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Odyssey under way for GCS problem solvers
Teams wrap up final preparations before heading to regional creative thinking competition at NAU

Submitted photo<br>
Grand Canyon School will send three teams to the regional Odyssey of the Mind competition to be held March 5 at Northern Arizona University. Pictured back row from left: Coaches Jen Marshall, Andy Pearce, SuZan Pearce, Laura Kelso and Amour Drummond. Teams from left: Thomas Bishop, Gunter Morris, Emmett Hough, Cale Wisher, Ellie Pearce, Mackenzie Hodges, Kyla Pearce, Ariel Morris, Brook Marshall, Noelani Marshall, Caius Kennedy, Jordan Long, Dominic Hodges, Thomas Bishop, Connor Jones, Israel Herrera, Kylie Donehoo, Deya Ramos and Makiah Kennedy.

Submitted photo<br> Grand Canyon School will send three teams to the regional Odyssey of the Mind competition to be held March 5 at Northern Arizona University. Pictured back row from left: Coaches Jen Marshall, Andy Pearce, SuZan Pearce, Laura Kelso and Amour Drummond. Teams from left: Thomas Bishop, Gunter Morris, Emmett Hough, Cale Wisher, Ellie Pearce, Mackenzie Hodges, Kyla Pearce, Ariel Morris, Brook Marshall, Noelani Marshall, Caius Kennedy, Jordan Long, Dominic Hodges, Thomas Bishop, Connor Jones, Israel Herrera, Kylie Donehoo, Deya Ramos and Makiah Kennedy.

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - Final preparations are under way at Grand Canyon School (GCS) for this year's regional Odyssey of the Mind competition.

Grand Canyon School K-5 special education teacher Kay Bordwell has stepped into the coordinator role this year. She has coached teams in the past and judged competition as well, having been involved with the program for four years.

Bordwell said teachers, parents and past students, now becoming coaches and judges, actively participate in and support the program.

The program has been offered at the school for over 10 years.

"This is a long-term commitment for Grand Canyon School," Bordwell said.

Bordwell said teams consist of seven members, who in turn operate under the guidance of an Odyssey coach. This year, the school has three teams - a primary team coached by Jen Marshall and Suzanne Pearce, a division one team, comprised of third, fourth and fifth grade students, coached by Amour Drummond and a division two team of middle school students, coached by Laura Kelso and Andy Pearce.

Students and coaches begin practicing in the fall in preparation for the upcoming northern regional tournament, which takes place March 5 at Northern Arizona University in the Eastburn Education building.

Teams are given a problem at the beginning of the school year. The teams choose the type of problem they will take to competition. Team members apply their creativity to solve the problem that might range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of a literary classic.

"They have to integrate different skills," Bordwell said. "There are different kinds of problems created pulling together different areas of study."

The teams create a script to act out their solution.

"They have to create all of their own background props and costumes," Bordwell said.

They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and world level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program.

Bordwell said the judges are looking for "out of the box" thinking.

"What the judges are really trying to see is that creativity. How people can look at things in a different way and come up with different kinds of solutions," she said. "It's really imaginative and very collaborative."

The primary team will only compete in the regional competition. The Division One and Two teams can move on to the state competition in Tucson if they place in first or second. If the teams find success at the state level, they move on to the world finals.

"We have consistently sent a team, not only to state, but to worlds," Bordwell said. "So, we have some very, very competitive teams and it has been very consistent as far as their ability to compete against other teams from all over the state."

Bordwell said the competition is open to the public.

"We invite the Grand Canyon community to come and see the student's problems," she said.

Donations to help offset travel and materials costs are always gratefully accepted. To find out how you can help, call the Grand Canyon School office at (928) 638-2461. For more information visit www.odysseyofthemind.com.


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