Two Clayton Odyssey of the Mind teams qualify for World Finals

CLAYTON, CA (April 4, 2023) — A pair of Clayton schools have Odyssey of the Mind teams that have qualified for the World Finals coming up May 24 at Michigan State University.

Team Smarties, now together at Diablo View Middle School (DMVS), won first place at the state competition, and a squad from Mt. Diablo Elementary School (MDE) placed third to earn its spot.

DVMS competed in Problem 5 “The Most Dramatic Problem Ever” and acted out a skit about a wedding that goes terribly wrong, according to the dramatic mother of the bride.  The team competed against five other squads in Division 2, the middle school level.

MDE competed in the same problem, but for Division 1 (the elementary school level).  The team very dramatically acted out a skit about two individuals trying to save the world.  It competed against nine other teams.

DVMS Team Smarties from left to right: (top row) included Coach Renee Culp, Emma Forrester, Hannah Laverick, Avica Bennett, Keira Caldwell, Charlotte King, and (Bottom row) Carly Grover, and Bailey McNeel-Caird.

Representing Mt. Diablo Elementary are, left to right,  Jevindu Senarath, Colton Roberts, Shreya Dey, Ethan Dunsford, Mikaeel Egbert, Sophie Swain, Coach Sri Dey and Paige Ridenour.

David Scholz

David Scholz is back in journalism as a freelance writer and photographer after nearly two decades in education. Prior to moving into teaching in 2000, he worked as a full-time journalist since 1988 for rural community and small daily newspapers in Central Ohio and Northern Nevada, and later in California with The Business Journal in Fresno and dailies in the Bay Area, including The Oakland Tribune and The San Francisco Chronicle. More recently Scholz also worked in an editing, writing, and page layout role with the Rossmoor News.