Today I participated in my second Brain Buster Challenge at Bitney College Prep High School. My team was from Twin Ridges Home Study, the charter our family uses, and consisted of five girls from 6th-8th grade. As we were the Twin Ridges Home Study Dragonflies (usually abbreviated to Dragonflies), we all had sweatshirts with the Twin Ridges logo, which is built around a dragonfly, on the front and a name/nickname and number of our choice on the back. We also had butterfly wings – I guess the dollar store didn't have dragonfly wings.
It's a little hard to see, but I had Emma V and the number 14 on the back of my sweatshirt.
For the Brain Buster Challenge, the eight teams participating did nine separate challenges, seven of which were main challenges done by two teams at once and two of which were bonus rounds to do in between the others. There was…
A problem solving challenge,
A shadow box making challenge,
And several others Mom didn't take pictures of [MOM!], including mathematics, physical challenge, science and technology, laughable limerick, and a debate, as well as history and geography bonus rounds. In the physical challenge, we had to convey first a marble and then water through halved PVC pipes across a seventeen foot space; in the laughable limerick we composed a limerick on the spot about a presidential cantidate and acted it out; in the debate we had a debate with one of the other teams about 'whether an individual's second Amendment right to bear arms should be restricted in the interest of public safety' in which our team argued the affirmative, that guns should be restricted. The challenges were all scored out of a hundred based on predetermined criteria, which with each team's being able to double the points gained for one of the challenges gave a possible thousand points.
When the final scores were announced, the third place was given first, followed by the second and then first. After another team was announced as third, we all figured that the Dragonflies had come in with fourth at best. This was further silently agreed upon as another different team was announced as second – but then the Twin Ridges Home Study Dragonflies were announced to have come into first place! We had WON!!! We were all in shock – I think I still am a bit now, a few hours later. This means that the perpetual trophy (shaped like a brain) will go to Twin Ridges for the next year, and a plaque will go there to stay. It also means that I did it on my last chance – I will be going into high school next year, and the Brain Buster Challenge is for middle school students.
And here are the final scores
The Dragonflies are on the light blue card.
With our team winning this year and coming in second last year, next year's team from TRHS – whoever's in it – has had quite a bar set for it!