The 2000 Happy Valley School Tournament of Minds Team
Back: Paige Cooper, Harriet Whiley, Jessica Hurem.
Front: Catherine Brown, Chelsea Berner, Emma Richardson, Samantha Williams

On Sunday 3rd September 2000, a team of students from Year 6 and 7 took part in The Tournament Of Minds at The Flinders University. 

The "Tournament of Minds" is a problem solving programme for teams of students from both primary and secondary schools throughout the whole of Australia. The teams are required to solve demanding, open-ended problems from one of the following disciplines:-

• Language Literature

• Maths Engineering

• Social Sciences

This year our team chose to solve the Language Literature problem. They presented their work around the story "Wind in the Willows." 

For the long term problem each team has 10 minutes to present their solution and must do so within a 3 x 3 metre area.

The photo at left shows Mr. MacLean and the team coping with all the tension of the day.

Each team has six weeks to work together on a long term problem without assistance from teachers, parents or peers. They are encouraged to explore many possibilities and experiment with ideas as they endeavour to produce their best possible solution. They develop a creative and original way to communicate this solution to others, working within predefined parameters such as limited materials, complex problem criteria and the deadline of Tournament Day.
The Photo at right shows Harriet, Jessica and Paige during the long performance.

Not only do teams have to cope with their long term problem but they must also participate in an unseen, spontaneous problem on tournament day. This problem requires rapid interchange of ideas, the ability to think creatively and well developed group cooperation skills.

The Tournament of Minds is an opportunity for students with a passion for learning and problem solving to demonstrate their skills and talents in an exciting, vibrant and public way.

The objectives of the tournament are:-
     To develop creative problem solving approaches and techniques
     To foster cooperative learning and team work
     To promote knowledge and appreciation of self and others
     To encourage experimentation and risk taking
     To expand and reward creative and divergent thinking
     To stimulate a spirit of inquiry and a love of learning
     To develop enterprise
     To celebrate excellence

Above: The Team in action
From Left: Samantha, Chelsea, Paige, Catherine, Jessica, Emma and Harriet

Overall our team performed magnificently. Their costuming, script, character development and overall solution really caught the judges' eyes. At the end of the day, they gained Tournament Honours. This placed them in the top nine out of sixty teams that presented in their category. 
An outstanding achievement!