St Mark’s Anglican Community School has achieved an outstanding result at the National da Vinci Decathlon, with its Year 7 team securing 3rd place overall. Competing against the top 31 schools in Years 7 to 10 across Australia, the St Mark’s team demonstrated exceptional skill and teamwork throughout the three-day event at Knox Grammar in Sydney.
The St Mark’s team excelled in multiple categories, showcasing their diverse talents:
- 1st place in Art and Poetry
- 2nd place in Cartography
- 3rd place in Engineering and Code Breaking
The National da Vinci Decathlon brings fierce competition, but St Mark’s stood out as the only team from Western Australia to place in the top three. The Da Vinci Decathlon offers numerous benefits to participants:
- Develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Encourages teamwork and effective communication
- Promotes interdisciplinary learning and holistic understanding
- Provides a sense of belonging among like-minded peers
Students from St Mark’s shared their thoughts on participating in the da Vinci Decathlon:
Austin – ‘I really enjoyed this competition as all the subjects/topics were interesting and difficult, but overall, this competition was a good way for me personally to challenge myself against the top schools in WA and in Australia.’
Hamish – ‘I liked that it gives the participants a sense of belonging, as your peers around you that are in the team with you, they are also like you, they thrive academically, and they will help you if you need help with any of the questions.’
Dylan – ‘I was enriched through the Da Vinci Decathlon as a learner by learning to be co-operative with my teammates more and learning new facts and problem-solving skills not just through the actual sessions, but even the practice.’
‘(Students) engage in a variety of challenging tasks across multiple disciplines, using each other’s strengths to achieve common goals. This experience not only enhances their problem-solving skills and effective collaboration techniques but also helps them see the connections between different fields of study,’ said Mrs Tracey Toovey, team coach.
