Magnificent seven to defend national title

THINKING creatively in a challenging and competitive environment, these students believe they can win back-to-back titles in the 2018 Tournament of the Minds.

BRAIN POWER: St Carthage's Primary School students L-R Charlotte Gilliland, Neve Schweizer, Padraig Heffernan, Liam Torrens,(front) Darcy Heffernan and Chloe Lane, jump for joy as they are off to defend their champion title the Social Science division of the Tournament of Minds Australian-Pacific Final next month. Picture: Alison Paterson

FIZZING with excitement, some of the brightest primary school students on the Northern Rivers are off to compete in the national finals of a prestigious competition.

Seven students from St Carthage's Primary School in Lismore are preparing to be part of the state team heading to Darwin next month to defend their school as the Australasian Pacific champion in the Social Sciences discipline in the Tournament of the Minds..

Known as the ToM, the event requires teams of seven children to solve open ended challenges in a creative way.

The sharp-minded cohort said they are thrilled to have taken out the New South Wales title in their division of Social Sciences which involves answering a question facing the moral and ethical issues confronting society in the 21st Century.

Charlotte Gilliland, 12, and Neve Schweizer, 12, were part of the 2017 championship team, but for Padraig Heffernan, 12, Ruby Barnes, 12, Darcy Heffernan, 11, Liam Torrens, 11 and Chloe Lane, 10, it's their first time they will experience the finals.

She said they are given a problem and have approximately three hours to come up with a solution which they present using props, songs and creative movement to work collaboratively within a challenging and competitive environment

Charlotte said it was all about creative thinking.

"We have to practice and think outside the box,” she said.

"It gets your mind thinking differently.”

Neve said it also improved teamwork.

"You might be presented with a problem at school or home and ToM helps you solve it,” she said.

Padraig said the critical thinking involved gives you a different perspective.

"And it's good to be supportive of each other,” he said.

Team facilitator Jenifer Thomson said the school was thrilled their students won praise for the way they work together.

"Our students are very respectful of each other strengths and we often get great feedback on how supportive they are of each other,” she said.

Other schools in the region who are also competing include Woodlawn, Byron Bay Primary School and Emmanuel Anglican College Ballina.