On Monday, two teams of Year 6 students represented The King David School at the 2026 G.A.T.E.W.A.Y.S Challenge, a national competition for primary school students held in ten heats around Australia. Our teams competed against 20 other Victorian teams.

Teachers nominated the students for their strengths in creative and critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork. They prepared enthusiastically for seven weeks, finishing with a full mock Challenge Day the Friday before the competition.

On the day, each team of four took on four original challenges. In Lady Stanza’s Last Sonnet, they completed a mysterious Shakespearean sonnet, decoded the hidden location of a lost treasure and wrote an account of their adventure. The Mathematician’s Vault asked them to solve equations, arrange numbers in a Magic Triangle and use prime factorisation to crack the code to a sealed vault. In Star Struck Skaters, they analysed the light from distant stars to work out each star’s temperature, chemical make-up and speed, helping stranded alien roller-derby skaters find their way home. The Teamwork Challenge gave them a complex problem that changed partway through, so every member’s contribution counted.The challenges were demanding and fast-paced, yet our students met them with focus, creativity and good humour. They listened to one another, built on each other’s ideas and adapted calmly under pressure.

Results will be announced at the end of November, once all ten heats have been completed. Whatever the outcome, we are very proud of how our students prepared and performed. Congratulations to all eight students, and thank you to the parents who joined us for the certificate presentation.

Robyne Bowering

RISE High Potential Program Coordinator