Two St Clare's students make winning Da Vinci Decathlon Team

Tristan Ma and Oscar Yeates were selected as members of the eight-member Year 7 team for the Diocese by the Catholic Schools Office to compete in the prestigious competition against other public and private schools in the Hunter region.

"The team secured several impressive accolades at the regional event," St Clare's gifted education mentor, Julie Rowsell said.

Placings included:

The team's outstanding results placed them first overall.

"They were fantastic. They are both wonderfully talented young boys. So I'm hoping that's a good kickstart for them to keep going with their education in the right way," Ms Rowsell said.

As the winning year 7 team in the Hunter, they went on to represent the Hunter region at the Da Vinci Decathlon state championships held at Knox Grammar in Sydney on May 14.

The team unfortunately did not win a top three placing in the state competition, and as yet full results have not been released.

But, whether the team placed or not is immaterial.

"We are immensely proud of our Year 7 students Tristan and Oscar as valuable members of the Diocesan team and their representation of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle," Ms Rowsell said.

"They displayed excellence, sportsmanship, and a true passion for learning at the state championships.

"A sincere thank you must go to the parents who made it possible for Tristan and Oscar to have the opportunity to participate in this prestigious event."

Oscar and Tristan are not the first St Clare's students to compete in the regional competition. In 2023, Oliver Collins and Bonnie McMaster competed in their respective winning teams.