Tacking Point Public School is celebrating a remarkable result with the four of its five teams sweeping the pool at the regional level of Tournament of the Minds.
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The competition requires teams of students to solve demanding challenges from the disciplines of science technology, engineering mathematics, language literature and social sciences.
Teams are made up of seven students. The school provided 35 students for the challenge.
Tacking Point Public School’s TOM facilitator and year 5 and 6 enrichment class teacher Cherry Nelson said the school community was proud and ecstatic with the results.
“We had five teams competing in Sunday’s regional round of Tournament of the Mind and to have four teams take out every discipline is remarkable,” she said.
“This success is due to the programs the school offers where we encourage higher order thinking.
“This is especially the case in the field of science and technology.
“We are very much focused on building the skills of collaboration, critical and creative thinking, innovative thinking, communication and digital literacy.”
The school has a tremendous history of success at Tournament of the Minds with a 2009 team taking out the Australiasian and Pacific first prize in language and literature.
While three of its teams have also reached state level in previous years, Ms Nelson said this was the first year four of its teams had reached that level.
This success is due to the programs the school offers where we encourage higher order thinking.
- Cherry Nelson
The next round of Tournament of the Mind is at the University of NSW on September 10. Regional teams will compete against private and public schools from across the state, Ms Nelson said.
“At regional level, teams had six weeks to prepare for their challenge but at state level the timeframe is just three hours,” she said.
“There will also be a spontaneous challenge that the teams will have to answer that is relevant to their discipline.
“Successful teams at state level progress to the Australiasian Pacific judging to be held in Adelaide at the end of October. That competition involves teams from Thailand, Hong Kong and New Zealand.”
Primary school winners
Science technology – Tacking Point – team 4, honours Hastings Public – team 3.
Engineering mathematics – Tacking Point Public School Ctrl+Alt+Del, honours Gloucester team 1 and Nambucca Primary School – team 1.
Language literature – Tacking Point – Classic Classics, honours Coffs Harbour Christian Community School LL – team B, Hastings Public School – team 1.
Social sciences – Tacking Point – Kengiums, honours Hastings Public School – team 2, CHCCS – team 2.
Secondary school winners
Science technology – John Paul College – team 2, honours Mackillop College – Alica.
Engineering mathematics – Mackillop College – ETA, honours St Joseph’s Port Macquarie – team 1.
Language literature – St Columba – All Girls, honours Mackillop College – Nic, Port Macquarie High School – Mr L.
Social sciences – St Columba – Higston, honours Melville High School, John Paul College 1.
Spirit of Tournament award – Primary school – Gloucester public team 1 – Eng Math; secondary school – Melville High School.