Issue XX
Exciting things are happening at Martinsville Middle School!
The Odyssey of the Mind team, consisting of sixth graders Adelaide Brent, Mercy Moore, Sophia Odberg, Margot Sharp, and Emery Taylor, competed at the state championships in Washington, D.C., and are advancing to the Odyssey of the Mind World Championships at Iowa State! Congratulations to these outstanding students and their coach, Liz Lynch!
This marks the second trip to World Championships for three of these teammates, who previously competed in the Finals two years ago as Patrick Henry Elementary students. They are excited for another opportunity to showcase their creativity and skills, and we know they will represent their school, division, and community with talent and pride on the world stage.
Adelaide Brent Reports from Washington, D.C.
Adelaide Brent, a member of the winning team and a 6th grade homeroom reporter at Martinsville Middle School, shared her experience:
“This weekend, I went to Washington, D.C. because I was competing in Odyssey of the Mind. On the drive up, we made a pit stop at Buc-ee’s. Did you know Buc-ee’s is the world’s largest gas station?
Next, we stopped at a food truck called Flavor Hive. It was Egyptian food, but the truck is known for walking tacos, so that’s what I got.
Once we got close to Washington, we first stopped in Arlington and visited Arlington National Cemetery. That cemetery is only for people who were in the military or were president. Fun fact: Arlington National Cemetery is the country’s largest military cemetery, with over 400,000 people buried there.
The first thing we saw was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We also watched the changing of the guard. After that, we visited my great-great-grandfather, George Brent Sr.’s grave, and that of my great-great-grandmother. Then we saw John F. Kennedy’s grave and his family’s graves. Did you know there are only two presidents buried there—JFK and William Howard Taft?
After leaving the cemetery, we saw the Abraham Lincoln Memorial, which was much bigger than I expected. Then we saw the Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument. We also visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Fun fact: there are 58,281 names on that memorial.
After that, we drove past the Capitol building, which is really beautiful, and it had a cool statue on top.
That was everything we did in Washington, D.C. in one day! My Odyssey of the Mind team placed second and is going to the World Championships at Iowa State!”
Adelaide Brent Talks with Rania Womack, 6th grade
Adelaide Brent caught up with Rania Womack, a sixth grader at MMS to talk about her experience in the Martinsville City Public Schools production of Frozen.
Adelaide began by asking Rania what role she played in the production. Rania shared that she was one of the townspeople.
When asked about her favorite part of being in the play, Rania smiled and said it was getting to spend time with her friends and her sister. Adelaide then asked what had been the most challenging part, and Rania admitted that putting on her wig was definitely the hardest!
The two talked about rehearsals, and Rania explained that the cast practiced for about two months. Adelaide asked if anything funny happened along the way, and Rania laughed as she remembered how Ms. Shauna Hines would often make jokes and say things in a funny way during rehearsals.
Adelaide was curious about what Rania enjoyed most about working with the cast. Rania said she loved seeing everyone’s different talents come together. When asked how she felt right before going on stage, Rania explained that she was both scared and excited. She said when she first saw the audience, she thought, “Oh my gosh, that’s a lot of people!” and worried she might mess up.
Of course, Adelaide had to ask if anything unexpected happened during the performance. Rania shared that at one point, the microphone cut off!
When reflecting on the experience, Rania said she learned that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. She also shared that she would love to perform again because being part of the play made her feel at home.
Adelaide asked who encouraged her the most, and Rania quickly answered—her sister, who was also in the play. When asked which character she would choose if she could play any role, Rania picked Olaf because he is so funny.
To wrap up, Rania shared that her favorite song from the play was “For the First Time in Forever,” and she encouraged other students to try acting by reminding them to believe in themselves.
Taimir Manns interviews Hailey Coleman, 8th grade
Taimir Manns, 8th grade homeroom reporter, sat down with fellow classmate and 8th grader Hailey Coleman to learn more about her experience in Frozen.
Taimir started by asking Hailey what role she played, and she shared that she was part of the ensemble. When asked about her favorite part of being in the play, Hailey said she enjoyed spending time with her friends and just hanging out.
As the conversation continued, Hailey explained that the most challenging part of the experience was dress rehearsal. She shared that the cast rehearsed for about a month leading up to the performance.
Taimir asked if anything funny happened during rehearsals, and Hailey laughed as she remembered a moment when one of the cast members ripped his pants—definitely a memorable moment!
When asked what she enjoyed most about being in the play, Hailey said it was the memories they made together. She admitted that she felt very nervous right before going on stage, but once she was out there, it “wasn’t too bad.”
Of course, not everything went perfectly. Hailey shared that during the performance, the projector didn’t work at one point. Even so, the show went on!
Looking back, Hailey said she learned how to work with others and trust people. She also said she would definitely like to be in another school play because she had so much fun.
Taimir asked who encouraged her the most, and Hailey gave a shoutout to Jeremiah Porter. When asked which character she would choose if she could play any role, Hailey said she would pick the reindeer because they are so funny.
Her favorite song from the play was “Dangerous to Dream,” and she ended by encouraging other students to try acting by simply saying, “Just be yourself.”
From competing on the national stage to shining under the spotlight in Frozen, our Martinsville Middle School students continue to impress us with their creativity, courage, and Bulldog spirit. Whether traveling to Washington, D.C., preparing for the Odyssey of the Mind World Championships, or stepping onto the stage in front of a crowd, these students remind us what it means to work hard, support one another, and believe in themselves. We are so proud of all of our Bulldogs—keep reaching for your dreams and representing MMS with pride!
