OOTM Students Enjoy Successful Trip to NYS Competition
SKANEATELES, NY (March 28, 2019) – Of the twelve Skaneateles Central Schools teams to take part in the Odyssey of the Mind Regional Competition held on the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES campus on March 9, eight of those advanced to the NYS Competition held in Binghamton on March 23.One team from Skaneateles High School, one team from Skaneateles Middle School and six teams from State Street Intermediate School earned the opportunity to compete in the New York State Competition with the State Street team of Joanna Latreille, Chase Coville, Tritan Boulher, Piper McAllister, Scarlett Georgianna, Kathryn Neuenschwander and Parker Stuart earning the highest finish of sixth overall.
Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving competition that teaches students how to think divergently by providing open-ended problems that appeal to a wide range of interests. Students learn how to identify challenges and to think creatively to solve the problems at hand.
Skaneateles Central School teams in Odyssey of the Mind are open to students in grades 3-12, and consist of seven members per team.
For the 16th consecutive year, Kelley McQuiggan, a fifth-grade teacher at State Street, has acted as the district’s Odyssey of the Mind Coordinator, with this year being her final. After 32 years with the district, including an active role in Odyssey of the Mind for her entire tenure at SCS, McQuiggan is set to retire.
“Our teams from Skaneateles gave wonderful performances at the NYS tournament,” said McQuiggan. “I am proud of every student and coach who represented our district so well. A fun day was had by all. The energy and enthusiasm at the tournament are incredible. Every year as I look around the arena at the awards assembly, I am looking at our future leaders in our world, with that said, our future is in good hands.”
While McQuiggan has acted as coordinator of the program for several years, she has also been an active coach in the program as well. McQuiggan and Tami Rigling, a third-grade teacher at State Street, have coached together for many years and this year they helped guide the Skaneateles High School team, which earned the OMER award at the regional competition.
“As a teacher and coach of a high school team, my team epitomizes the positive effects of participating in the OOTM program,” said Rigling. “I have had this team for seven years and they have grown from little third graders who were afraid to “think outside the box” to high school students who are willing to take chances, experiment and even fail.”
While learning to work together to solve a problem is the main objective of OOTM, the lessons learned in conjunction are the most valuable, says Rigling.
“OOTM has also taught our students a true sense of belonging. My team has developed a bond that will never be broken. Having two juniors, two sophomores and one freshman, these students are not a group of best friends that decided to get together. Outside of OOTM they have different interests and friend groups. Odyssey has taught them to appreciate others for who they are. Words cannot really express the importance of this program.”
While teachers in the district play an active role in the program, several parents have also stepped up as coaches.
Amanda Latreille and Curt Coville each have children in the OOTM program, but have also stepped in as coaches, leading State Street’s highest finishing program.
“Competing this past weekend at the State Tournament in Binghamton was an amazing experience, and I am so proud of our team,” said Latreille. “Most of us were brand new to Odyssey back in the fall. Our team was also a mix of third, fourth, and fifth graders, and many didn't know each other at the start of our project. But over time, the kids learned to work together, and to focus on the strengths of each individual. They put together a very creative solution, with each member having an integral part in the performance. Odyssey has taught our team to persevere when challenges arise, to support one another, and to have lots of fun along the way. It is a terrific program.”
“This was an incredible experience for me as a coach as well as the kids as competitors,” said Coville. “Watching my team go from seven individuals with a problem, to a team with a solution was incredibly rewarding for all of us. Our problem was complicated and difficult. As adults, we even struggled to wrap our head around it. So needless to say, it was rewarding to watch our team problem solve and come up with a solution to our chosen problem.”
The students involved share as much enthusiasm about the program as the coaches. State Street’s “Hide in Plain Sight” team shared several thoughts on the experience.
“It’s a fun challenge to do and it really helps your mind to be thinking about stuff. It can be about anything you want it to be,” said Joanna Latreille.
“We were really proud of all the teams,” said Parker Stuart. “We told them all good job and it was fun to see everyone so happy.”
“My favorite part was coming up with the ways to solve the problem,” said Chase Coville.
The 12 Skaneateles Central School teams (nine from State Street School, two from the Middle School, and one from the High School) were formed in the fall and have been working on their problems since. Meeting one to two times per week to prepare, solutions for the problems are devised totally by the team members.
Each year Odyssey of the Mind provides a set of problems for teams to take on. This year’s problems were “Leonardo’s Work Shop,” “OMER to the Rescue, Again!,” “Hide in Plain Sight,” “Opposites Distract,” and “Structure Toss.”
Specific descriptions of the problems can be found online at www.odysseyofthemind.com.
Keep in touch with events and happenings in relation to the Skaneateles Central School District by visiting online at www.skanschools.org or following the district’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Skaneateles.Schools/.
2019 Skaneateles Central Schools Odyssey of the Mind Teams
State Street Teams
Placed 9th at NYS Competition
OMER to the Rescue, Again (Coached By: Chad Rogers, Kathy Herr)
Celia Rogers
Madison Rossi
Jack Miller
Oliver Jirousek
Owen Herbst
Izzy Rogers
Nathan Bellamy
Placed 3rd at Regionals
OMER to the Rescue, Again (Coached By: Shannon Gardner, Kristen Brutosky)
Connor Gardner
Magnus Arroyo
Vanessa Herbert
Rachelle Berube
Taylor Harvey
Sophia Dowhy
Charlie Brutosky
Placed 6th at NYS Competition
Hide in Plain Sight (Coached By: Amanda Latreille, Curt Coville)
Joanna Latreille
Chase Coville
Tritan Boulher
Piper McAllister
Scarlett Georgianna
Kathryn Neusenschwander
Parker Stuart
Placed 11th at NYS Competition
Leonardo’s Workshop (Coached By: Beth Moro, Janet Blados)
Rob Moro
Amelia Blados
Faith Azzam
Owen Leonardis
Nolan Bradley
Placed 12th at NYS Competition
Leonardo’s Workshop (Coached By: Kelly Barnes, Corrie Carroll, Michelle Ederer)
Walker Barnes
Lucy Fleckenstein
Declan Pfau
Coco Carroll
Hugh Carroll
Nova Smith
Cole Ederer
Placed 3rd at Regionals
Leonardo’s Workshop (Coached By: Melissa Johnson, Peter Hawley)
Mia Johnson
Piper Keehfus
Charlotte Carroll
Tabitha Whitney
Eve Chilson-Wood
Addison Zieler
Libby Carroll
Placed 17th at NYS Competition
Structure Toss (Coached By: Greg Lantier)
Ida Lantier
Augusteen Lantier
Cal Johnson
Luca DeBartelo
John Rossi
Peter Fleckenstein
Bryce Krauter
Placed 16th at NYS Competition
Structure Toss (Coached By: Lee Buttolph, Kelly Gunderson)
Charlotte Buttolph
Cate Gunderson
Landen Brunelle
Clara Johnson
Joe Delmonico
Charles Kissel
Carter Muprhy
Placed 3rd at Regionals
Opposites Distract (Coached By: Jennifer Vitsaxaki, Michelle Mashia)
Sophia Vitsaxaki
Emily Long
Colton Kemp
Emma Mashia
Elizabeth Mashia
Noah Soderberg
Ellie Tennyson
Middle School Teams
Placed 15th at NYS Competition
Leonardo’s Workshop (Coached By: Karen Kreidler, Angela Daddabbo)
Georgia Kreidler
Maura Leonardis
Kevin Torrisi
Heschel Eidel
Addison Badami
Mathew Leonardis
Nico Moro
Placed 2nd at Regionals
Opposites Distract (Coached By: Whitney Barnes)
Regan Barnes
Vivian Carroll
Case Pavlus
Alaina Walker
Alejandro Alvarez
Alyssa Franciamone
Aldo DeBartelo
High School Team
Placed 7th at NYS Competition
Leonardo’s Workshop (Coached By: Kelley McQuiggan, Tami Rigling)
Devin Churchill
Lexie Cottrill
Conor Kenan
Alex Moro
Marc Saparetto
Emma Tidd
