S-E Odyssey of the Mind teams place in the top three

SHERBURNE – Eight teams from the Sherburne-Earlville School District attended the regional Odyssey of the Mind tournament on Feb. 16 at SUNY Oneonta, and all of the teams placed in the top three for their age group and category, with four taking first place and continuing at the state level.
Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that focuses on creative problem-solving. This year, the S-E school district sent 56 students in eight teams to the regional competition. The team members ranged in age, from elementary to high school.
In preparation for the regional tournament, the teams, divided by age and problem, worked to solve their own competitive problems in a creative and unique way. Unlike other competitions, in Odyssey of the Mind, there is not one right answer, but numerous possibilities. At the regional competition, the students present their solutions.
Three of the Sherburne teams took third place finishes, including Coach Heck’s elementary team, Coach Yaksta’s middle school team and Coach Behret’s high school team. Coaches Burns and Glaude’s high school team took second place. The teams taking first place and going on to perform in the state competition were: Coach Palkovic’s elementary team, Coach Longman’s middle school team, Coaches Seddon and Ford’s high school team and Coach Pfohl’s high school team.
Coach Pfohl’s team was also awarded the Ranatra Fusca award for Extraordinary Creativity. Sherburne Odyssey Coordinator Jonathan Sherry explained the award is not always given out. “It’s very rare to receive one. In a competition rooted in creative problem solving, The Ranatra Fusca Award is designed to celebrate a solution to a problem that is considerably out of the box,” Sherry said.
This is not the first year Sherburne has seen success in the competition. Last year, six of the nine teams sent to the regional tournament took first place, and two continued on, ultimately taking first and third place at the world competition.
Sherry explained how the school district prepares the students for the competition, saying, “Sherburne-Earlville prides itself on fostering the process of creative problem solving. We preserve and promote the skills that students need to utilize in overcoming obstacles, not just in the classroom, but in various challenges throughout life. We instill an atmosphere that is the catalyst for intellectual risk taking. We root our pedagogical approach in not only discovering the correct answers, but asking the brilliant questions.”
The four first place teams will participate in the New York State Finals on March 29 at Binghamton University. “Sherburne-Earlville has a tradition of supporting the Odyssey of the Mind program, a dynamic Gifted Education program, and an overall extraordinary approach to education that seeks, and supports divergent thinking. Our philosophy, and our passion for education sets the stage for a phenomenal Odyssey of the Mind experience,” Sherry said.

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