Dueitt Middle School’s Odyssey of the Mind team
Eickenroht Elementary School’s Odyssey of the Mind team
Two Spring ISD Odyssey of the Mind teams are heading to Waller ISD this weekend to take part in the Odyssey of the Mind State Tournament.
Eickenroht Elementary and Dueitt Middle School both placed high enough in the regional tournament in March to qualify.
“This is a great achievement, especially for our first year sponsoring Odyssey of the Mind teams in Spring,” said Tiffany Williams, director of advanced academics. “We are really proud of all of our students and coaches who took part in Odyssey of the Mind this year. We know we’ll have an even better showing in 2020.”
In all, 19 teams from across the district participated in the March 9 regional event. “Our goal was 10 teams during our first year of implementation, but we exceeded the goal,” said Williams. Odyssey of the Mind challenges students to use their problem-solving skills to come up with creative solutions to various challenges. The students create an eight-minute performance, complete with props and costumes, that demonstrates the solution to the problem. In addition, each team tackles a spontaneous challenge put forth by the judges.
Eickenroht Elementary placed fifth in Problem 1, “Omer to the Rescue Again,” and Dueitt Middle School placed fourth in Problem 3, Structure Toss. Although they did not advance, Hirsch Elementary received a special problem solving and creativity award presented to only one team in the entire competition.
Eickenroht and Dueitt teams will be traveling to Waller ISD where they will compete against other regional winners from across the state. Teams ranking first or second place in the state meet will advance to World Finals held later this spring.
Williams said the Odyssey of the Mind program is great enrichment for students who like thinking outside of the box and who enjoy collaborating on ideas and solutions. She expects even more teams to participate next year.
“We established a great foundation this year with a dedicated group of Gifted and Talented Specialists, students, coaches and parent volunteers,” she said. “We want to thank the Odyssey of the Mind Regional Director, Lillian Wannall, for her support and guidance during our first year.”
She added: “There is so much potential in Spring ISD, and Odyssey of the Mind is just one way to channel all of that talent.”