Over the weekend of March 7-8, two six-member Middle School teams competed at the regional Odyssey of the Mind tournament, held at Woodstown High School. The performances that these teams brought to that gymnasium floor were the result of months of extraordinary effort, creativity, and heart.

Their journey began in December, when both teams dove into their long-term problem solutions. One team designed and built a vehicle as a central element of their solution; the other engineered an original electronic device. Alongside the physical builds, each team crafted a full script, bringing together imagination and storytelling with the demands of technical construction. Through January and into February, sessions filled with building, tearing down, and rebuilding became the rhythm of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons.

The road was not without obstacles. In mid-February, one of the team coaches had to step away due to unforeseen circumstances, and the teams pressed forward. Weather rescheduling and competing commitments meant that for thirteen of their thirty working sessions, each 1.5 hours long, the teams had only one coach to guide them. Two sessions were covered by a gracious substitute coach (thank you, Mr. Horsley!), and four more were attended by a dedicated assistant coach (thank you, Señora Berko!). The broader community also showed up. Special thanks to Ms. Capelle-Burny, head of Middle School, and all the OotM parents who supported these students at the competition on Saturday, March 7.

What these two teams accomplished across those thirty sessions—writing their skits, constructing their solutions, and staging it all into a cohesive performance—is a testament not only to their talent but also to their self-direction, organization, and commitment. In thirteen years of coaching Odyssey of the Mind, their coach noted that this year's teams rank among the best she has seen in demonstrating those qualities.

At the tournament, both teams performed with pride and skill. Team 2 even brought the house down with a standout dance number. A special thank you goes to Zinnia Z. '28, who made time in her busy schedule to teach the Middle Schoolers the moves that became one of the highlights of the entire day! When other technical challenges arose on the floor, as they always do in OotM, the students met them as a team. When the scores were announced, they received them with grace and humility that belied their age.

The results: both teams placed first in their respective Spontaneous sections of the competition. Team 1 earned third place overall, and Team 2 earned fourth place overall. Although neither team advances to the state tournament, the victories they've earned cannot be measured solely by rankings. They have built something real in their props, friendships, and themselves. The resilience, creativity, and collaboration they've developed through this process will echo far beyond any single competition, shaping not only their own futures but the culture of their Pennington School community.

We are immensely proud of them. Every single one!