A hush fell over the audience as the Chamberlin School team placed weight after weight atop their tiny, yet carefully constructed balsa wood structure… 10 pounds, 20 pounds, 30….90.. 100… 110. In the end, the structure supported a record-setting 120 pounds before breaking and leading them to finish first among all Vermont elementary teams competing in the event.
The team gained additional points for their style, skit and ability to solve a spontaneous problem.
After months of meeting after school with Coach Matt Henchen and Chamberlin School advisor Joan Wales, the team of 4th and 5th graders jubilantly accepted the Division I first place trophy presented at the closing of the March 22 competition. Since this was the 35th anniversary of Vermont’s Odyssey of the Mind state tournament, Saturday’s event featured several special guests including the founder of Odyssey of the Mind Dr. Sam Micklus and OMER, the Odyssey of the Mind mascot.
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