Draper Elementary wins state Creative Pursuits competition

A team of five Draper sixth-graders placed first at the Creative Pursuits state competition, Nov. 29.

“We were all so excited when they announced we won; we were jumping out of our seats,” student Annabelle Dyck-McCrary said. “We ran up and received a trophy. We were breathing so heavy; we were so excited.”

The Creative Pursuits team competition includes impromptu problem-solving, where teams were shown verbal and visual concepts, and each member had to give a creative response as to what it may signify or be used for. They also had to create a specific interactive book to a theme before the competition, then they were given three minutes during the competition to highlight it.

Student Madie Westerlind said they selected ancient Eygpt as their theme and then divided the book so some students prepared the pages and cover and put them together while others created the skit from their ideas.

“We learned how to work together as a team and share ideas. We couldn’t put down others’ ideas,” Annabelle said. “We had really good coaches who encouraged us to stay focused and think outside the box.”

Their book showed how a pyramid opened, contained a cardboard mummy attached with Velcro, a game on daily Egyptian life, a temple that slid open, a fold-out ancient Egyptian map, a pop-out armor illustration and more.

Parent volunteers Kerri Brown and Michelle Westerlind coached the team, known as “The Periwinkle Glow Sticks,” to the Canyons School District and state victories.

“The guidelines suggested the students have as many interactive ways in their book as they could so we encouraged them to research the topic, list as many ideas as they could and keep thinking of interesting facts,” Brown said. “We also suggested they think outside the box and be creative.”

Impromptu topics during the competition included a question for students about the unusual ways people communicate with each other. Another topic featured an object to see how many different ways students could use the object.

Jordan School District Gifted and Talented Specialist Collette Jusetesen, who helped with the state competition, said Creative Pursuits started in the Salt Lake School District in 1979 as a less expensive alternative to a similar program, Odyssey of the Mind. Other districts were invited to participate so that they would have competitive teams in active, hands-on problem-solving.

“It teaches students how to communicate,” Jusetesen said. “It also promotes teamwork and productive thinking skills.”

Teacher Kami Abercombie said that Draper Elementary has won the district title the past four years.

Student Tiernan Day said they worked on the book and skit before and after school for almost two months.

“It was hard scheduling it with sports and activities, but it was worth it,” Tiernan said. “It was fun and everyone congratulated us when we won. We felt a lot of pride for what we did and for our school.”