Speyer Odyssey of the Mind Places FIFTH at States!

And that's a wrap on this year's Odyssey of the Mind competition…but it ended with amazing news! One of Speyer's Odyssey of the Mind team trekked to the State Finals last weekend and they came in FIFTH in the state in the Problem 3 category! Amazing! The team performed amazingly well, was united in both how respectful they were to each other, and were on the same wavelength throughout the competition — the judges loved them (as was indicated by the extremely close scores among the teams in the top placements)! 

Before heading to the State Finals, both teams in the Odyssey of the Mind elective held a mock tournament at Speyer where they presented their work to the entire Fifth and Sixth Grade, as well as some invited parents. 

A little about Odyssey of the Mind: the competition is broken down into Long-Term (a problem-solving challenge that is prepared for over many months) and Spontaneous (where each team is given about 10 minutes on the spot to provide their most creative solution to an unknown problem) and there is no adult assistance or help allowed for either part of the competition.

Speyer offers OOTM as a year-long Middle School elective. Our teams have been competing in the tournaments for a few years now, where they go against schools that have been a part of the Odyssey competition for decades. Those who are familiar with it all say the same thing – the Odyssey of the Mind competition encompasses all of the hallmarks of what makes a Speyer education unique. Teams that do well at Odyssey come with a foundation of knowledge, but it requires so much more – commitment, teamwork, imagination, empathy, creativity, problem-solving, and resilience. It is truly the most "Speyer-y" competition there is!

Huge standing ovation to both teams and a special shout-out to Coach Shay and all of the OOTM parents for their support and encouragement!  GO DRAGONS!

Problem 3 Team
Gabriel O., Julian S., Landon I., Victor T., Landon F., and Sam C. 

Problem 2 Team
Theo F-B., Ronak S., Zoe S., Olivia F., Penny K., and Leon E.