The Oatville Elementary Odyssey of the Mind team is getting ready to head to the world finals, to be held May 28-31 at Iowa State University in Ames.
    “For several months now, six Oatville fifth grade students and I have been planning, preparing and practicing for regional and State Odyssey of the Mind competitions,” said Melinda Wren, coach and ESOL elementary coordinator for Haysville Public Schools. “To earn a trip to Iowa, the students won first place in their division at the State competition at Kansas State University. In so doing, they have been invited to compete against teams from across the United States and several other countries. We are so proud of the team, and hope you will share in our excitement for them.”
    Odyssey of the Mind is an international program for students from kindergarten through college that promotes divergent thinking and helps develop creative problem-solving skills. Participants learn to work together as a creative team, to evaluate ideas and make decisions that result in workable solutions to achieve their goals.
    “This year the team’s problem was titled ‘It’s How We Rule.’ The team was to create and present an original humorous performance that included a recreation of an actual Historic Royal Court and their own Team-Created Court that was set at a different time and place,” Wren said. “The students were responsible for selecting their presentation problem, method of presentation, prop/costume gathering and meeting each required element of content for each panel of judges.” 
    The Oatville Elementary School Odyssey of The Mind Team is accepting any donations to help with the cost of the trip. A tax-deductible gift can be sent to: Oatville Elementary School, 4335 S. Hoover, Wichita, KS 67215. Put “Odyssey of the Mind” in the note section of your check. For more information, contact Melinda Wren (Coach) at Oatville Elementary at 554-2290.