Odyssey of the Mind Tournament Highlights

Mar 28, 2025 | Recent News, School Life Highlights

D-E’s Odyssey of the Mind (OotM) teams recently competed at the Skylands Regional Tournament at Hillsborough Middle School, accompanied by Coach Colleen Larionoff, Innovation Coordinator, and D-E 360° Director Sherronda Brown. Our Upper School (US) team placed first in their respective divisions and are heading to the state tournament! The US Structure team built a 15g tower of balsa wood that held several hundred pounds, and the US Classics team showcased students’ vocal, instrumental, and artistic talents. Meanwhile, our Lower School (LS) Vehicle team placed 5th, just a few points shy of making it to the state competition. Our other LS team competed in the technical category for the first time this year, and through this process learned how to make improvements for next year.

“Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving competition combining STEM and performing arts,” explained Ms. Larionoff. “The process is entirely collaborative and student-led. Teams of students choose a problem, engineer a solution to the problem, and then create a performance to showcase their solution.” When asked about their favorite parts of the process, students mentioned everything from learning to use power tools to acting.

CHEERS and congrats to ALL our OotM teams and special thanks to the OoTM parent volunteers who assisted at Skylands!

What did you think of this article?
History Department Spotlight: Taking Lessons of the Past Into the Future
D-E Summer 2026 Programs
Spring 2026 Live Concert Performances Highlights
Commencement 2026: Relishing ‘Moments of Awe’ Now and in the Future
World Languages Spotlight: Making Cultural Connections Through Language Learning
US Farewell & Awards Assembly Highlights
Upper School Athletics Highlights Reel 2025-2026
D-E 360° After Care and Enrichment
Athletics Schedule
Admissions
D-E.org
D-E Today - News and Editorial Content

Spring 2026 Live Concert Performances Highlights

This spring D-E’s student musicians of all ages participated in live performances that were a culmination of discipline, training, and a deep-seated passion for music. They represented a journey of artistic growth, proving that in music the process of learning is...

Read More

7th Grade “Make It Better” Presentations

How can we build a better world? This was the question posed to 7th graders tasked with selecting a pressing issue connected to one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development goals that was personally meaningful and presenting them as part of their “Meet the...

Read More

Third Graders Discover the Joy of Playing the Ukulele

Little hands, big sounds! For one of their final units in Ms. Fiona Crawford’s 3rd Grade Music class, students learned how to play the ukulele, which is among the most versatile instruments for musical beginners. “It is well suited for developing melody, harmony,...

Read More

Class of 2030: 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony Highlights

The Class of 2030 is moving on up! During a ceremony in Schenck Auditorium, 93 8th graders celebrated the transition to high school with a ceremony filled with warm memories of their Middle School experiences and words of advice to guide them into their next...

Read More

Class of 2033: 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony Highlights

D-E’s 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony for the Class of 2033 was significant not only because it marked the transition from Lower School to Middle School for 47 of our students, but also because it was the first Moving Up with Mr. James Choi as the LS Principal and Ms....

Read More

Loading...