Pomperaug Elementary School Students Score High in Odyssey

   Four teams from Pomperaug Elementary School competed, along with one hundred and nineteen teams from across the state, in the Connecticut Odyssey of the Mind competition held at the Durham Tri-School Complex on March 15.  All the PES teams preformed extremely well, with two teams winning 2^nd place in their problem/division, and earning invitations to the world finals!

   Odyssey of the Mind (OM) is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college.  Through solving open-ended problems, students develop creative-thinking skills that can be applied to real-life situations.

   In the fall, each team chose one of five long-term problems to solve.  (The problems are designed by the international OM organization to appeal to a wide range of interests; some are technical in nature, while others are artistic or performance-oriented.)  Under the guidance of adult coaches, the teams worked on their problems throughout the school year before presenting their solutions in this statewide competition.  In addition to being scored for the elaboration of their long-term problem solution, the teams were judged on how well they solved a “spontaneous” problem on the spot.

    PES teams scored high marks with the event’s judges.  One 5th grade team placed 2^nd in “Dinostories” with a humorous interpretation of what may have caused dinosaurs to become extinct, including an ingenious team-created dinosaur and musical.  This experienced team placed 13^th in the world OM competition last year and will again compete at the world finals in May at the University of Maryland.  The team, comprised of Claire D., Kelly D., Josephine E., Tanner N., Annie S., Sarah S., and new member Sophie K., was coached by mother and daughter team, Betsy and Kristen Scheuermann.

    The 4^th grade PES team also placed 2^nd in their “The Wonderful Muses” division, truly  aMUSEing the judges with a depiction of how ancient Greek muses inspired famous historical figures.  This team has also been invited to the world competition and includes Hannah B., Erin Do., Peyton F., Emma T., Regan H., Alex Da. and Cara L.  The team was mentored by Paula and Risk Daskam.

   An additional PES 5^th grade team, headed by Debbie Rosenthal and Greg Dorsey, placed a commendable 4^th place in “The Eccentrics” problem.This team performed a hilarious rhyming musical focused on bee colony collapse disorder, featuring three eccentric characters and a chef responsible for the bee’s disappearance. The members of this team are Kimberly D., Morgan J., Bridget D., Hannah O’B., Jessica and Melissa R., and Catherine C. 

    The 3^rd grade team coached by Lisa Colville King and Marge Skinger, created their own working vehicle and sporting event in the Odyssey Road Rally, placed 5^th,  and had the crowd revved and shouting encouragement.This inspired team includes Chris H., Jason K., Daniel K., Julia K., Dylan L. and Laura S.

    In the six months spent preparing for the competition, every idea, design and prop was produced solely by the students.Through taking control of the creative process, brainstorming and role-playing, these children develop skills that will last a lifetime.The children learned to cooperate, evaluate and respect others ideas and make independent decisions, gaining increased self-confidence and self-esteem along the way. And they learned that there’s more than one way to solve a problem.

   For more information on Odyssey of the Mind, visit www.odysseyofthemind.com and www.ctom.org.