da Vinci Decathlon

Congratulations to the Year 7 and 9 teams who competed in the da Vinci Decathlon. Following their win, the Year 9 team has been invited to represent the School and South Australia at the National Finals at the end of term. Below some members of the Year 9 team explain more about the Decathlon and their experiences at the State Finals.

The da Vinci Decathlon, is an opportunity to immerse students in 10 significant disciplines including English, Mathematics, Science, Art and Poetry, Legacy, Codebreaking, Engineering, Creative Producers, Ideation and Cartography. The state theme for 2025 was ‘Light’, where we explored a variety of topics like Shakespeare’s utilisation of light in his works, light waves in a scientific perspective, how light can inspire artistic and innovative visions, ways light can be used and manipulated and how light has left a lasting legacy on our society.

We started the day with Art and Poetry, Ideation and Science where we were quizzed on the science behind Lasik surgery, lumens and designing futuristic glasses in Ideation. The Art and Poetry sector involved creating an artwork which evaluated the importance of art and poetry in our society, how it brings light to the world. Our team explored the themes of AI, human touch and history through our 3D piece which integrated an interconnected poem.

After a short recess, we returned to complete Maths, English, Cartography and Engineering. During this session, our team was called to complete Creative Producers; this year’s topic centred around ‘shedding light’. In Maths we calculated periods of Sine, measured shadows and determined distances travelled by lasers while our teammates engineered and created kaleidoscopes. In Cartography, we were presented with images of light maps and names of observatories and asked to locate them. English challenged out writing and comprehension skills by looking at the motif of light in Romeo and Julliet, analysing book covers and creating our own story around the theme of light.

Session 3 commenced after lunch, leaving two more disciples to be completed: Code Breaking and Legacy. We encountered a multitude of challenges ranging from deciphering Ceasar Shift and interpreting pictograms. We also looked at the legacy of da Vinci and the Renaissance, and the inventions and scientific discoveries of great scientists.

da Vinci Decathlon provided us an opportunity to converse with other schools, exercise our academic, teamwork and creative abilities. We placed first overall, earning us a chance to compete in Sydney on a national level under the theme of ‘Turning Points’. We are incredibly excited to compete and represent Wildy at Knox Grammar at the end of this term.

Sirui, Evangeline, Amber, Chenuthi

SA Showjumping Championships

Congratulations to Rila Li, who won a Fifth Place in the 75cm category and First in the 85cm category at the recent SA Showjumping Championships.

Rhiannon Giles
Head of Middle School

Year 8 Art

Over the past two terms, our Year 8 Visual Arts students have been exploring two dynamic art styles through separate assessment tasks, developing both their technical skills and creative expression.

In Term 1, students created vibrant Pop Art-inspired paintings, focusing on bold colours, simplified forms, and high-contrast imagery. Drawing on the work of prominent Pop artist Andy Warhol, they explored how visual repetition, and everyday objects can be transformed into striking compositions. The learning intentions for this unit included understanding the key elements of Pop Art, experimenting with colour theory, and developing composition and painting techniques.

In Term 2, students turned their attention to the Australian modernist Margaret Preston, whose bold lino prints and celebration of native flora offered rich inspiration for their own printmaking projects. Students designed and carved their own lino blocks, learning about relief printing techniques and the importance of line, pattern, and negative space in creating a successful print. They were encouraged to think critically about composition and symbolism while developing their technical skills in lino cutting and inking.

Throughout both projects, students have shown growing confidence in their artistic choices and an ability to respond to diverse styles in thoughtful and creative ways.

Ashleigh Kelly
Head of Art

Girl Up Committee Period Poverty Drive

On Friday 23 May, the Girl Up Committee held its annual Period Poverty Drive, inviting Middle and Senior School students to exchange a donation of sanitary products for a baked treat. This initiative followed Monday’s powerful assembly with KickStart for Kids and Jenna in Pink, which helped raise awareness about period poverty and the impact it has on young people. All items collected will be donated to KickStart for Kids, supporting children who lack access to essential sanitary care. The event was a huge success, with the school community showing generosity and spirit for this important cause. We collected 333 packets of sanitary products totaling 5312 individual sanitary items.

Ebony Jack
Teacher

Wilderness Students Compete in Round One of the FUSE Cup

On Tuesday 28 May, four students took part in Round One of the South Australian FUSE Cup, held at Pulteney Grammar School.

The FUSE Cup is an international esports competition that provides students with a safe, supportive, and structured environment in which to engage in competitive gaming. With a strong focus on digital wellbeing, teamwork, and respectful gaming, the FUSE Cup allows students to connect, collaborate, and compete with their peers while developing essential digital citizenship skills.

Representing Wilderness in this exciting event were Rosie Morgan, Madison Mason, Erin Monu, and Zoe Chappell. The students competed alongside participants from other schools across the state, showcasing not only their gaming abilities but also their teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship.

The competition saw strong performances from all four students. Rosie impressed early by placing first in her heat, while Zoe Chappell secured second in her group. Both Rosie and Madison advanced to the finals stage, with Rosie progressing to the semi-finals, an outstanding achievement in a field of 48 players from six schools. Although she was eventually knocked out in the semis, Rosie showed grit and focus throughout. Erin faced a tough round but remained positive and supportive of her teammates. Across the board, the students demonstrated excellent preparation, teamwork, and resilience under pressure.

The event highlighted the growing role of esports in education and the opportunities it creates for students to engage in inclusive, forward-thinking digital experiences. Our students represented the school with pride and positivity, embracing both the competitive challenge and the spirit of the FUSE Cup.

We look forward to future rounds and the continued involvement of Wilderness students in this innovative and fast-growing competition.

Liam Sloan
Head of Technology and Enterprise