With a score of 1280.89 out of a maximum 1600, St Mary’s was the clear winner of the Gold Division championships held Friday, 21 October in Hobart. This latest win sees the school walk away with the most first place trophies since the competition’s inception. 

As well as these five wins, the school has also won the Silver and Bronze Divisions on numerous occasions and consistently finished at national or state level.

After emerging triumphant from the three-day state finals held at the University of Newcastle in September, St Mary’s won the right to represent NSW in this year’s final. All Saints College, St Peter’s Campus, Maitland, and St Pius X High School, Adamstown, also received honourable mentions at the state finals. 

Director of Schools, Ray Collins, congratulated staff and students on the outstanding achievement. “For our diocese to dominate this competition in the way it does says a great deal about the passion staff and students have for the challenges involved,” said Mr Collins.

“Coupled with their engineering, thinking and leadership skills, they have demonstrated again the great pride they have in the school’s tradition in this competition and, I am told, have proven to be outstanding representatives  of St Mary’s and the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.”

Mr Collins also made a special mention of the dedicated staff members who motivate the students in planning for the Science and Engineering Challenge each year.

“Congratulations to Mr Shane Abell, Learning Technology Co-ordinator, Ms Prue Tinsey, Mathematics Teacher and Mr Bill Gudgeon, the school’s groundsman at St Mary’s. Bill, in particular, has been involved in every challenge since 2004 and his practical skills along with the STEM experience that Shane and Prue bring from their academic backgrounds makes for an impressive management team.”

Main photo courtesy of the Science and Engineering Challenge.

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