From the Acting Director of Teaching and Learning K–12

Tournament of Minds: Creativity, collaboration and critical thinking in action 

In a world where success increasingly relies on creativity, communication, problem-solving and teamwork, opportunities such as Tournament of Minds play a vital role in developing these essential future-focused skills. Tournament of Minds challenges students to think innovatively, collaborate effectively and apply their learning in authentic and engaging ways. Through the process, students learn to listen to others, build on ideas, adapt to challenges and work towards a common goal. 

Tournament of Minds is a problem-solving competition in which students work in teams to solve both a Long-Term Challenge and a Spontaneous Challenge. Over six weeks, teams develop an original solution to an open-ended problem, creating scripts, performances, costumes and props before presenting their work to a panel of judges. On Tournament Day, students also tackle a previously unseen Spontaneous Challenge, requiring them to think quickly, communicate clearly and work collaboratively under pressure. 

We congratulate our four teams who proudly represented St Mary's at the State Finals held at Hobart City High on Saturday 12 September. Throughout the competition, our students displayed remarkable creativity, resilience, commitment and teamwork, and they should all be incredibly proud of their achievements. 

A special congratulations goes to our Year 7/8 team, who received a Merit Award in the Secondary Language Literature Division. This recognition is a testament to the hard work, imagination and collaboration demonstrated by the team throughout the competition. 

We would also like to thank Mrs Jenny Noble, St Mary’s Extension/Gifted Program Coordinator, for her support of these teams on the day and for the time she put in to help them all prepare. 

We also acknowledge all students who participated: 

Year 5 Team: Sylvia, Abbey, Evelyn, Emlyn, Maddi, Mylah and Tess 

Year 7/8 Team: Nina, Maddie, Maeve, Mila, Vivian, Madeleine and Audrey 

Year 8 Team: Phoebe, Sophie, Lella, Coda, Eowyn and Adela 

Year 7/9 Team: Emma, Lucy, Abbie, Katie, Eva, Mabel and Abigail 

Congratulations to all involved in representing St Mary's with such enthusiasm, creativity and excellence. We are incredibly proud of your efforts and the way you embodied the values of collaboration, perseverance and innovative thinking throughout the Tournament of Minds journey.