The plan for this week was to talk about Hixson Middle School’s eighth grade boys basketball team, but when I saw first-place medals hanging so proudly around some of my students’ necks (after the weekend), I knew I had to change my plans for this enormous accomplishment. On March 3, these students took first place at a Regional Destination ImagiNation Competition. The members on Hixson’s team were: Noah Dent, Morgan Bertolino, Ryley Wilson, Elizabeth Huff, Caroline Lesch, Patrick Nelson and Lauren Reed.

This was not a school sponsored team, so I wanted to know why I wasn’t invited to their competition. A couple of them said they didn’t want to bother me because it was really early on a Saturday morning. I was really disappointed because I would have enjoyed learning what a Destination ImagiNation (known as DI) competition entailed. I had never heard of a DI competition before now.

Since I didn’t attend this event, and don’t know much about DI, I contacted the team's coach, Steven Dent, who is a parent of team member Noah Dent. Mr. Dent told me the core of this team (Noah, Morgan and Caroline) have been involved since first grade.

Destination ImagiNation is a non-profit organization that provides educational programs for students to learn and experience creativity, teamwork and problem solving. Every year, 125,000 students across the nation and in more than 30 countries participate in the program. The core program is an educational program in which student teams solve open-ended challenges and present their solutions at tournaments.

Hixson’s team competed in the structural challenge, entitled “Hold it!” In this challenge, the team was required to build a structure solely of wood and glue. The structure, which had to weigh less than 50 grams (for middle school teams), was required to hold weights placed on top, as well as golf balls delivered into the structure during weight placement.

During the competition, the team must also present a skit depicting a captivator and integrate that skit with the testing of the structure. Additionally, the team must compete in the instant challenge, solving a problem that they do not know about until they go into the competition room.

The Hixson team finished first in all areas, collecting all 400 points for the competition. In comparison, the second-place team in the middle school category at the Eastern Missouri regional tournament scored only 245 points.

In 2010, Morgan, Noah, Caroline and Elizabeth were part of the team when it competed at the Global Finals.

Mr. Dent and his wife, Anrea, have managed the DI teams at one time or another since 2000. They also have two younger sons (Andrew and Adam) who have been involved throughout this period.

Hixson’s DI team meets off campus at the Dent’s home once a week. This is one of the reasons I wasn’t aware of the DI team. Because of great parents like the Dents, who give so freely of their time, Hixson continues to produce outstanding students.

There were also two teams from Bristol Elementary at the competition. "The Bristol Smarties" participated at the Rising Stars, non-competitive level, according to the Bristol Elementary's Monday Memo. They are second graders including: Mallory Stewart, Mia Schieffer, Audrey Swaine, Davis Dirks and Zaden McCombs. 

The third- and fourth-grade team, called "The JJ-jELly-Gun-E’s," competed in a challenge against nine other elementary teams and placed second, the Monday Memo stated. The team members are: Jonah Wilson, Jacob Perez, Eva Brown, Lily Ortinau and Kyle Co. 

Hixson’s first-place team and Bristol’s second-place team (“The JJ-jELly-Gun-E’s”) will compete at the state level on April 14 in Joplin, MO. Good luck teams, and bring home the gold again!    

The plan for this week was to talk about Hixson Middle School’s eighth grade boys’ basketball team, but when I saw first place medals hanging so proudly around some of my students’ necks (after the weekend), I knew I had to change my plans for this enormous accomplishment. On March 3^rd, these students took first place at a Regional Destination ImagiNation Competition. The members on Hixson’s team were:  Noah Dent, Morgan Bertolino, Ryley Wilson, Elizabeth Huff, Caroline Lesch, Patrick Nelson, and Lauren Reed.

 This was not a school sponsored team, so I wanted to know why I wasn’t invited to their competition.  A couple of them said they didn’t want to bother me because it was really early Saturday morning.  I was really disappointed because I would have enjoyed learning what a Destination ImagiNation (known as DI) Competition entailed—never heard of a DI competition before now.

 Since I didn’t attend this event, and don’t know much about DI, I contacted their coach, Mr. Steven Dent, a parent of team member Noah Dent, for information about the DI competition. Mr. Dent indicated, the core of this team (Noah, Morgan, and Caroline) have been involved since first grade.

 Destination ImagiNation, Inc. http://www.idodi.org/ is a non-profit organization that provides educational programs for students to learn and experience creativity, teamwork, and problem solving.  Every year, 125,000 students across the U.S. and in more than 30 countries participate in the program.  The core program is an educational program in which student teams solve open-ended challenges and present their solutions at tournaments.

 Hixson’s team competed in the structural challenge, entitled “hold it!” In this Challenge the team was required to build a structure solely of wood and glue, weighing less than 50 grams (for middle school teams) that must both hold weights placed on top, as well as golf balls delivered into the structure during weight placement.

 During the competition, the team must also present a skit depicting a captivator and integrate that skit with the testing of the structure.

 The team must also compete in the instant challenge, solving a problem that they do not know about until they go into the competition room.

 The Hixson team finished first in all areas, collecting all 400 points for the competition.  In comparison, the second place team in the middle school category at the Eastern Missouri regional tournament scored 245 points.

In 2010, Morgan, Noah, Caroline, and Elizabeth were part of the team when it competed at the Global Finals.

 Mr. Steven Dent and Mrs. Anrea Dent have managed the DI teams at one time or another since 2000.  They also have two younger sons (Andrew and Adam) who have been involved throughout this period.

 Hixson’s DI team meets off campus at the Dent’s home once a week. This is one of the reasons I wasn’t aware of the DI team.  Because of great parents like the Dent’s, who give so freely of their time, Hixson continues to produce outstanding students.

 There were two teams from Bristol Elementary at this competition.  “The Bristol Smarties participated at the Rising Stars, non-competitive level.  They are 2^nd graders:  Mallory Stewart, Mia Schieffer, Audrey Swaine, Davis Dirks, Zaden McCombs.  The 3^rd-4^th grade team, The JJ-jELly-Gun-E’s, competed in a challenge against 9 other elementary teams and placed 2nd. The team members are Jonah Wilson, Jacob Perez, Eva Brown, Lily Ortinau and Kyle Co.”  This information was taken from Bristol School Publica-tion.

 Hixson’s first place DI team and Bristol’s second place “The JJ-jELly-Gun-E’s” DI team will compete at the State level on April 14^th in Joplin, MO.  Good Luck Teams and bring home the Gold again!