PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD-YEAR 6

Today our amazing Year 5 and Year 6 students represented St Mary's at the STEM MAD (Making a Difference) Showcase at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre-joining more than 100entries from around 50 schools across Queensland.

Our Year 6 team wowed the crowd with their TECR-Turtle Egg Conservation Robot. Designed to help save turtle clutches laid in tidal wash zones, TECR scans nesting areas, alerts rangers when eggs are at risk. and even sprinkles sand to keep nests cool-helping reduce the risk of egg feminisation. Their creativity and care for creation earned them the People's Choice Award!

Our Year 5 team tackles the global challenge of Zero Hunger by creating a Food Cart (Crop Cart). Using donated materials from Bunnings and food from Woolworths , their cart aims to provide nutritious meals to people in need, working alongside local charities and churches to support our Laidley community. 

Both teams shone brightly, inspired by keynote speaker Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, who spoke about future trends in STEM and encouraged students to keep dreaming, inventing, and designing for good.

A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated STM parents, carers, and guardians, along with parent volunteers and of course, our passionate teachers-for supporting our students on this innovative journey that beautifully connects STEM with our Catholic identity. ​​

Together, we're proving that with faith, creativity, and teamwork, our students can truly make a difference!