HVMS Destination Imagination team places 5th in Global competition

The Hidden Valley Hoodlums, one of Hidden Valley Middle School’s Destination ImagiNation teams, didn’t spend their Memorial Day weekend lounging at the lake or grilling hotdogs at family gatherings. They were in Knoxville, Tenn. at the Global Finals of the worldwide Destination Imagination competition where they placed fifth among 81 teams from 33 states and eight countries.

The seven-member team, whose members include Matthew, AJ, Adam, Elizabeth, Hollins, Morgan and Faith, was one of only three Virginia teams to compete at the middle school level in their challenge – which was to use three different storytelling methods to tell the same story to three team-chosen pretend audiences.
The Hidden Valley Hoodlum’s skit took a unique triple-take on the classic Red Riding Hood fairy tale which impressed the judges. Raving comments included:

"Loved the tour bus / paddy wagon--excellent acting!"
"Very funny, well done!"
"I loved the Law & Order sound effects!"
"Beautiful wolf mask! I loved how it fit into the book!"
"Fantastic! Very entertaining!"
"The switching of vehicles was such a clever idea. Good job!"

According to the team’s coach, Steven Harris, the win is the icing on the cake to a hard-fought and well-earned season.

"It was a real pleasure coaching this team of talented students,” says Harris. “They worked hard and pulled together in the end for strong performances in both the Main Challenge and the Instant Challenge. Everyone seemed to have a great time at Globals; and the fifth place finish was a great way to end our season!"

Destination ImagiNation is an educational program in which student teams solve open-ended challenges and present their solutions at tournaments. Teams are tested to think on their feet, work together and devise original solutions that satisfy the requirements of the challenges.

(Last updated 6/3/11)