As we all know 2020 has required all of us to show great adaptability and while we usually enjoy many after-school collaborative sessions while preparing challenge responses for Tournament of Minds (TOM), this year collaboration had to be achieved in a different way. We knew live performances and gathering at Deakin University in Burwood for the Tournament Day were not going to be part of the way forward, but a large group of students were still keen to participate — showing the enthusiasm and commitment we always see from students here at the College.
Over the past six weeks, seven teams of students have been working diligently to complete the Tournament of Minds Super Challenge 2020. The competition moved online this year but still required teamwork, problem solving skills and persistence — perhaps more so this year than in any other year.
Last week the students’ reflections on the process and how they worked together were uploaded for judging, along with their videoed response. Tournament judges are always keen to hear how teams went about the process of generating ideas, planning, script writing, making costumes and props, etc. and this year they also wanted to know how teams had adapted to the online format. Digital skills were highly valued this year as all presentations had to be filmed, edited and formatted appropriately for the judges. This year’s Super Challenge, titled ‘Quo Vadis’, focused on something extraordinary being found in an unexpected place by an out of the ordinary group and teams could focus on the challenge through the lens of one of the four disciplines — Social Sciences, Language and Literature, STEM or The Arts.
The Social Sciences team received a distinction for their extraordinary project ‘Mars Broadcasting Corporation’. The team, facilitated by Mr Thomas Warren, included students Shiloh Thurrowgood (Year 7 Orange), Amy Langcake (Year 8 Blue), Lucy Hobley (Year 8 Green) her brother Thomas (Year 9 Red) and Mitchell Mazzarella (Year 9 Red). Usually teams comprise seven students, but this team of five worked together beautifully despite the challenges of being separated and having to video their segments individually.
TOM offers teams of students the opportunity to solve authentic, open-ended challenges that foster creative, divergent thinking whilst developing collaborative enterprise, excellence and teamwork.
Congratulations to all of our students involved for their teamwork and commitment. It was wonderful to continue to be part of the TOM this year when so many other events and competitions have been cancelled.
Big thank you to Ms Natalie Hamment, Ms Christeen Fernando, Mr Thomas Warren, Mr Michael Modini and Mr Stuart Thornhill for working with the teams as facilitators this year.
TOURNAMENT OF MINDS PARTICIPANTS 2020:
Arts 1: Alannah Rudan (8 Jade), Madeleine Onley (9 Bronze), Anastasia Sutton (7 Purple), Anika Lill (7 Red), Myah Kennedy (7 Red), Taylah Wade (7 Green)
Arts 2: Chanel Fernando (10 Orange), Marisa Lopez Garza (10 Orange), Sienna Del Giudice (8 Purple), Alexander Boucher (8 Purple), Mia Sattler (8 Purple), Violet Willemsen (8 Red), Ella Hamilton (8 Red)
Arts 3: Olive Kercher (7 Bronze), Paige Prescott (7 Orange), Denisse Lopez Garza (8 Blue), Schemaiah Perera (9 White), Summer Hathaway (7 Bronze), Lissette Lopez Garza (7 Bronze)
Social Sciences 1: Shiloh Thurrowgood (7 Orange), Amy Langcake (8 Blue), Lucy Hobley (8 Green), Mitchell Mazzarella (9 Red), Thomas Hobley (9 Red)
STEM 1: Monique Ross (7 White), Chloe Ross (10 White), Jarrah Walpole (7 Orange), Rachael Roper (7 White), Kai Maloney (7 White), Max Biddiscombe (9 Blue), Primrose Dillon (9 Blue)
STEM 2: Teagan McConachy (10 Jade), Declan Beekhof (8 White), Ben Hendriks (8 White), Frankie Salomone (9 Red), Bradley Johnson (10 Silver), Zac Prentice (8 White)
STEM 3: Malindu Chandrasekara (9 Green), Mariano Martinez (9 Purple), Stephen Cameron (9 Red), April Atkinson (9 Jade), Mitchell Payne (9 Green), Josh Roberts (9 Gold), Carissa Manger (9 Gold)
