Wyndham Middle Odyssey of the Mind team honored after world finals showing

Wyndham Middle School's Odyssey of the Mind team was recognized by the Wyndham Raymond (RSU 14) Board of Directors at its June 17 meeting at Jordan Small Middle School.

Students who identified themselves at the meeting — Finley Mayo, Cora Miller, Brynn Johnson and Charlie Johnson — described Odyssey of the Mind as "an international program that teaches students creativity and problem solving," and recounted highlights from World Finals in Iowa, including the creativity festival, pin trading and spontaneous problem-solving rounds. One student reported the team placed 18th out of 63 teams.

Coach and presenter (addressing the board) emphasized the program's benefits for students beyond competition, saying it provides opportunities for communication, creativity and practical problem-solving. The coach said the program also supports outreach in Raymond and that the coach will continue supporting the program "as long as the majority of them stay together," describing the coach role as managing students' emotions and helping them channel creativity.

Students gave specific examples of the format: long-term problems requiring multi-day work, spontaneous tasks that test creative responses, and social components such as pin trading where teams exchange state or country pins. Several students described the excitement of opening and closing ceremonies at large events and the chance to meet teams from other states and countries.

Chair Christina Small and board members congratulated the team for representing Wyndham on a national and international stage and noted the district will continue to support expanded participation. The recognition concluded with applause and a brief reminder of opportunities to bring elementary-level Odyssey activities to local schools.

The board then moved on to its regular business agenda.