’ successful scientists of tomorrow
something from a movie.

It’s been played out on the silver screen many times before; an inspirational teacher comes along and instills a love of learning in the minds of those of whom she teaches. What exists between the pupils and their teacher is more of a friendship than forced respect. It endures even after some of the girls leave the school for university.

This is exactly what is happening in St. Mary’s College between Mrs. Blanking and her students.

“Mrs. Blanking is more like a friend than she is a teacher - we all really enjoy her company,” said fifth year pupil, Cara Molloy.

Earlier this month Ann was presented with the Intel Educator of Excellence Award at the Young Scientist of the Year awards in Dublin. Ann is co-ordinator of Key Stage Three Science at the school.

St. Mary’s put seven projects forward and all seven were short listed. Out of 1,743 entries only 550 were selected to take part in the final competition in Dublin.

All seven St. Mary’s science projects made it into the final; two of the projects were highly commended while two other projects were runners-up.

Lavina Blanking, Ann’s grand-daughter was presented with the Irish Medical Board award.

If all of the above wasn’t enough to have everyone back at the Northland Road school jumping with joy, party mode was well and truly initiated when the school was presented with the best overall Northern Ireland school award.

“I was delighted for the girls and the school,” said Ann. “The girls got what they deserved. Their projects were top class - they were some of the best I have ever seen.”

Ann was a late comer to teaching.

After raising three children she decided at the age of 27 to study for a degree and a PGCE (teaching qualification) through the Open University. Her first teaching position was in St. Brigid’s in Claudy when she was 33.

“I don’t think there’s a school in Derry that I haven’t taught in at some stage. If memory serves me I think the only school I have never taught in is Foyle College.

“I started off in Claudy, then St. Brecan’s, I then moved to St. Brigid’s in Carnhill, spent some time at Rosemount PS before teaching in St. Columb’s College,” she recalled.

“I know that I have been teaching for a long time because there’s a girl I’m teaching now at St. Mary’s and I taught her mother when I was a teacher in St. Brecan’s High School. It’s longer than I like to remember,” she laughed.

Ann started up the chemistry club ten years ago and after recent successes she has been inundated with requests to join from other students.

“The Chemistry Club is something that I supervise after school. We meet up every Wednesday and conduct experiments and talk about what kind of things we’d like to do.

“For example, last winter was one of the most severe we have had for a long time. The girls wanted to find out what salt works best when there’s ice on the ground. They discovered using scientific techniques that calcium chloride was better than sodium chloride when withstanding the freezing conditions. It was a remarkable achievement for the girls - it was really practical and it impressed the judges in the Dublin.”

Ann’s students also endeavoured to make a coffee and tea based sun-cream and they also looked at developing a measuring device that would ensure that sick people consume the appropriate dose of antibiotics when they are ill.

Ann’s dedication to her students is unquestionable. She has a real passion for not just science but helping the girls to develop their skills. The fact that two former pupils stay in regular contact with Ann speaks volumes about her standing not just a teacher but as a figure of inspiration.

“One of my former pupils is now in her third year of a psychology degree - she’s been back into the school many times to meet with the current crop of girls and she came to Dublin with me to help me supervise the group.”

Ann praised this year’s batch of science hopefuls for the way the performed and represented the school in Dublin.

“The quality of project on show was staggering this year. All of the girls in the club are totally dedicated to science.

“I joke with the girls sometimes and tell them that they are nerds, they don’t like it but I tell them that nerds are now cool and trendy - we always end up having a really good laugh in class - they are a really good bunch of girls.

“It’s through projects like this that the girls at the school can develop skills that will stay with them with for the rest of their lives. They might have the greatest science project imaginable but unless they are able to articulate that to the judges they might not win - a big part of it is about communication.”

“There’s a great group of girls in the club and it also gives them the chance to meet with students from other schools. The girls are never out of my classroom - I am convinced they like it because it gives them a place to come and eat their lunch,” she laughed.

Ann’s teaching technique is something unique. It’s not something she learned in a text book or was taught - it’s something that she has believed in since she started teaching in 1990.

“I remember when I was teaching at St. Columb’s College a certain teacher walked past my classroom during one of my lessons. He told me afterwards that I should be more quiet and less bombastic and noisy.

“Well, here I am now, over 15 years later and I am still every bit as bombastic and noisy - the girls seem to like it,” she smiled.

“I do this because I enjoy it. I wish I had had the chance to get involved in science when I was at school.

“School was not like it is now when I was younger - it would have been great to have been able to carry out experiments and enter competitions - I think that that’s one of the reasons why science has become so popular.”

Cara Molloy joined the Chemistry Club in 2007 when she was a first year at the school; Cara is now in fifth year and studying for her GCSEs.

“The reason we love the Chemistry Club is because of Mrs. Blanking - she’s great company and she has taught us so much.

“There’s also a real social side to the chemistry club - it’s where we not only get to meet girls from other year groups from St. Mary’s but we also get the chance to meet with people from other schools all over Ireland.”

Cara added: “The project I worked on was the one to do with the coffee and tea based sun cream - it was highly commended during the awards in Dublin. We worked really hard on it and we were delighted with how it turned out.”

Sixteen year-old Maria McHugh joined the Chemistry Club when she was in second year. She’s now in lower-sixth and is studying Step Up Science for A-level.

“Step-up science covers all of the main disciplines of science. I love studying it.

“As Cara said the main reason we all love science so much is because of Mrs. Blanking - she’s a great teacher, we all get on so well.

“We are getting to go to the Braniac Awards in Birmingham soon too so that should be fun. I am really looking forward to it because we have a few good ideas up our sleeves in terms of what project we are going to take with us.

“I’d definitely say that if it wasn’t for Mrs. Blanking I wouldn’t have kept up science. She’s a really inspirational teacher.

“I love science so much that when I leave school I want to be a forensic psychologist.”

As a result of their success at the event in Dublin students from the chemistry club will take part in a national competition in Birmingham next month where they might run into well known television presenter Professor Brian Cox.

“I think all of the girls are looking forward to the Birmingham trip - it’s a big event. There will be schools from all over the United Kingdom there and apparently Professor Brian Cox will be attending also - we might even meet him, who knows?”

As a result of winning the Intel Educator of Excellence award Ann will travel to Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania to attend the Intel Educator Academy in May.

“Unfortunately the girls won’t get to go on this one. It’s all for me. The trip to America is just for me. I am really looking forward to it. I am going to bring back whatever new things I learn so that the girls can benefit from it too. We have high hopes for next year and as I keep saying to the girls if your science project is good enough and you know your stuff I’ll enter it into competitions.”

Science is one of the four S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects. Ann said that many of the girls at St. Mary’s decide to study science because it offers credible job opportunities.

“In terms of the S.T.E.M. area of employment it is seriously under resourced. There are not enough young people coming out of university with qualifications in a S.T.E.M. subject. There are plenty of jobs in the S.T.E.M. areas - I think that this is a major reason why so many young people are taking up S.T.E.M. subjects - it offers them a future.”