Saratoga Independent School Odyssey of the Mind Team Advances to State Finals

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Independent School’s (SIS) Odyssey of the Mind team won first place in its regional competition and is moving on to compete in the New York State Finals Tournament on April 7 at Binghamton University. Saratoga Independent School’s three Odyssey of the Mind teams took home three awards at the New York Region 6 competition held in Galway, New York on Saturday, March 17, including a first place finish, a third place finish, and a special award for good sportsmanship.  More than 300 students on 44 teams from public and private schools in 15 school districts competed. SIS’s Odyssey of the Mind team advancing to the state tournament includes:  teachers Sarah Morris and Ilena Coor; students Jack Scher, Virginia Arnod, Wyatt and Carter Short, Anna Westney and Norah Hoke. Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. Founded in 1991, SIS is a New York state-chartered private school in Saratoga Springs accredited by the New York State Independent Schools Association.  The school currently serves 140 students in Prekindergarten through 5th grade. In Fall 2018, SIS will launch The Middle School at Saratoga Independent School, beginning with sixth grade. Seventh grade will be added in 2019 and eighth grade in 2020. The school’s mission is to empower students to become confident learners who are capable of critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork.  It strives to equip its students with the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in an increasingly complex world, while enriching each day of their childhood.