L.B. team tops Odyssey of the Mind competition
A team comprised of Long Beach elementary school students has advanced to the World Competition of Odyssey of the Mind, to be held in Michigan later this month. Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college.
The students placed second out of 19 teams at the state competition, which qualified them for the upcoming challenge that will include contenders from more than 25 different countries. The last time this achievement was seen in Long Beach was in 2011, when two elementary school teams made it to the elite global contest.
“This is the third team to make it to the World Competition in the past four years,” said teacher Dr. Caitlin Fuentes. “It is extremely difficult to make it to this level, and this is an amazing accomplishment for our students and the entire Long Beach Odyssey of the Mind Program.”
Dr. Fuentes and Beverlee Bertinetti coached the students. The seven students who comprise the team are Maryn Ascher, Samantha Breen, Sarah Gusler, Skyler Oblander, Matthew O’Connor, Gabrielle Pine and Ariana Thomas. In order to prepare for the upcoming event they have created scenery, props, costumes, membership signs and other items.
Another elementary group, consisting of Hailey Brandt, Jordan Collinson, Alexandria Kile, Ava Liguori, Ava Rand, Chloe Silverberg and Jillian Sondike, placed second in the Regional Competition. A team of Long Beach Middle School students, coached by Lorraine Pross, also participated in the State Competition.
