St Sebastian’s was proud to see our students continue to shine bright, as our two Year 4 teams rose to the challenge and took out first place and runners up at the 2025 Opti-MINDS. The Opti-MINDS entrants embraced the experience with enthusiasm and excellence, showcasing the depth of talent and curiosity within the St Sebastian’s community. 

The St Seb’s Language Literature team delivered an outstanding performance, taking out First Place in their division and earning the coveted Spirit of Opti-MINDS Award. Their success means they’ll be heading to the State Finals at the University of Queensland in October. ​

Meanwhile, St Seb’s Science Engineering team impressed the judges with their innovative thinking and teamwork, earning  Honours.  

St Sebastian’s is committed to providing our students with rich opportunities to extend their learning beyond the classroom. Programs like Opti-MINDS, now in its 29th year, allows our students to put critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration into practice through real-world, hands-on challenges.  

A heartfelt thank you goes to our dedicated Year 5/6 teacher, Mrs Lesley Mann, who generously gave her time to expertly guide both teams. Most of the preparation, however, was driven by the students themselves who wrote, rehearsed and refined their performances in their own time. Their creativity, commitment and resilience, were truly inspiring! 

Our wonderful parent community’s support is also to be acknowledged, with some brave parents hosting the teams of 6 for final rehearsals and prop creation.  

The St Sebastian’s community looks forward to seeing how our finalists fair at the Opti-MINDS State Finals in October. Learn more about Opti-MINDS and the upcoming State Final: https://opti-minds.com/state-final/