Seven-year-old Felix already has big plans for the future.
The Year 2 student at St Margaret Mary's Catholic Primary School Randwick North dreams of becoming a doctor, microbiologist or meteorologist – careers inspired by his love of science and helping others.
"If I become a microbiologist, I want to focus on germs that make people sick so I can think of ways to help them get better," Felix said.
At St Margaret Mary's, Felix's curiosity and talents are being nurtured through the school's Gifted Education program.
Excelling in Mathematics, he currently joins Year 4 students for extension Maths classes.
"At St Margaret Mary's, teachers know what I am good at and help me to be even better," Felix said.
Principal Kylie O'Donnell said identifying and supporting gifted learners early was essential to helping students reach their full potential.
"With over three decades in education, I have learned that gifted learners flourish when we recognise their gifts early and create environments where both their strengths and needs are understood," Mrs O'Donnell said.
Principal Kylie O'Donnell celebrates some of Felix's achievements
Year 2 student Felix proudly shares his latest achievements with Principal Kylie O'Donnell.
Gifted students at the school are identified through a range of methods, including psychometric assessment, screening tests in Years 2 and 4, and teacher nomination.
"At St Margaret Mary's, we don't just identify gifted students by their academic results. We recognise that giftedness can present in a number of areas including creative, social, emotional and physical."
Some students can be gifted in multiple areas.
"Felix, for example, is gifted both intellectually and creatively," Mrs O'Donnell said.
"We see gifted education as an opportunity to nurture curiosity, stretch thinking and empower students to make meaningful contributions to the world."
"Our recent NAPLAN results highlight the impact of this approach."
The school's personalised approach to learning is translating into outstanding results, with St Margaret Mary's recently ranked 71st in The Daily Telegraph's Top 100 NSW private primary schools.
The ranking reflects key indicators of student success, including Year 3 and Year 5 NAPLAN results and student-to-staff ratios.
The school nurtures student potential through a broad range of enrichment opportunities, including subject acceleration, public speaking, debating, coding, chess, STEM clubs and specialist music tuition. Students are also encouraged to extend themselves through external challenges such as the Maths Olympiad and the University of NSW STEM Competition.
For Felix, that culture of encouragement and opportunity is already helping transform his passions into exciting possibilities for the future.
Discover more about St Margaret Mary's and book a personalised school tour.