Congrats, Odyssey Teams!

2/5/2024 8:36 pm

This past Saturday, we had four LES teams compete at the Odyssey of the Mind (OM) Regional Qualifying Tournament! This was our school's first year competing after a seven year hiatus from the program, and all four teams performed phenomenally! We are proud of all of our OM Leopards, who put in months of hard work and dedication to their projects and performances. One team even qualified for the State Championship next month. Way to go!

All of our OM Leopards are pictured and deserve a round of applause!

A huge thank you to Gabe Westmaas and David Holl for their work and commitment on getting LES OM organized!

We are excited to bring Odyssey of the Mind (OM) back to LES this year! What is OM? It's an extracurricular program in which teams of students (K-2 & 3-5) work together to creatively solve problems and compete for recognition and awards!

Background:

Odyssey of the Mind is an extracurricular, international creative problem solving program that teaches young people valuable skills today that empower them to become the successful innovators, leaders, and superstars of tomorrow! You can read/watch more about OM in general here.

A simple description of how OM works: New problems are released. Teams of up to 7 are formed within 2 age group categories: K-2 and 3-5. Teams meet once per week from mid-September through early-February (approx) to create their solution in the form of a skit/presentation. Teams write an original script, build backdrops, costumes, etc, and may also write a song, construct a balsa wood structure, build a robot, etc. And parents cannot help! Teams then compete locally in February, and potentially statewide, nationally, and even internationally.

Please remember: Odyssey of the Mind (OM) is a wonderful experience as well as a big time commitment. Please take this level of commitment into consideration, as teammates rely on each other for the entirety of the season. In addition, OM teams, once formed, are not run by LES but rather the parents. Please factor in your own ability to commit as well.

Typical level of commitment: teams meet at least once per week for 1-2 hours from October - February.

Important Dates:
Spontaneous Day: December 9 or 16 (teams choose)
Qualifying Tournament Day: February 3 or 10 (teams choose)
State Tournament (if qualified): March 9
Worlds (if qualified): May 24 - 26