Double win for Pymble at da Vinci academic challenge

Monday 28 May, 2018

Like the famous Renaissance namesake of The da Vinci Decathlon, our Year 7 and Year 11 Pymble girls have proved to be true polymaths, by winning the 2018 NSW state championships of the esteemed academic competition.

The teams competed over two days with students from across NSW in 10 different disciplines including: Engineering, Mathematics, Code Breaking, Art and Poetry, Science, English, Ideation, Creative Producers, Cartography and General Knowledge.

Pymble entered five teams: Year 7 and Year 8 competed with 1300 students on day one of the event; Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11 competed with 1650 students on day two.

Year 11 finished in first place overall in NSW in their year group as state champions, placing first in Engineering; first in Art and Poetry; second in Ideation and third in Science.

Year 7 finished in first place overall in NSW in their year group as state champions, placing second in Art and Poetry; third in Code Breaking and third in Engineering.

Our Year 10 and Year 9 teams performed well, with Year 9 achieving third place in Science. Our Year 8 team was also successful, placing first in English and third in Creative Producers.

The da Vinci Decathlon, which was initiated by Knox Grammar School in 2005 as a program for gifted and talented students, has grown into a national and global phenomenon, involving thousands of schools from Years 5 to 11. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci – the Renaissance polymath who is remembered as one of the world’s greatest thinkers and scholars – The da Vinci Decathlon is an academic competition that is designed to challenge and stimulate the minds of school students.

Pymble’s Year 7 team will now go through to the national finals at Knox Grammar School on Saturday 30 June to Tuesday 3 July, 2018.

“The effort, focus and dedication of all the teams was exemplary,” says Sarah Drane, Pymble’s High Potential Learning Co-ordinator. “It was such a great celebration of how well these students embrace challenge and working outside their comfort zone. Well done to everyone for so much hard work.”