Highlights
OM Association, Inc. of New York
CreativityNews
March 2000 Issue
1999-2000 Destination Imagination Season …
State Competition Report
We Did it…TOGETHER!
Amherst Middle School was utilized this year as the site for the combined Western Region and New York State Tournament. While the snow threatened outside all day, the spirits of everyone inside were bright and sunny. The Staff at Amherst MS made sure that every contingency was anticipated for the tournament. The custodial staff in the building, and the food service were wonderful to all of us. We appreciate their help in making this the best t ournament we have ever had!
While our awards celebration is always fun, this year marked the first time we celebrated as a State Tournament. I want to thank EVERYONE who understood the necessity for combining our State and Western Regional Tournaments making the a wards about 30 minutes longer than we are used to…. more awards…. more happy kids…. more CHAMPIONSHIPS! The scores were not ready right on time for the scheduled awards celebration, in fact, when the first teams were receiving their awards some F ruit Rollercoaster teams were still competing and the score room was still busily crunching numbers! But as the scores were ready they were run onto the stage and each award flowed into the next seamlessly!…this could not have happened without the ded ication of the score room personnel and our Problem Captains who put in some intense moments to make sure kids didn’t have to wait an extra minute to find out who our new Champions would be.
As we look forward to next years creative challenges, let me remind you that EVERY team won on March 11th . The solutions you demonstrated were outstanding in every way, by completing these solutions you “beat” the difficult prob lem, and by beating the problem you won.
Da Vinci Award Recipients
The Da Vinci Creativity Award is at the heart of what DI is all about. It is only given to those individuals and teams that exhibit the highest levels of creativity at an DI Tournament.
The citation on the DaVinci Certificate reads:
“The paths we follow on our journeys were once uncharted and unknown – until someone took a bold step in a new direction and paved a way for us to follow. To solve our Challenges, imagination, creativity, originality, and courage are re quired. We honor those individuals and teams who most clearly demonstrate that spirit of adventurous risk in their solutions – those who most creatively traveled to reach truly new and unique destinations. The DaVinci Award is named to honor one of humani ty’s greatest creative thinkers, Leonardo Da Vinci. Awards will include an inscription of Leonardo’s personal motto “Sapere Vedere” (To Know How to See ) – fusing classical thought and philosophy with art and science to propose new and creative outlooks o f the world. *Please note: solutions need not be successful to demonstrate the attributes of creativity and risk taking.”
1999-2000 NY State DaVinci Award Recipients:
Somers Intermediate School
If Music Be the Food of Life…
Elementary Level
“The cardboard oven used in the sketch turned into an elaborate musical instrument using pool balls, a conveyor belt, a symptom of decending flumes which conveyed the pool balls and in the middle or at the end of the flumes were different musical instruments. As the pool balls decended they hit the musical instruments which created various musical tones. The pool balls ended up in a basket at the back of the prop. Therefore, the whole process could b e started again. FANTASTIC!”
Huth Road Elementary School
Mixing Apples & Oranges
Elementary Level
“WOW! These had to be two of the most unique species we saw all day! Talk about opposites attracting! Would you believe that the ESPINAL WORM could actually raise and nurture a HATZIN BIRD! This team transported our audience to the Amazon River with music and scenery that came to life. A wonderfully wildly rooted rain forest tree popped open to become our narrator. An additional risk taking bonus that really grabbed the judges attention was the fact that this team was particularly conscious of pollution and damage to the species habitat. They took this ‘environmental challenge’ seriously and produced their skit with as many recycled items as possible – no trees were killed to solve this DI challenge! “
Mildred E. Strang Middle School
Instant Pudding Improv
Intermediate Level
“Skit was so creative they actually had some of us visualizing a castle. Use of a “minstrel” set the mood and setting, plus acting as a time period storyteller. Props were super creative – and well m ade. Bifocals looked real! The sword (umbrella handle) in a stone (plastic bottle) was a WOW! One characters ears kept falling/slipping – but she carried on without missing a step. Story flow was ‘simpatico’ excellent stage presence and projection”
Renaissance Award Recipients
For Outstanding Design, Engineering, Execution, Performance
“On our journey we sometimes encounter exceptional travelers who entertain and enlighten us along the way. The Renaissance Award recognizes those among us who demonstrate extraordinary amounts of effort and preparation in their solution s or outstanding skill in engineering, design or performance. While the destination is creativity, these fellow travelers make the journey itself memorable.”
1999-2000 NY State Renaissance Award Recipients:
Ellicott Elementary
Mixing Apples & Oranges
Elementary Level
“The Renaissance Award is dedicated to a team that exhibits outstanding engineering, design or performance… this team exhibited all three! Design and Engineering was accomplished through the use of eliptical wheels creating a wobbly gate of a prop. The axle of this prop also turned creating contact points making ‘flashy’ eyes. One prop doubled as two as they reversed it going from a chimney stack to a geyser. As stirring rendition of an original po em reinforcing the need for a caring world population filled the requirements that makes this team from Ellicott Road true Renaissance performers!”
Brookside Elementary
It’s Not Impastable!
Elementary Level
“The structure was AMAZING! If more time was allowed they could still be putting weights on right now! IMPECCABLE WORK!”
Somers Intermediate School
If Music Be the Food of Life…
Elementary Level
“The team showed exceptional computer skills and technical aptitude in planning and creating their sophisticated props. It was a definate WOW!”
Spirit of DI Award Recipients
The Spirit of Discovery and Imagination Award
(Spirit of DI Award):
for Outstanding Spirit, Teamwork, Volunteerism, Sportsmanship
“Destination Imagination from its very beginning has been a community. The recipients of this award are the ones who go out of their way to help others, making sacrifices not for themselves, but to give something to someone else. We rec ognize and applaud those members of our community who demonstrate outstanding and extraordinary levels of sportsmanship, volunteerism and spirit, be they Team Managers, Team members, Officials, or other helpful DI friends and volunteers.”
1999-2000 NY State Spirit of DI Award Recipients:
Individual Award
Mr. Chris Repp
“The authors of the citation for the Spirit of DI award must have known the person who is our state’s first ever recipient!
Several months ago, a long-time coach came to me asking how he could help get our fledgling state organization off the ground… you should know he was already committed to coaching a team. I mentioned to him that I was having a terribl e time figuring out how what was developed as a regional budget could possibly be stretched to provide a kid centered and volunteer based program for the entire state. Certainly his generous corporate donation making our awards possible would have been en ough to generate this nomination, but he didn’t stop there! This incredible man then began to gently prod other businesses into making donations to help cover in part the purchase of state pins, state champion t-shirts, and our gorgeous new banner that wi ll be proudly carried into opening and closeing ceremonies at the Destination Imagination Global Finals in May! This man went to fund raisers for OTHER organizations and raised funds for us there! He continually and persistently insists that there is more that can be done. And while coaching a DI Team, running a business, being a Father and Husband, this man continues to give of himself to the benefit of every DI participant in our state.
We are blessed to have Chris Repp among us – he is one who TRULY and selflessly gives of himself, making sacrifices to help all of us!”
Moses DeWitt Elementary
It’s Not Impastable!
Elementary Level
“Good skit charaterizations, lively presentation, this was a TOTAL TEAM EFFORT! Used recording of their own voices as music backgound. Included a video, also in the backgound, of historic Verranzzano bridge collapse, whild singing and dancing to “London Bridge”. Pasta structure was very light and simple, yet supported over 100 pounds (Ratio of load to Structure was over 300 pounds to 1 pound structure!) They displayed their own drawings of tresses an d showed us their research and web research. We were VERY impressed with the wonderful TEAM effort displayed by this team.”
Kristina Moore
Pierre Van Cortlandt MS
If Music Be the Food of Life…
Intermediate Level
Instant Challenge Nomination
“She was very supportive of all team members ideas. She tried to draw out her less vocal team mates. She was a leader without being overpowering. She praised her team mates for good ideas and efforts . A real team cheerleader and the heart of the team! She also had wonderful ideas of her own!”
A Word About Winning!
Destination Imagination is the only thing I can think of that has no losers, every team has only one competitor, and that is the problem they face…”winning” is beating the problem! Every one of the teams that showed a problem solution to the judges won on 3/11/00. Some teams were named “Champions” and will advance in competition, the vast majority of teams ended their DI season after the awards ceremony. The only possible loss would be if any of th ose teams were not extremely proud of themselves for taking on and conquering these difficult problems…You are all champions!
What Now?
For a few lucky teams this DI season continues at the Destination Imagination International Tournament to be held on May 24 through 28 at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. As is the case with all DI Tournaments, D2K is open to spectators, and all of the teams enjoy having an enthusiastic audience for their performance. If you happen to be traveling toward Iowa, or willing to make a special trip why not stop in and cheer on a few teams?
About the scores
While we are extremely proud of the birth of our new organization, we are even prouder when we say that the scores of this competition show the intensely competitive nature of our tournament. There a re many many cases of teams within a hair’s breath of one another.
In order to illustrate the closeness of these scores individual team scores should never be viewed in isolation. A score of 35 in one aspect of a challenge may not look all that good in isolation, but it may well be the best score of th e day for that particular challenge and competition level.
Western Regional Champions!
Complete scores are available at our website
Mixing Apples & Oranges
Elementary
1st – Ellicott Elementary
2nd – Huth Road Elementary
3rd – Charlotte Ave. Elementary’
Intermediate
1st – Amherst Middle School
2nd – Hamburg Middle School
Eggsploration!
Elementary
1st – South Davis Elementary
2nd – Blasdell Elementary
3rd – Main Street Elementary
Intermediate
1st – Lakeshore Middle School
2nd – Amherst Middle School
3rd – Gowanda Central School
Fruit Roller Coaster
Elementary
1st – Ellicott Elementary
2nd – Main Street Elementary
3rd – South Davis Elementary
Intermediate
1st – JT Waugh Intermediate School
2nd- Orchard Park Middle School
3rd – Amherst Middle School
Secondary
1st – Orchard Park High School
2nd – Panama Central School
If Music Be the Food of Life…
Elementary
1st – Eggert Road Elementary
2nd – Charlotte Ave Elementary
3rd – WT Hoag Elementary
It’s Not Impastable!
Elementary
1st – Gowanda Central School
2nd – Main Street Elementary
3rd – Highland Elementary
Intermediate
1st – Tonawanda Jr/Sr High School
Secondary
1st – Panama Central School
Instant Pudding Improv
Elementary
1st – JT Waugh Intermediate School
2nd – Windom Elementary
3rd – Gowanda Central School
Intermediate
1st – Orchard Park Middle School
2nd – East Aurora Middle School
3rd – Frontier Middle School
Secondary
1st – Orchard Park High School
New York State Champions!
Complete scores are available at our website
Mixing Apples & Oranges
Elementary
1st – Ellicott Elementary
2nd – Huth Road Elementary
3rd – Somers Intermediate School
Intermediate
1st – Mildred E. Strang MS
2nd – Amherst Middle School
3rd – Somers Middle School
Eggsploration!
Elementary
1st – South Davis Elementary
2nd – Blasdell Elementary
3rd – Brookside Elementary
Intermediate
1st – Mildred E. Strang MS
2nd – Lakeshore Middle School
3rd – Amherst Middle School
Fruit Roller Coaster
Elementary
1st – Ellicott Elementary
2nd – Lincoln-Titus Elementary – Tm A
3rd – Main Street Elementary
Intermediate
1st – JT Waugh Intermediate School
2nd- Orchard Park Middle School
3rd – Somers Middle School
Secondary
1st – Orchard Park High School
2nd – Panama Central School
If Music Be the Food of Life…
Elementary
1st – Somers Intermediate
2nd – Eggert Road Elementary
3rd – Charlotte Ave Elementary
Intermediate
1st – Pierre Van Cortlandt MS
2nd – Briarcliff MS
It’s Not Impastable!
Elementary
1st – Brookside Elementary
2nd – Moses De Witt Elementary
3rd – Gowanda Central School
Intermediate
1st – De Ruyter Elementary
2nd – Tonawanda Jr/Sr High School
Secondary
1st – Panama Central School
Instant Pudding Improv
Elementary
1st – Springhurst Elementary
2nd – JT Waugh Intermediate School
3rd – Windom Elementary
Intermediate
1st – Orchard Park Middle School
2nd – Mildred E. Strang Middle School
3rd – Somers Middle School
Secondary
1st – Orchard Park High School
Special words of thanks!
As many of you already know I have been involved in creative problem solving programs for many years as a parent, coach, judge, regional director, and now as your affiliate director. Every year I am amazed and blessed by the assistance of outstanding volunteers who work so hard to make our tournament a special day for every team. The judges, coaches, parents, school coordinators, principals, district office administration, BOCES personnel, score runn ers, souviner sales personnel, and tournament volunteers are OUTSTANDING in our state!
I would be remiss if I didn’t say a personal word of thanks to ALL of our outstanding teams….you come in to the building with your props, costumes, skits, and solutions and make everyone look good. All of the congratulations I have be en hearing in the past couple of days for a wonderful tournament should be directed to YOU and only to YOU! You are, very simply put….THE BEST! And I thank each and every one of you more than words can possibly express for your dedication to each other, teamwork, the DI program and exemplifying the “be the best you can be” philosophy.
A Plea for help….
Many of you are aware that this year, our first year, was a special challenge for all of us. While providing information, training, and support to teams and coaches we were also building an organizat ion from the ground up, recruiting judges, planning tournaments and attempting to define our new program for our members and the world! It was a difficult and interesting year to say the least!
In preparation for next year (I can hear you all groaning now!!!) I would ask that each of you consider taking on a critical role within our fledgling State organization. We are in need of board members representing each area of our sta te, as well as a State Tournament Director. We must now expand our State Judging Corps as well.
Between now and September 2000 we will be doing a great deal of planning for the new DI Season ahead. We need people willing to help plan and implement even a small portion of our program.
We anticipate amazing growth in our program now that we have proved to the world that WE CAN DO IT! We very much want to have a complete State Tournament in 2001, we already have a site near Syracuse NY selected for our 20 01 tournament, but this can only happen when we have even more dedicated volunteers and judges to assist in making this a reality — I cannot do all of it alone and am asking YOU to consider how you can help make our organizati on grow and flourish in the coming years….. if you are willing to take on a role within our organization please contact me at your earliest convenience. There is no pay…. unless you count the incredible joy you feel in seeing children grow and become all they can….. there are few thanks for all the work……. unless you count the one’s you will see in parents eyes one day out of the year as they watch their children with pride. There is no limit to how much needs to be done… unless you limit what you want to do for the kids! Please consider joining me in this ‘joyous exhaustion’ as we take our program forward…..
Growing our Program…
We believe that our program has PROVED to be the most responsive, kid centered, volunteer run, completely membership driven program in our state….IT’S TIME TO GET THE WORD OUT THAT WE AR E HERE TO STAY AND GROWING!
If each membership coordinator, Team Manager, Parent, Judge, and Team Member calls one friend at a school not participating in our program and lets them know about their own experience, we can grow our program, serve more chi ldren, and expand our volunteer base! You are the consumer of our program in New York…. You are our best advertisement!
I call upon each of you to make just one contact and tell one person about your experience in our program this year. If we can do it so well this first year justIMAGINE how great the future will be!
Final words…
I am so proud of each and every team and coach in our state, I am so thankful to each of our membership coordinators for the time and effort they put into supporting our teams, I am so appreciative o f the school administrators who in times of budget constraints have found a way to encourage participation in this outstanding program, I am thrilled to say that this state boasts the best and most diversified judging team that has ever been assembled for a Tournament, and finally I am honored to be able to serve every team and coach in this state in any way I possibly can. If you need anything regarding DI, whether it be advice, a shoulder to cry on, a willing ear, or a presentation, extra training, or a book from the lending library, I am always only as far away as your telephone……
The final Newsletter of the school year will follow The International DI Tournament (D2K) and will include membership information for 2001.
In the meanwhile, the state website will continue to be updated on a regular basis with important information about our program as will the national website at www.dini.org
Sincerely,
Dee Urban, Affiliate Director
OM Association, Inc. of NY
73 Minden Drive
Orchard Park, NY 14127
Phone: 716-675-7566
e-mail: [email protected]
