Charles Co. Students flex creativity at Destination Imagination contest, two schools advance to global competition

The T.C. Martin Elementary School Terrific Turtles team advance to the Destination Imagination Global Finals Tournament. Team members are Avery Robinson, left, Autumn Portillo, Raegan Haiss, Jamahl Harper Jr., Max Shlagel, Isaiah Milo and Sophia McDonald.


Photo left: The T.C. Martin Elementary School Terrific Turtles team advance to the Destination Imagination Global Finals Tournament. Team members are Avery Robinson, left, Autumn Portillo, Raegan Haiss, Jamahl Harper Jr., Max Shlagel, Isaiah Milo and Sophia McDonald.

Photo right: The Gale-Bailey Ghost Girls advance to the Destination Imagination Global Finals Tournament. Team members are Hunter Buchanan, left, Maggie Donahue and Sophia Irvine.


Nearly 145 teams — including 43 from Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) — competed in the Maryland Destination Imagination (DI) Tournament held April 2 at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Two CCPS teams were recognized for placing first in their challenge and level, and will advance to the Global Finals Tournament set for May 21 to 24 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Gale-Bailey Elementary School’s Ghost Girls took first place in the Festival Frenzy challenge and T.C. Martin Elementary School’s Terrific Turtles team placed first in the Roll With It challenge. Festival Frenzy is an improvisational challenge where teams research festivals held around the world and tell a story in a two-act skit about a goal a character is trying to achieve at the festival. The Roll With It challenge focuses on engineering. Students create a structure that can roll down a ramp before it must hold as much weight as possible. Additionally, the team must create and present a story about how a character becomes a legend, design and build a rotating object, and create and present two elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, talents and areas of strength.

The following CCPS teams placed at the state DI tournament:

Daring Escape

Middle:
Milton M. Somers Middle School, Warped Hazards, second place; and Theodore G. Davis Middle School, Relic Chasers, fourth place.

Up Close

Elementary:
Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School, DI Riders, fourth place; Dr. James Craik Elementary School, Wolfpack, seventh place; and Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School, Super Scientist, ninth place.

Tricky Tales
  • Elementary (orange): Mary H. Matula Elementary School, Famous Fintastic Dolphins, fourth place; Craik, Actors, eighth place; J.P. Ryon Elementary School, Money Kid$, ninth place; William A. Diggs Elementary School, We Diggs DI, 10th place; and Eva Turner Elementary School, Lightening, 11th place.
  • Elementary (purple): Martin, Chicken Meow Cows, sixth place; Dr. Samuel Mudd Elementary School, Future Fairytales, seventh place; Eva Turner Elementary School, Tic Tockers, eighth place; and Mary B. Neal Elementary School, 7 OP’s, 10th place.
  • Middle: Somers, The Somers Five Amigos, sixth place; John Hanson Middle School, Trickety Tricksters, eighth place; Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, Go-Getters, 11th place; and General Smallwood Middle School, Bulldogs, 12th place.
Festival Frenzy
  • Elementary: Gale-Bailey, Ghost Girls, first place; Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School, Higdon Homies, second place; Higdon, Higdon Hustlers, fourth place; Martin, The T.C. Martin Miracles, fifth place; and Arthur Middleton Elementary School; Middleton Owls, ninth place.
  • Secondary: La Plata High School, One Last Time, eighth place.
Roll With It
  • Elementary (orange): Neal, Neal Thunder, second place; Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School, Majestic Axolotls, third place; Matula, Scientific Pizza Squad, fourth place; Higdon, GOATS, sixth place; Neal, Challengers, 12th place; and Diggs, Dynamics, 14th place.
  • Elementary (purple): Martin, Terrific Turtles, first place; Mitchell, Seven Adventurers, seventh place; William B. Wade Elementary School, Super 6, 10th place; Dr. Mudd, Fierce Creative Dragons, 11th place; Dr. Brown, Ferraris, 12th place; and Neal, Neal Stars, 13th place.
For the Future
  • Elementary: Craik, Counselors, third place; and Mitchell, Gladiators, fourth place.
  • Middle: Somers, DIno-Tastics, second place.
Monster Manners (noncompetitive)
  • Higdon French Fries
  • Wade Superheroes
  • Eva Turner Tigers
  • Dr. Brown Super Stars
About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 27,000 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
 
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