Year 9s Win Just Start IT State Final

Congratulations to our Year 9 students who achieved outstanding success at the Just Start IT State Finals on Tuesday, with Sacred Heart teams claiming both 1st and 3rd place in this prestigious statewide entrepreneurship competition.

More than 100 teams participated in the competition, which challenges students to develop innovative start-up ideas that solve real-world problems. We were proud to have three of our Year 9 GATE teams qualify for the State Final, where students pitched their concepts to a panel of judges from business and government sectors.

Taking out the overall win was ReZerved, developed by Alessia, Alessia and Elise (Barlow). The team was awarded a trophy, medals and $5,000 for their innovative app, which helps restaurants reduce the impact of empty tables and last-minute cancellations. The platform sends targeted notifications offering discounts and special deals to customers who have favourited participating restaurants, helping venues fill tables while providing value to diners.

Judges praised ReZerved as a highly researched, thoroughly validated and exceptionally polished business concept. The team has already secured support from restaurants, attracted customers and developed a strong platform shaped by extensive user feedback.

Also celebrating success were our bronze medallists, ReadQuest, created by Chiara (Barlow) and Emilia (Thu Duc). Their platform enhances the reading journey for children aged 6 to 12 by breaking texts into manageable sections and motivating learners through rewards, avatars and personalised book recommendations. ReadQuest has already gained interest from schools and speech pathologists.

Congratulations also to Sky Sprout, comprising Alex (Normandy), Zac (Thu Duc) and Leo (Trinity). Their innovative concept uses drone technology to assist farmers with seed planting and was highly regarded by both judges and audience members.

We are incredibly proud of all three teams for their hard work, creativity, research, video production and presentation skills throughout the competition.

A special thank you to Mrs Tanya Atherton (Head of Gifted and Talented) for her guidance and support in preparing the students for this remarkable achievement.