Five St. Joseph School Teams Earn Trip to Destination ImagiNation Finals

The following news was submitted by Tom Eisbrenner. To submit your own news, click "Add My Announcement."

Lake Orion, Michigan – St. Joseph School had an outstanding day at the Michigan Destination ImagiNation (DI) state finals competition on Saturday, April 21 at Central Michigan University. Five of the school’s teams qualified to compete at the Global Finals competition of Destination ImagiNation, to be held May 23-26 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Destination ImagiNation (DI) is an extraordinary program in which students work in teams of 7 students to solve mind-bending, complex challenges centered on creativity, problem solving, collaboration and thinking way, way outside the box. Participants research and use elements of science, culture, technology, performance, community service, engineering and more to create their solutions, all without the interference of meddling adults.

This marks the eighth year in a row the school will send at least one team to the Global Finals competition. The state competition saw 223 teams competing in six challenge categories; no other school, organization or district in the state has this many teams moving on to the next level.

The teams are now working to raise the $25,000 required ($665 per student) for all five teams to attend the global competition through can drives, flower sales and other events. In addition, the teams are searching for corporate sponsors and hoping to receive tax-deductible pledges from interested donors, which can be submitted online at https://stjosephlakeorion.ejoinme.org/supportdi, or sent to St. Joseph School at 703 N. Lapeer Rd., Lake Orion, MI 48362, or by calling 248-693-6215.

The Results

Scientific Challenge

A St. Joe’s 4th grade team, named the Solar Swimmers, captured first place at the regional competition in March and first place in the state competition on April 21 to earn their way to the Global Finals.

The team competed in the Solar Stage scientific category, which challenged teams to create a theatrical performance about solar energy, build a prototype that demonstrates a new way to collect, capture and use solar energy, as well as design theatrical lighting to illuminate the completely dark presentation site. The Solar Swimmers created a story about Arty the Anglerfish, who is about to eat Slappy the Sunfish when his light goes out. He can no longer see his prey so he asks Slappy to help him get his light working again.

They travel from the deep sea to the surface where a mermaid, a clownfish, a jellyfish, a dolphin and a flashlight fish teach them how to use solar energy. The team’s performance both entertained and educated the audience. The team consists of Payton Bero, Delaney Carron, Mary Beth Eisbrenner, Rachel Falkowski, Kalan Hand, Daniel Heuschele and Lauren Sielicki, and was managed by Diane Hand and Diana Heuschele.

Technical Challenge

The 5th grade team, The Mechanical 5, won second place in the technical challenge, “Assembly Required.” The team was asked to design and build equipment that retrieves parts and delivers products; assemble products from team-provided parts to fill orders; use the products in a presentation; and present a team-created story about something that happens just-in-time. The team created a factory called The Collectible Delectable Company, which makes snowmen and snow globe Christmas tree ornaments.

The team designed a delivery machine built from standard and electric scooters attached to a wooden platform that could be driven around the factory to deliver parts and finished products. The team also created T-shirts, a factory billboard and commercial to help describe their factory in the eight-minute presentation. Team members include Isabel Bauer, Ryan Bruder, Elliot Johnson, Gina McCowey and Eddie Spengler. The managers are Lesley McCowey and John Spengler.

Fine Arts Challenge

Two teams competed in “Coming Attractions,” the fine arts challenge that had teams present a live movie trailer involving characters from at least two nations, design a working cinematic special effect, and create an original soundtrack that complemented the trailer.

The sixth grade team, the Klueless Klowns, created a black and white who-done-it from the silent movie era that joined Indian culture and American culture from the late 1920s. A ragtime musical score and disappearing-diamond case helped set the scene with period accurate scenery and dress. The team won third place and, while only the top two teams move on to the Global Finals, was granted a “wild card” invitation because it was the closest third-place team among all the challengers. The team was also awarded a rare Renaissance Award, which recognizes teams who demonstrate extraordinary amounts of effort, preparation and outstanding skill in engineering design and performance. The award states: “An incredible night out to the movies! Perfect timing matched with tremendous hand-made theatre.

The appraisers were teleported to the 1920’s for a seamless black and white movie trailer. Not a single word was uttered; however, the message was unmistakable. A Diamond Heist with non-stop memorable characters and mesmerizing special effects, truly gave us a sense of the commitment this team made to perfection.” The Klueless Klowns are K.C. Eisbrenner, Logan Hand, Paul Heuschele, Daniel Nemmert, Thomas Riss, Jack Sielicki and Haley Tuttle, and are managed by Holly and Tom Eisbrenner.

A seventh/eighth grade team called Super Sassy Silly Sixth Sense took first place in this challenge and, for the fourth year in a row, will be travelling to Tennessee for the Global Finals. This team presented a movie trailer about four individuals and their theories regarding the end of the world. Highlights included a Guatemalan girl who set out to learn about her Mayan ancestry, a meditating student from India seeking spiritual enlightenment during the era of the Kali Yuga, a nervous scientist calculating the discovery of "Planet X" and a self-absorbed girl on a journey to complete her bucket list. These four interesting characters find themselves on a trip that includes a hilarious parachute ride back to planet Earth. Team members are Gretchen Altenberger, McKenna Carron, Molly Galvin, Lauren Miller, Rachel Warstler and Taylor Warstler, and the managers are Tom and Jeri Altenberger.

Community Service Challenge

In the Project Outreach challenge, a seventh/eighth grade team called The Boot Brigade captured first place. Project Outreach asks teams to use creative problem solving tools to identify and select at least one real community need; design and carry out a project to address the need; create an advertisement and marketing brochure; and share the results at the tournament with an entertaining live presentation.

The Boot Brigade assessed, designed, and completed a winter boot drive to collect boots for those in need. Through the incentive of crazy sock days and by targeting moms as the best source for new or gently used boots with a “Stomp Out Cold Feet” campaign, the kids were able to collect and distribute 175 pairs of boots to the Department of Human services in Tuscola, Genesee, Lapeer, and Oakland counties.

In Oakland County they increased the inventory of boots from 8 to 158 pairs, allowing the organization to better serve its 12,000 residents that are in need of assistance. Additionally, they brought awareness to its school and community about the need for winter boots and developed a program with their sponsors DHS and HAP to continue the program in the future. The team consists of Sarah Falkowski, Joy Fullerton, Michael Ignagni, Ricky Johnson and Olivia Packard. It is managed by Sarah Johnson.

This year, 68 students from St. Joseph participated on 11 teams (8 competitive, 3 "Rising Stars” (K - 2nd grade)) at the regional competition in Waterford in March. Of those 8 competitive teams, 7 placed in the top 3 in their challenge to advance to the state tournament (www.micreativity.org) in Mt. Pleasant. The school has approximately 400 students.

About Destination Imagination

In a survey of 1,000 students at Global Finals last year, nearly half said taking part in DI had improved their grades, and a majority reported that DI helps them "do better in school." The majority also said DI helps them develop critical thinking skills, self-confidence, leadership and the ability to communicate better.

Destination Imagination is an educational program where more than 100,000 students from schools in nearly 40 countries are immersed in the creative process needed to solve open-ended challenges, and then present their solutions at local and regional tournaments. If they win at those levels, they gradually work their way up to an invitation to Global Finals.