Secondary

Tournament Of Minds

Tournament of Minds is an international problem solving competition that encourages and develops creativity and higher order thinking amongst young people. The Tournament provides a platform for excellence and equips participants with strategies and skills, which will support future success.

This year, over 160 schools competed in regional tournaments – with only the top four schools, per learning area, going through to the Western Australian State Final. Last Sunday, 10 September at ECU Joondalup, our school had two teams compete – one in the area of Social Science, the other, for Maths Engineering. These teams consisted of seven students ranging from Years 7 to 10.

On the morning of the State Final, teams undertook a three-hour challenge in their chosen discipline, and presented their solution in the afternoon. In addition, teams were required to participate in a Spontaneous Challenge, which tested their creativity, teamwork and ability to work under pressure.

Both teams performed extremely well on the day, but were pipped at the post for a place in the Australasian Pacific Final. At the Awards Ceremony, the Judges commented that the Social Science category was the closest fought race they had seen in years…with only a point or two separating each of the teams.