May 15, 2018

 

 
Dear Friends and Neighbors:

Spring Fair Reminder:

Please join us for the District G Spring Fair this Saturday, May 19, from Noon to 3:00 P.M. at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 625 Nottingham Oaks Trail.  Free Food, Fun, and Activities for the whole family.
 



Walnut Bend Elementary School Odyssey of the Mind Team:



Congratulations to the students from Walnut Bend Elementary School who recently won first place at the Texas Odyssey of the Mind state finals. The team advances to compete in the World Finals Competition, which will take place May 23-26 in Ames, Iowa.
 
Odyssey of the Mind is an international creative problem-solving program that engages students in their learning by allowing their knowledge and ideas to come to life in an exciting, productive environment. Participants build self confidence, develop life skills, create new friendships, and are able to recognize and explore their true potential. Odyssey of the Mind proves that students can have fun while they learn.
 
One challenge was to build a structure out of balsa wood weighing no more than 15 grams that can hold as much weight as possible. The Walnut Bend Elementary School Odyssey of the Mind team won first place at both the regional and state level. Their 14.7 gram balsa wood structure held 735 lbs., which is the third best in the nation.
 
Walnut Bend Elementary has sent seven qualifying teams to the world finals in seven years.  Impressively, all have placed among the top six in the world, with three teams earning third-place trophies.
 
The team is raising money to pay for their travel expenses, room and board on campus, prop transport, and incidentals for World Finals at Ames, Iowa. If you wish to make a contribution to assist the team, please visit their GoFundMe page:  https://www.gofundme.com/walnut-bend-odyssey-of-the-mind?utm_source=2018-05-09+Westchase+Wire&utm_campaign=Westchase+Wire+2018-05-09&utm_medium=email 
 
Council Member Travis proudly supports Walnut Bend Elementary School in its quest for a World Championship.  He also supports Odyssey of the Mind itself as it promotes creativity and teamwork.  The teams work hard creating original solutions to various divergent problems. In the process, they learn that there are several options available to solve any problem and those solutions lie within themselves and their own minds.

 
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____________________________________________________________
  
Greg Travis
Houston City Council Member, District G
900 Bagby, 1st Floor
Houston, TX 77002
  
Mailing:
P.O. Box 1562
Houston, TX 77251-1562
  
Phone: 832-393-3007
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