CBHS Lewisham students showcased their skills during this year’s NSW Da Vinci Decathlon at Knox Grammar School last term.

This academic inter-school gala day has students competing in teams of eight across 10 disciplines: Engineering, Mathematics, Code Breaking, Art and Poetry, Science, English, Ideation, Creative Producers, Cartography and Legacy (general knowledge of the Renaissance and Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions and legacy).

The Creative Producers discipline was the most successful, exploring a range of acting skills and creativity, incorporating teamwork and collaboration. 

Impressive Creative Producers results in each year group included:
Year 7 – 10th place / 72 teams
Year 9 – 13th place / 55 teams
Year 10 – 10th place / 55 teams
Year 11 – 5th place / 55 teams

In addition to the Creative Producers success, the Year 6 team achieved 13th place for both Code Breaking and Mathematics in a strong competition of 79 teams, and our Year 11’s placed 12th in the Legacy discipline.

Based on the feedback below, it was a successful and challenging day, with the boys feeling proud of their amazing accomplishments, and ready to compete again next year!

“I liked how it wasn’t just being tested on our intelligence but also our creativity.“ San, Year 7

“Participating in this year’s Da Vinci Decathlon was an unforgettable and memorable experience. We embarked on an academic journey through ten challenging tasks, which tested our teamwork, creativity and problem-solving skills. Throughout the day, we were surrounded by students from many other schools, and really enjoyed meeting and interacting with them. By the end of the day, I felt really proud of how we stayed positive.”
Matteo, Year 7

“What I liked the most about the Decathlon this year was the theme: light. We worked together on the science paper and it was really interesting learning about protons and how people are trying to make ways to help the earth, talking about how instead of burning fossil fuels, we can just use hydrogen to produce energy.”
Michael, Year 8

“It allowed me to work in a group rather than having to do the test by myself, allowing me to come up with more creative and intuitive answers to questions, especially in ideation.” Daniel, Year 9

“Da Vinci Decathlon was a fun and engaging experience. I liked a lot of things about the event including the environment of the teams, the activities on the day and the entertainment part after the main event.” Phoenix, Year 10.