PTA / Odyssey

Odyssey of the Mind 2012 - 2013

Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem solving competition for students of all ages. It is open to all kids - kindergarten thru 5th grade. This program promotes creativity by challenging teams to solve divergent problems, which often has more than one solution. By working in teams, participants learn teamwork, they appreciate and understand others, and that respect the fact that a group is a more powerful thinking force than an individual. They develop a sense of self-respect and respect for others through activities such as brainstorming and role-playing.

At the beginning of the school year, teams of 5-7 students are formed into teams which are lead by a coach – usually a parent. Each team chooses one of five competitive problems to solve. The problems appeal to a wide range of interests; some are more technical, while others are artistic or performance-oriented. They work on a solution till March, with an ultimate goal to present the problem solution in a tournament against other teams in their age / grade category. The program provides students with an exciting learning experience that promises to be challenging and fun! Odyssey of the Mind Program is based on the premise that creativity can be taught! It provides an outlet where almost every type of student will thrive.

We are having a Parent Information Night on 2nd October at 7:00pm in Cafeteria at the school. Please come, get more information about the program and get your child registered for this wonderful program. For more information, download the Parent Information Night flyer.

Problem synopsis for the SY12-13

2012-2013 Registration

2012 - 2013 Schedule

October 2nd, 7pm	Parent Information Night and Registration
October 15th	Registration closes
October 20th	Teams formed (if coaches are available) or parents informed
October 27th	Coaches training - Mandatory for NEW coaches Parkview HS (8:00am to 1:00pm)
October - December	Teams formed and practice on spontaneous starts Choose long term problem for your team Practice once a week for 1-2 hours
Dec 1st, 2012 Saturday	Master Spontaneous Training for Coaches and Judges Parkview HS (8:00am to 1:00pm)
January	Teams practice minimum once a week for 1-2 hours (mostly on long-term problem)
Jan 7th 2013 - Saturday	Team registration for Regional Meet due
February—March	Teams practice at least twice a week for 2 hours
February 9, 2013 - Saturday	Judges training, Park View HS (8:00-1:00)
March 2, 2013 - Saturday	Regional tournament, Park View HS (Full day)
March 25 - March 29, 2013	Loudoun County Spring Break
April 13, 2013 - Saturday	VA State Tournament, John Champe HS

2012 - 2013 Program Cost

Cost of participation is to be determined by the number of participants and the number of subscriptions Dominion Trail will need to buy. The cost is estimated to be between $20 and $50 with additional costs throughout the season for supplies and snacks at meetings.

For questions about this wonderful program, please contact Seju Shastry at dtesom@gmail.com.

Last Modified Yesterday at 10:12 AM