State Finals -Year 9 da Vinci Decathlon

The State Final for the Year 9 and 10 da Vinci Decathlon was held on Wednesday 31 May at Camberwell Grammar.  This annual event is an Australia-wide interschool competition run in the spirit of an Olympic Decathlon, with ten events of an academic nature. The competition celebrates the world’s best known polymath, Leonardo Da Vinci, and includes tasks across a range of disciplines including mathematics, English, code-breaking, ideation, engineering and drama. We had great team success in the challenges that required problem solving, creativity, and understanding of our team mates and their skill set.  

Congratulations to each of the following students who represented the school admirably and in the spirit of the competition, where they demonstrated perseverance, collaboration, kindness and a sense of joy in competing.  

Please enjoy their reflections from the day. 

"The da Vinci Decathlon was really fun and a great experience. I enjoyed working through the tasks together and making each other less stressed. Although we didn't win in any of the categories, I think the decathlon was a great learning experience and really improved my teamwork skills." 

Cindy L

 

"The da Vinci Decathlon was an interesting and inspiring event which made me learn new things. We all contributed to everything, allowing me to see a different side of my teammates. I think we all greatly benefitted from this experience."  

Lucy M

 

"The da Vinci Decathlon was an excellent way to mix with my peers from different classes, and also students from other schools. Our team worked and collaborated together well, and I am proud of our eventual result. The lead up and the day itself were both very enjoyable, and we had an excellent day, no matter how stressful the challenges and tasks were. Overall, the da Vinci Decathlon was a great experience." 

Zoe H-M 

 

"The da Vinci Decathlon was a really unique experience, while preparing and participating in the 10 different disciplines, I learned so much in those areas in which I might not have been involved before. Teamwork also played a massive part in this competition, so I got to know some of my peers better during the process. It was really fun and really inspiring!" 

Kexin (Cindy) M  

 

"The da Vinci Decathlon was an enriching experience that helped develop my teamwork and problem-solving skills. Throughout the day, as a team we worked through a series of challenge papers, that both tested our patience and determination. I left the day with a newfound admiration for the increasingly useful skills of critical and abstract reasoning. Although compared to other schools we were not as successful, we were satisfied with our determination and success in completing the papers."

Kyley C  

 

"Going to the da Vinci Decathlon was an amazing experience that allowed us to think outside the box and be creative in ways that normally weren't possible."

Ju-Tien (Josie) J 

 

"The da Vinci Decathlon was a challenging, yet insightful experience. Even though it was stressful, it was so fun to work with my teammates and solve various tasks. We learnt so much from each other, and we tried our best. Thank you, Shelford, for this great opportunity!"

Chengcheng Z

Joanna Kane

Head of Student Enrichment and Support