A Fourth Grade Odyssey, Parent Coaches and Two Elementary Teams Compete on the International Level

PHOENIX - April 21, 2013 - PRLog -- Madison Simis Elementary School Sends Two Teams to 2013 World Finals

Madison Simis Elementary School placed 1st and 2nd at the Odyssey of the Mind State finals held in Tucson, AZ, earning them a place in the World Finals at Michigan State University in May.  

Phoenix, AZ --- With the introduction of the new International Baccalaureate program at Simis this year, the school was left to gather parent volunteers to take over coaching the Odyssey of the Mind (OM) teams. Each OM team consists of seven 2nd-4th graders and two coaches. Able to find enough volunteers to assemble six teams and already off to a late start, the kids hit the ground running! Many teams practiced two or three times a week to prepare for the Regional competition held in March.

Four of the six teams from Madison Simis placed in the top two for their individual problem advancing them to the State tournament held April 6th at Canyon Del Oro in Tucson, AZ. For these four teams, practice continued, times increased, props were repaired and presentations were perfected. The four teams competed in their OM problems against eight of the best teams in their division from around the state. Each of the teams certainly preformed their best in all three areas of the day’s competition. After a long day, the teams entered the gymnasium for the Awards Ceremony to discover their fate.

Taking 2nd place in their problem and advancing to the 2013 World Finals, The Email Must Go Through, team coached by parent volunteers Kathryn Peacock and Deanna Hill, beat the team who took 1st place at the Regional tournament. The team coached by volunteer Julie Morrison took 1st place in their problem, Tumblewood, also advancing them to Worlds. Over 800 teams representing twenty-five different countries will be competing at the 2013 World Finals. The tournament runs May 22-25 at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI. We wish both teams the best of luck!

About Odyssey of the Mind

The Odyssey of the Mind teaches students to learn creative problem-solving methods while having fun in the process. For more than twenty five years, this unique program has helped teachers generate excitement in their students. By tapping into creativity, and through encouraging imaginative paths to problem-solving, students learn skills that will provide them with the ability to solve problems -- great and small -- for a lifetime. The Odyssey of the Mind teaches students how to think divergently by providing open-ended problems that appeal to a wide range of interests. Students learn how to identify challenges and to think creatively to solve those problems. They are free to express their ideas and suggestions without fear of criticism. The creative problem-solving process rewards thinking "outside of the box." While conventional thinking has an important place in a well-rounded education, students need to learn how to think creatively and productively.

In the Odyssey of the Mind . . .

Students develop team-building skills by working in groups of as many as seven students per team.
Students learn to examine problems and to identify the real challenge without limiting the possible solutions and their potential success.
The creative-thinking process is nurtured and developed as a problem-solving tool.
Students of all types will find something that will appeal to them.
The fun of participation leads to an elevated interest in regular classroom curricula.
Teachers have a program to further provide students with a well-rounded education.

Who Participates?

Millions of students from kindergarten through college have participated in the Odyssey of the Mind. Since the Odyssey of the Mind eliminates the fear of criticism, even shy students are afforded the opportunity to open up and express themselves. Students learn to work in teams. Each year, five new competitive problems are presented for the teams to solve. These long-term problems are solved over weeks and months. Some of the problems are more technical in nature, while others are artistic or performance based. Each long-term problem rewards "Style" in the solution. This helps teach students that they should not simply try to solve problems but take the next step of enhancing their solutions. The teams are invited to participate in competition and present their solution with other teams. At the competition, the teams are given an on-the-spot "spontaneous" problem to solve. The combination of long-term problem-solving, Style, and spontaneous problem-solving produces a confident, able student.