Discovering Brilliance – Year 5s Tackle the Da Vinci Decathlon
Imagine being in Year 5 and spending your school day solving puzzles, cracking codes, designing towers, and writing poems – all inside the University of Western Australia. That’s exactly what some of our girls did when they took part in this year’s Da Vinci Decathlon, and it was nothing short of brilliant.
The Decathlon brought together schools from across WA to test students’ minds and creativity across ten different disciplines. From engineering to art and poetry, from science to ideation, this event is all about thinking big, working as a team, and having a go.
What Is It All About?
The Da Vinci Decathlon isn’t your typical school competition. Teams of eight students work their way through ten fast-paced challenges, all inspired by this year’s theme: ‘Light’. And while that might sound simple, these challenges are anything but.
Throughout the day, our girls rotated through three sessions, each packed with subjects that pushed their problem-solving skills, teamwork and creativity. There were moments of intense focus, bursts of laughter, and even a few “Aha!” moments that made all the hard thinking worth it.
Discovering What You Are Capable of
Alexis captured the experience perfectly, “I particularly liked the engineering because it gave me a way to see just what my potential is… and so did the hard questions in the work and the decathlon itself.”
That’s what we love about this event, it’s not about getting everything right, it’s about giving things a go and discovering strengths you didn’t know you had.
A Challenge Like No Other
For the students, the day wasn’t just about the competition – it was about being in a new environment, meeting students from other schools, and stepping into an experience that was both challenging and exciting.
Isla shared, “I enjoyed the engineering as it was fun crafting a model using limited materials… The questions were not normal – they made us all think outside of the box and work our brains hard! I think the Santa Maria team did REALLY well and we all came home half asleep!”
We think that’s a sign of a day well spent.
Beyond the Classroom Walls
What stood out most was how the girls lifted their thinking and supported each other every step of the way. They worked through maths puzzles, cracked tricky codes, wrote creative pieces, and even mapped out big ideas for the future – all while laughing, encouraging one another, and trying their best.
“It was epic to be able to go to UWA and see all the cool buildings. The atmosphere was exciting, and being able to compete against other schools made us all up the level of thinking. Even though we didn’t win anything, I feel like it was still worth it.” shared Annabelle
More Than Just a Day Out
We know that students grow when they’re given real opportunities to explore, collaborate and take risks. The Da Vinci Decathlon is exactly that, a chance for our Year 5s to build confidence, stretch their critical thinking, and unleash their creativity in a safe, supportive (and seriously fun) setting.
Yes, there were wrong answers. Yes, things wobbled – quite literally in the engineering task. But every moment helped our girls learn something new about themselves and each other.
From preparing for the event to the day itself, the Da Vinci Decathlon is a chance for students to try new things, make new friends, and realise just how capable they are.
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Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
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