By Ms. Lindsay Johnston, TIS TOM Facilitator
On June 2, twenty-one students traveled to Hong Kong to represent The International School of Macao at the annual Tournament of Minds competition. This is the second year TIS has participated in the Tournament of Minds program, entering one team in 2017.
This year, there were 182 students who participated in Tournament Day at Sha Tin Junior School. Three teams represented TIS and included the following students from Grades 4-6:
Macau Team #1: Linda, Gage, Hilda, Kun Kei, Yufei, Ethan, Gema
Macau Team #2: Mayli, Franky, Freya, Selena, Phoebe, Christopher, Michael
Macau Team #3: Ryan, Daniel, I Ning, Sienna, Adriano, Clare, Vanessa
Participating in Tournament of Minds involves a significant amount of dedication, responsibility, and teamwork. Students began preparing for Tournament Day in January; and, for nine weeks, students learned and practised teamwork skills, problem-solving strategies, and creative thinking. In April, students formed three teams and began preparing for their Long Term Challenges.
The Long Term Challenges require the students to create a dramatic response to topics ranging from Engineering and Math, Language Literature, and Social Sciences. All ideas, props, costumes, and scripts must be entirely student-created. On Tournament Day, students presented their Long Term Challenges and also participated in a Spontaneous Challenge which required quick thinking and collaboration to solve a problem and present a solution in five minutes.
TIS Team #3 was awarded the Spirit of TOM award which is presented to a team who exemplifies the fundamental attitude of the Tournament of Minds program. To receive this award, a team must demonstrate the following traits: tolerance, fair play, self-discipline, respect, and cooperation. They also must overcome any obstacles with a positive attitude.
Congratulations to all TIS students who participated in this year’s Tournament Day! All of your performances were fantastic, your attitudes were positive, and your enthusiasm was contagious. Special thanks to Ms. Bawden and Ms. Smith-Dale for volunteering as judges and all of the parents who supported us along the way!
