AUBURN - For the 64 teams gathered at the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES early Saturday morning, it was to be a long day of road rallies, dinosaurs and other adventures.
The region 11 Odyssey of the Mind competition was designed to promote creative thinking by challenging teams to solve a variety of problems, along the way helping promote teamwork and a sense of both self respect and respect for others.
This year's competition offered up an interesting menu of challenges from the road rally, which asked teams to create a vehicle that could both race and perform sports-related tasks, to dinostories, which challenged teams to create and present an original skit explaining what caused the dinosaurs to become extinct.
Other areas included inspiration, and engineering tee golf tees that would support the weight of 10 golf balls.
Linda Nichols and Tony Abbatiello of BOCES were co-directors for this year's competition.
“Everything went great,” Nichols said. “The kids were very excited and we were very happy to be able to have
this here at BOCES this year. I think it was a great day.“
Throughout the day, teams presented their take on the situations and problems they were given to work on, after
which they were presented with a spontaneous problem to solve on the spot, using the skills they have learned and developed through working on their respective projects.
The first place team in each division of competition earned the chance to go on and compete at the state event at the end of March in Binghamton. Three teams that tied in one competition will all advance.
Among the teams who will be traveling to states this year are students from Weedsport Elementary school, who earned first place in Division I of the tee-structure competition.
Coached by Melissa Beerman, the team of Michael Chirco, 10, Will Musengo, 10, Becca Whitman, 10, Jacob Lamphere, 10, Andy Young, 11, Alex Mogavero, 10 and Shaun Ferguson, 9, were ecstatic to hear their names read off as winners.
“It is awesome,” Chirco said. “We've been working on this since November, it's really exciting.”
“I couldn't be more proud of them,” Beerman said. “They always do a wonderful job and they really worked hard on this, it's awesome.”
Also joining the Weedsport team will be the Auburn High School team comprised of Eric DiMatteo, Nick Hrynyk, Kate Perri, Lauren Blair, Katie Hoff, Mary Gleason and Jordan Hirsch, who took first place in Division III of the eccentrics.
It was so much work,“ Perri said. ”We started in September and we worked for a few hours. It is so exciting.“
Results
Road Rally Division I
1. State Street Elementary Team A
2. Owasco Elementary School
3. State Street Elementary School Team C
Division II
1. Skaneateles Middle School Team B
2. West Middle School
3. Skaneateles Middle School Team A
Division III
1. Jordan Elbridge High School Team B
Dinostories Division I
1. Southern Cayuga Middle School
2. State Street Elementary School Team A
3. Port Byron Central School
Division II
1. Skaneateles Middle School Team A
2. West Middle School
3. Cato-Meridian Middle School
Division III
1. Skaneateles High School
2. Cato-Meridian High School
3. Moravia High School Team A
The Wonderful Muses Division I
1. State Street Elementary School Team B
2. State Street Elementary School Team C
3. State Street Elementary School Team A
Division III
1. Moravia High School Team A
2. Cato-Meridian High School
Tee Structure Division I
1. Weedsport Elementary School
2. State Street Elementary School Team B
3. State Street Elementary School Team A
Division II All three teams will be going to states,
tied
Milliard Fillmore Elementary School, Skaneateles
Middle School Team A, Weedsport Junior-Senior High
School
Division III
1. Weedsport Junior-Senior High School
The Eccentrics! Division I
1. State Street Elementary School Team A
2. State Street Elementary School Team C
3. Herman Ave. Elementary School
Division II
1. West Middle School
2. Skaneateles Middle School Team A
3. Cato-Meridian Middle School
Division III
1. Auburn High School
2. Port Byron Central School
3. Jordan-Elbridge High School Team B
This year's competition offered up an interesting menu of challenges from the road rally, which asked teams to create a vehicle that could both race and perform sports-related tasks, to dinostories, which challenged teams to create and present an original skit explaining what caused the dinosaurs to become extinct.
Other areas included inspiration, and engineering tee golf tees that would support the weight of 10 golf balls.
Linda Nichols and Tony Abbatiello of BOCES were co-directors for this year's competition.
“Everything went great,” Nichols said. “The kids were very excited and we were very happy to be able to have
this here at BOCES this year. I think it was a great day.“
Throughout the day, teams presented their take on the situations and problems they were given to work on, after
which they were presented with a spontaneous problem to solve on the spot, using the skills they have learned and developed through working on their respective projects.
The first place team in each division of competition earned the chance to go on and compete at the state event at the end of March in Binghamton. Three teams that tied in one competition will all advance.
Among the teams who will be traveling to states this year are students from Weedsport Elementary school, who earned first place in Division I of the tee-structure competition.
Coached by Melissa Beerman, the team of Michael Chirco, 10, Will Musengo, 10, Becca Whitman, 10, Jacob Lamphere, 10, Andy Young, 11, Alex Mogavero, 10 and Shaun Ferguson, 9, were ecstatic to hear their names read off as winners.
“It is awesome,” Chirco said. “We've been working on this since November, it's really exciting.”
“I couldn't be more proud of them,” Beerman said. “They always do a wonderful job and they really worked hard on this, it's awesome.”
Also joining the Weedsport team will be the Auburn High School team comprised of Eric DiMatteo, Nick Hrynyk, Kate Perri, Lauren Blair, Katie Hoff, Mary Gleason and Jordan Hirsch, who took first place in Division III of the eccentrics.
It was so much work,“ Perri said. ”We started in September and we worked for a few hours. It is so exciting.“
Results
Road Rally Division I
1. State Street Elementary Team A
2. Owasco Elementary School
3. State Street Elementary School Team C
Division II
1. Skaneateles Middle School Team B
2. West Middle School
3. Skaneateles Middle School Team A
Division III
1. Jordan Elbridge High School Team B
Dinostories Division I
1. Southern Cayuga Middle School
2. State Street Elementary School Team A
3. Port Byron Central School
Division II
1. Skaneateles Middle School Team A
2. West Middle School
3. Cato-Meridian Middle School
Division III
1. Skaneateles High School
2. Cato-Meridian High School
3. Moravia High School Team A
The Wonderful Muses Division I
1. State Street Elementary School Team B
2. State Street Elementary School Team C
3. State Street Elementary School Team A
Division III
1. Moravia High School Team A
2. Cato-Meridian High School
Tee Structure Division I
1. Weedsport Elementary School
2. State Street Elementary School Team B
3. State Street Elementary School Team A
Division II All three teams will be going to states,
tied
Milliard Fillmore Elementary School, Skaneateles
Middle School Team A, Weedsport Junior-Senior High
School
Division III
1. Weedsport Junior-Senior High School
The Eccentrics! Division I
1. State Street Elementary School Team A
2. State Street Elementary School Team C
3. Herman Ave. Elementary School
Division II
1. West Middle School
2. Skaneateles Middle School Team A
3. Cato-Meridian Middle School
Division III
1. Auburn High School
2. Port Byron Central School
3. Jordan-Elbridge High School Team B
