Schools participate in Odyssey of the Mind competition; Kilgore advances to World Finals

Teams from Armstrong School for the Arts, Jones Magnet Middle School, Kilgore Gifted Center, and Phenix PreK-8 School participated in the Odyssey of the Mind (OM) regional tournament on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Menchville High School.

Teams participated and placed as follows:

Armstrong School for the Arts (Coach Sandi Dianna) – The primary team received 50 points for all five categories. This was a perfect score for solving the primary problem, “The Night Life.”

Kilgore Gifted Center (Coaches Danielle Smith, Penny Miles, Masao Green) – They had three teams compete and place. One team came in first place and earned a place in the statement competition. The second team received second place, and the third team received fourth place.

Jones Magnet Middle School (Coach Megan Thorne) – The team triumphed over numerous hurdles to deliver an exceptional performance. This was their first time performing in front of such a big crowd.

Phenix PreK-8 School (Courtney Worrell) – The team earned second place for problem 3 “Classics . . . . Opening Night Antics.”

Phenix principal Robin Hunt-Crenshaw said, “Our students put their creative abilities to work to achieve this accomplishment. We are so proud of the Phenix team. Go Panthers! Where the Legacy of Greatness . . . Continues!!!!”

The state competition was held on April 6 in Leesburg, VA. Kilgore received second place and is moving on to the World Finals at Iowa State University in May. Good luck!

Odyssey of the Mind is an international creative problem-solving program that engages students in their learning by allowing their knowledge and ideas to come to life in an exciting, productive environment. Each team of seven students is given a problem they must solve themselves. The team-created performance lasts for eight minutes and presents the team’s solution to a problem in the form of a student-created skit. The team creates all parts of the problem’s solution such as props, costumes, and technical components. The team also participates in a spontaneous thinking portion at the competition.

Participants build self-confidence, develop life skills, create new friendships, and are able to recognize and explore their true potential. OM proves that students can have fun while they learn.