Following their victory at the Sunshine Coast Regional Heats, GCC students Evie Coulson, Levi Gatt, Ivy Lange and Andy Nixon travelled to Sydney to represent the College at the Kids’ Lit Quiz National Finals, held at the State Library of New South Wales.
The National Finals brought together 16 of the strongest school teams from across Australia, creating a highly competitive atmosphere where every point mattered. The quiz featured five challenging rounds testing students’ knowledge across a wide range of literature, including authors, reference texts and famous character pairs. Students were required to draw on their extensive reading knowledge while making split-second decisions in a fast-paced buzzer format, where incorrect answers resulted in points being deducted.
Our team made a strong start to the competition, performing particularly well in the opening rounds. The contest remained incredibly close throughout the day, with some placings requiring tie-breaker rounds to determine the final standings.
Against this talented field, the GCC team achieved an outstanding 10th place overall and, notably, recorded the highest score of the three Queensland teams in attendance, finishing ahead of teams from both Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Beyond the competition itself, students enjoyed a special tour of the State Library of New South Wales, learning about the library’s rich history as it celebrates 200 years of service. Following the event, students, families and staff celebrated the achievement over lunch, reflecting on a memorable National Finals experience. Each student also returned home with a selection of book prizes.
Throughout the event, Evie, Levi, Ivy and Andy represented GCC with distinction. They supported one another exceptionally well, remained positive under pressure and demonstrated outstanding teamwork, sportsmanship and a genuine love of reading.
Congratulations to all four students on this remarkable achievement. To qualify for the National Finals is an accomplishment in itself, and to compete so strongly against Australia’s best young readers is something of which they should be immensely proud.
Lisa Allum, Head of High Potential Student Development