A group of Burnaby students is on a journey of mind and body this week, travelling to East Lansing, Mich. for the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals May 20 to 24.
Three local elementary schools – Glenwood, Buckingham and Montecito – qualified for the world competition by winning gold last month at the provincial final.
Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving program, run in more than 20 countries worldwide. Each year the competition features five problems. Teams choose one to solve.
This year, Glenwood was the division 1 winner for the Lose Your Marbles problem, Buckingham was the division 1 winner for the Runaway Train problem and Montecito was the division 2 winner for the Lose Your Marbles problem.
Montecito also won the highest award at the competition, the Ranatra Fusca, for outstanding creativity.
All three schools qualified for the World Finals, and Buckingham and Montecito will make the trip. For more information about the program, visit www.odysseyofthemind.com.
Fantastic Free the Children fundraiser
Going to school will soon be within reach for a few more kids in India’s Punjab region thanks to a Burnaby South Grade 12 student.
A trip to Nicaragua with Free the Children last summer impressed on Robyn Sahota the importance of accessible schools for kids in developing countries, so this year she set out to raise $10,000 for a Free the Children school project in India – her parents’ country of origin.
Earlier this month, the 17-year-old hosted a fundraising dinner and dance at Vancouver’s Fraser View Hall, featuring Free the Children speaker Pavan Thind, a henna booth, 50/50 draw and silent auction.
Between that event and online donations, Sahota more than doubled her fundraising goal, collecting $21,000 for the school project.
En Francais si’l vous plait
Seven Burnaby students took home top awards at the provincial finals of the annual Canadian Parents for French public speaking competition, Concours d’art oratoire.
Of 10,000 B.C. students who competed in the French-language competition at the school and district level, 19 Burnaby students moved on to the provincial finals.
There, École Aubrey Elementary’s Averi Duerichen captured first place in the Grade 6 early immersion category with a speech titled “Les secrets des parcs aquatiques,” and École Moscrop Secondary’s Joanne Kim won second place in the Grade 8 Francophone division with “Les droits des femmes,” while École Cariboo Hill Secondary’s Nikita May took third place in the Grade 10 Francophone category for “Les attaques des groupes extrémistes islamiques.”
Among senior competitors, École Burnaby North Secondary’s Sophia Luo earned top spot in Grade 11/12 core French for “Pourquoi apprendre une autre langue?” while Cariboo Hill’s Shivam Bhayana was runner up in Grade 12 late immersion with “Les oléoducs.”
Third place honours went to Moscrop’s Wassim Khelifi in the Grade 11/12 Francophone category for “L’effet psychologique de la musique sur les adolescents” and École Alpha Secondary’s Hamish Clinton in Grade 11 Immersion for “L’effet du témoin.” For more information, visit www.cpf.bc.ca.
Teachers’ essay contest winners
Two Moscrop Secondary students earned prizes of $500 each in the annual Burnaby Teachers’ Association essay contest.
Grade 12 student Melissa Zapiola and Grade 11 student Toko Peters won top honours with essays titled “Breaking the Cycle” and “Children Raised by Poverty” respectively.
This year’s question posed by the local teachers’ union was “How does child poverty impact students in the B.C. education system?”
Another Moscrop Grade 12 student, Bill Kou, earned an honourable mention and a $50 gift certificate for his response, “Maywood School Community,” while Burnaby South Grade 12 student Dashae Geddes was rewarded with the same for “Poverty in British Columbia.”
Correction
Former Burnaby First Coalition trustee candidate Heather Leung was not a trustee candidate in 2011 for Burnaby Parents’ Voice as reported in the May 1 edition of the NOW. Leung was the president and spokesperson for that civic party.
