Chester Academy Odyssey of the Mind team delivers strong performance at state finals

Chester Academy’s Odyssey of the Mind (OOTM) team delivered a performance that the entire school community can celebrate when they competed in the OOTM New York state finals last weekend.

The seven-member team — Emma O’Leary, Chloe Gossai, Emily Kaseta, Stella Dunne, Charlotte Neuhaus, Kristof Neuhaus, and Sawyer McElroy — worked throughout the season under the guidance of coach Jennifer O’Leary, with Chester Elementary School Principal Mary Kate Boesch serving as the district’s Odyssey of the Mind Coordinator.

The team competed in Division 2, taking on Problem Number Five titled “Taller Tales of John Jivery.” It is one of OOTM’s “Performance Problems.” As required by the adjudication process, students’ skits/solutions for these types of problems must incorporate specific elements, including stage drama, unique lighting effects, puppetry and set changes. OMers also have to create their own original characters — and their costumes — who navigate unusual situations.

The “Taller Tales of John Jivery” required the team to create and present a humorous performance about an original tall tale. Their performance had to include a hero or heroine who performs an incredible feat, a unique explanation of how something began or came to be, and a surprise for the audience. Each event also had to be accompanied by a visual weather effect that represented an emotion.

The team put on a great performance and placed an impressive fourth out of 19 teams in their problem.

“While our team didn’t advance to the world finals, they represented Chester Academy incredibly well,” said O’Leary. “Throughout the season, they demonstrated creativity, teamwork, and a strong commitment—balancing Odyssey with other academic and extracurricular responsibilities. Their performance at the state competition was something they should all be very proud of.”