da Vinci Decathlon

Imagine waking up at 5:30am to catch a bus to Knox Grammar School and spend the entire day completing challenging tests. This became a reality last Thursday when our two primary teams competed in the annual da Vinci Decathlon.

The day began strong with English, Ideation, Science and Mathematics. We worked incredibly hard during this first session and were rewarded with a wonderful morning tea, where we enjoyed catching up with students from other schools.

In the second session, we competed in five additional disciplines: Cartography, Code-Breaking, Engineering, Art & Poetry, and Creative Producers. These proved to be the most creatively demanding challenges we had faced so far.

Our day concluded with the Legacy task. While Year 6 did not excel in this discipline, it was still a fun way to finish the day.

After performances from three Knox Primary School bands, including our personal favourite, the Screaming Cucumbers, the results were announced. The Year 6 SCEGGS team placed 15th in English, 14th in Science, 8th in Mathematics, and an outstanding 2nd in Ideation!

Our Year 6 team, comprising Ivy Zhang, Zoe Hepple, Madeleine Chirakis, Defne Aslan, Olivia Tan, Ava Grange, Eva Lobato Williams, and Alice Chandler, is extremely grateful to Mrs Gloor and Miss Lock for their guidance, preparation, and support throughout this process.

The Year 6 Team

On Thursday 14 May, Ines Allen, Bronte Lusted, Jasmine Loa, Millie Wilson, Olive Manton, Piper Prain-Pfahl, Tove Klettenberg, and Eva-Rose Asrress participated in the da Vinci Decathlon. We began the day with an early start at school before travelling to Knox Grammar School, where the competition was held.

Before the events commenced, the host and Head of School addressed participants, including an Acknowledgement of Country.

The first round consisted of Mathematics, Ideation, English, and Science. The second round presented more challenges. These included Code Breaking, Engineering, Art and Poetry, and Cartography.

After completing the final Legacy task, the winners were announced. Year 5 placed in the top 10 in Engineering and English. Our team also received a special mention for excellent collaboration, which we were very proud of.

Overall, it was a highly challenging and enjoyable experience. We particularly enjoyed the competitive spirit, solving complex codes and puzzles, and designing creative food-delivery contraptions.

The Year 5 Team

Katherine Lock
Primary Teacher – Year 6