In any competition, it is always exciting to qualify for ‘the next level’. This state of excitement was evident for one of the recent da Vinci Decathlon teams, who made it to the State Finals.
Providing extension opportunities for identified students is a priority at Tintern Grammar, and da Vinci Decathlon is one example of such an opportunity. Named after Leonardo da Vinci, one of the world’s greatest thinkers and scholars, the Decathlon competition places a particular emphasis on higher order thinking skills, problem solving and creativity. It challenges and stimulates the minds of school students and celebrates the academic gifts of youth by providing competition run in the spirit of an Olympic Decathlon.
After participating in two training days, our students competed in teams of eight across 10 disciplines. These included Engineering, Mathematics, Code breaking, Art and Poetry, Science and English. During the competition Tintern Grammar competed against 21 teams from metropolitan schools in a vibrant and energizing atmosphere. Each of the 10 disciplines are scored separately based on the nature of each task and over the two days of the Year 7 Decathlon, Tintern Grammar achieved first in the disciplines of Mathematics, Science, Cartography and Philosophy, and third in Creative Producers. One of our participants, Sayani Kaluarachchi, noted that “Although the actual da Vinci days were great and intense, I think we enjoyed the training days more.” For all involved, it was a wonderful experience.
by Anthea Watkins – Horizons Co-ordinator
