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Classical Christian Academy Sends Four Odyssey of the Mind Teams to State

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Classical Christian Academy Sends Four Odyssey of the Mind Teams to State


CCA

March 30, 2017 — North Fort Myers, Fla. — Classical Christian Academy is proud to be sending all four of its Odyssey of the Mind teams to state competition in Orlando April 8. CCA is the only school in the Sun Region (SWFL) to advance four teams to the state tournament.

Odyssey of the Mind (OM) is an international program which challenges students to creatively solve problems, ranging from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretations of literary classics. OM competitions take place around the world for students in kindergarten through college.

CCA has one elementary team, two middle school teams, and one high school team advancing to the Florida Odyssey of the Mind Tournament. Two of CCA’s teams took First Place honors at the Sun Region Tournament, which was held at Riverdale High School on March 4.

Odyssey of the Mind competition consists of two components: Long-term and Spontaneous Challenges.


CCA

“The students have been working on their long term problem solutions since September,” said CCA OM Coach Mrs. Tabitha Dillehay. “During the busy time of season, they work seven hours per week after school as a team and often spend three or more hours each on individual projects.”

The elementary team and one middle school team chose to take on the Odd-A-Bot challenge. Teams had to create a technical robot that would perform four different actions. The elementary team used a pirate theme with a robot that was discovered with treasure they raided from another ship. The middle school team developed a North Pole idea where the children discovered a Penguin Robot to help at their house.

The other middle school team and CCA’s high school OM team worked on the Catch Me If You Can problem. Teams had to make three vehicles that would travel independently to a secret meeting spot. The middle school used a social media theme with apps, trying to avoid viruses so they could get an upgrade. The high school team created a theme where Santa was trying to break into a Pre –Christmas Packaging Contest that other package delivery companies are attending.


CCA

“We find that students in Odyssey learn to think creatively, work cooperatively and share effectively,” said Mrs. Dillehay.  “It is also a great way to think outside the box and have fun with friends!”

The creative process inevitably involves engineering and design challenges.

“Our third car would not work,” recalled CCA student Jack G. “As hard as we tried, it wouldn’t work so we took months and lots of weekends to try and get it done.”

In preparation for state competition, the CCA OM teams have scheduled extra practices. They may even add some creative elements to their skits.

“The students are practicing their acting skills to enhance their presentations,” Mrs. Dillehay said. “We have also practiced with several spontaneous problems to keep their minds thinking.”

High School OMer Elizabeth D. said she likes the creative challenge of OM and the teamwork required to fix problems.

“You work as a team to solve your problems and develop really good friendships, and the parents don’t get to help,” she added.

CCA’s OM teams are eager to perform in front of a larger audience at the state tournament, held at the University of Central Florida. If teams place at the state level, they will advance to the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Michigan State University May 24-27.


CCA

“We are blessed with a wonderful group of dedicated, creative and hard-working students,” said Mrs. Dillehay.

The countless hours of preparation have paid off with regional success, and CCA is wishing its four OM teams the best at State!

About Classical Christian Academy:

Classical Christian Academy is the premier hybrid school in Southwest Florida. CCA offers families an academically rigorous and Christ-centered K-12 education option that blends the best aspects of private and homeschooling. Classical Christian Academy is a registered 501c(3) organization. For more information, visit www.discovercca.org and like CCA on www.facebook.com/DiscoverCCA.

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