March 21, 2008

Odyssey of the Mind

By Bernadette Marcias
and Tara Iyer
Special to the Times

On Saturday, Mar.5, five teams representing Carolyn Clark Elementary School competed in Odyssey of the Mind at Del Mar High School.

Kindergarten Odyssey Team members included Brandon Marcias, Jevon Sandhu, Olivia Catlett, Alyssa Acosta, Ashley Esrey, and Matthew Regal.

Odyssey of the mind allows students from kindergarten through high school to solve different problems using their creativity. Carolyn Clark had one kindergarten team, one third grade team, two fifth grade teams and one sixth grade team.

Preparing for the competition took a lot of hard work. Students met before and after school, and sometimes during recess.

Students had to learn to work cooperatively and effectively. What is unique about this experience is that no adult help is allowed. Some problems include making creative plays, and constructing vehicles to compete in road rallies.

The kindergarten team tied for first place while the sixth grade team earned second place. The six graders will move on to the State competition on Apr. 5 in Brentwood, CA.