Round Hill Elementary School Wins State Championship at Odyssey of the Mind State Final, WHS 3rd in Div.3

The Odyssey of the Mind State Finals were held at the New York State Fairgrounds in Saturday, March 21st. Round Hill Elementary’s team won the State Championship title for Division 1, Problem 4: Life’s a Ball and will advance to the World Championship in Iowa in May.  Congratulations to the team and their coaches, Ms. Vilchez and Ms. Hulbert on an amazing performance.

Odyssey of the Mind is a national competition that teaches students how to be creative problem solvers, team collaborators and out-of-the-box thinkers. To join, students must try out at each grade level, as there is only a limited number of spots available. 

Each year, teams are tasked with a problem that requires an imaginative and innovative solution. Teams are able to choose from five different obstacles, ranging from expressive story telling performances to creating complex structures. 

Problem 1: “Off the Rails,” focused on designing, building and operating handmade train vehicles. 

Problem 2: “Lost in Omerland,” involved technical mechanics to build an original robotic animal that has the ability to make people happy.

Problem 3: “Classics…The Epic Quest,” assigned students to create a performance about an original chef character, based on fictional literary characters and events. 

Problem 4: “Life’s a Ball!” assigned teams to build and test balsa wood structures and put on a performance about throwing a party/ball.

Problem 5: “Taller Takes of John Jivery,” assigned teams to create and present a humorous performance about an original tall tale. 

At Round Hill, students brought home first place in Problem 4: “Life’s a Ball!” with their structure holding an incredible 768 pounds. The team received zero penalties and showed careful attention to every rule and detail. The team consisted of Isabel Mendoza, Carly Mae Corbett, Vinny Cirigliano, Jaxson Ryerson, Miles Giorgio, Victoria Torrence and Alexander Melisurgo, coached by Kathleen Vilchez and Caitlin Hulbert. 

In addition to their competitive success, the team was nominated by the entire judges panel for the OMERS Spirit Award! This award recognizes teams that demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship, exemplary behavior, encouragement of others, cooperation, self-respect and appreciation for fellow competitors. It is not awarded for creativity, but for character.

Washingtonville High School Division III team also tackled Problem 4, “Life’s a Ball!” winning first place. This team performed a game show where points were awarded to contestants for having a ball go through the uprights on a football field and hitting a wooden structure. The team also recreated a knife throwing competition.

Washingtonville High School’s Team A took third place in Division 3, Problem 4: Life’s a Ball. The team had a great season under the direction of coaches Mr. Schulz and Mr. Ferry.  Thank you to all the families that made the trip to Syracuse to cheer on these incredible teams.

Text and pics from WCSD

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