Fifth-graders to compete at state competition

By Brent Neevel

Tribune Reporter

Problem-solving skills, creativity and the ability to work well with others are all things employers value strongly when seeking new employees.

Seven Madison Country Day School students honed those skills and more by participating in a problem-solving contest recently.

The contest, called Odyssey of the Mind, presents students with problems and gives them free rein to ponder potential solutions.

The MCDS fifth-graders were successful enough to place first in their division at the state competition in late March, earning them the possibility of competing at the World’s Competition at Michigan State University in late May.

Mary Jo Ashby, one of two parent coaches along with Peter Addington-White, believes the school’s curriculum, which fosters creative thinking, helped them develop the tools for success in such a competition.

“So it didn’t surprise me that the students did so well,” she said.

The problem the MCDS students were attacking was building a light-weight column structure to support as much weight as possible. For competition, not only did they test that structure, or the long-term problem, but they were also spontaneously given another problem to solve.

The team spent months creating different prototypes, Ashby said, with the final product looking nothing like the original design.

Part of the team’s work involved putting together a skit, which they dubbed, “The World’s Worst Magic Show.” They created props, including a homemade cape, and developed signs to bring in audience interaction.

The students were judged not only on the success of their structure but on the creativity and teamwork that made its creation a reality.

For the spontaneous problem, the team could have only five members participate, so they first had to come to consensus on which five teammates could bring the most skill to solving the problem. They had eight minutes to come up with a solution, with creativity and teamwork again among the chief areas on which they were awarded points.

The students began practicing in October, meeting Fridays after school and some Saturdays, and Ashby said the students were always looking to be challenged more, which made it easy to work with them.

Team member Ethan Ashby said early on there was some “bickering” amongst teammates, but as things went on they learned to trust each other and each other’s ideas.

“In the end we all came together as a team,” he said.

Arria Alton said participating helped her learn that others often have valuable input too.

“I really learned to not always go with my idea,” she said.

Coach Ashby said each of the students brought their own unique talents and skills to the team.

“I think every student has grown in one way or another,” she said.

She also said the activity has strengthened friendships among the members of the team.

Odyssey of the Mind is a non-profit, international creative problem-solving program for students from kindergarten through college that blossomed out of the industrial design classes of Dr. Sam Micklus of Rowan University over 30 years ago. 

For more information about it, visit www.odysseyofthemind.com.

Problem-solving skills, creativity and the ability to work well with others are all things employers value strongly when seeking new employees.

Seven Madison Country Day School students honed those skills and more by participating in a problem-solving contest recently.

The contest, called Odyssey of the Mind, presents students with problems and gives them free rein to ponder potential solutions.

The MCDS fifth-graders were successful enough to place first in their division at the state competition in late March, earning them the possibility of competing at the World’s Competition at Michigan State University in late May.

Mary Jo Ashby, one of two parent coaches along with Peter Addington-White, believes the school’s curriculum, which fosters creative thinking, helped them develop the tools for success in such a competition.

“So it didn’t surprise me that the students did so well,” she said.

The problem the MCDS students were attacking was building a light-weight column structure to support as much weight as possible. For competition, not only did they test that structure, or the long-term problem, but they were also spontaneously given another problem to solve.

The team spent months creating different prototypes, Ashby said, with the final product looking nothing like the original design.

Part of the team’s work involved putting together a skit, which they dubbed, “The World’s Worst Magic Show.” They created props, including a homemade cape, and developed signs to bring in audience interaction.

The students were judged not only on the success of their structure but on the creativity and teamwork that made its creation a reality.

For the spontaneous problem, the team could have only five members participate, so they first had to come to consensus on which five teammates could bring the most skill to solving the problem. They had eight minutes to come up with a solution, with creativity and teamwork again among the chief areas on which they were awarded points.

The students began practicing in October, meeting Fridays after school and some Saturdays, and Ashby said the students were always looking to be challenged more, which made it easy to work with them.

Team member Ethan Ashby said early on there was some “bickering” amongst teammates, but as things went on they learned to trust each other and each other’s ideas.

“In the end we all came together as a team,” he said.

Arria Alton said participating helped her learn that others often have valuable input too.

“I really learned to not always go with my idea,” she said.

Coach Ashby said each of the students brought their own unique talents and skills to the team.

“I think every student has grown in one way or another,” she said.

She also said the activity has strengthened friendships among the members of the team.

Odyssey of the Mind is a non-profit, international creative problem-solving program for students from kindergarten through college that blossomed out of the industrial design classes of Dr. Sam Micklus of Rowan University over 30 years ago. 

For more information about it, visit www.odysseyofthemind.com.