Colonial School District: CMS Odyssey Of The Mind Teams Qualify For State Competition

Press release from the Colonial School District:

2021-03-23

Hard work put in by the three Odyssey of the Mind teams at Colonial Middle School (CMS) has resulted in two first place and one-second place honors at the Pennsylvania Multi-Regional competition — and spots in the state competition.

First place skit for OMer and the Beanstalk had a feminist theme.

"We work almost all year to win, so when we get that satisfaction, it's my favorite feeling in the world," said CMS Eighth Grader Aine McAleese. "It just all pays off, and it's amazing"

For several months, the teams have been honing their creative spontaneous problem-solving skills and putting together original eight-minute skits that tackle challenges that affect the script, props, costumes, and theme. For example, the CMS team who ran the category for "OMer and The Beanstalk" had to reimagine a childhood story while including works of art that incorporated baking soda and having a set piece that appeared to grow.

"This year, we based our skit on feminism, a topic that really speaks to all of us," said Emma Hoffman from the OMer and The Beanstalk team. "We used Odyssey as a platform to get our message across while having fun and being creative."

Here are the winners:

Problem: OMer and The Beanstalk

Rank: First place Overall, First place in Long-Term Problem (skit), First place in Spontaneous Problem-Solving

Making the costumes for the skits is part of the challenge.

Team members (eighth graders):

• Aine McAleese

• Ryan Bass

• Ellen Fang

Parent coaches: Liz Goldman and Elyse Hoffman

Problem: Superhero Socks: A Cliffhanger Beginning

Rank: First place Overall, Long-Term Problem (skit), Third place in Spontaneous Problem-Solving

Team members (sixth graders):

• Hollis Becker

• Sydney Saulino

The teams usually transport all of their materials and do the skits live. This year, they recorded their skits.

Parent coaches: Lori Walinsky and Erin Saulino

Problem: Superhero Socks: A Cliffhanger Beginning

Rank: Second place Overall, Long-Term Problem (skit), First place in Spontaneous Problem-Solving

Team members (sixth and seventh graders):

• Samantha Couzens

• Stephanie Davies

• Eleanor Hormell

• Talya Maddox

• Leo Nasatir

The students also recorded themselves explaining how the sets, props, and costumes were made.

Nathan Stieg

Parent coaches: Steve Hormell and Jason Stieg

"Ever since I started Odyssey in fifth grade, it has been my escape," said CMS Eighth Grader Ryan Bass. "Although quarantine brought its challenges, it also brought some amazing opportunities to be creative."

The teams were also helped by student volunteers who worked with the teams on developing their Spontaneous Problem Solving skills. These eighth grade mentors are Jackson De Guzman, Natalie Dyck, Lukas Nosal, and Thomas Warshaw.

This press release was produced by the Colonial School District .The views expressed here are the author’s own.