The Knox School’s Tournament of Minds (TOM) journey is officially underway, with 11 teams from Years 5 to 10 stepping up to take on one of Australia’s most exciting problem-solving competitions.
Representing the disciplines of Language Literature, Social Sciences, STEM and The Arts, our students have embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, curiosity and a willingness to think beyond the expected. Tournament of Minds challenges students to apply their creativity, critical thinking and teamwork to solve complex problems, encouraging them to approach learning in new ways while building confidence, resilience and collaboration skills.
A major milestone in the season was our recent two-day TOM Camp, where students immersed themselves in developing solutions to this year’s Long-Term Problems. Across the camp, teams collaborated, debated ideas, built props, tested concepts and refined their presentations, all while developing the critical communication, leadership and problem-solving skills that are central to the competition.
One of the most rewarding aspects of the experience has been watching students grow in confidence as they learn to trust one another’s ideas, embrace different perspectives and discover the power of collaboration. Beyond the competition itself, Tournament of Minds provides students with authentic opportunities to build resilience, adaptability and creative thinking while working towards a shared goal.
The success of our program is also made possible by a dedicated team of staff and student facilitators. We extend our sincere thanks to Mr James Paraskeva, Ms Alison Crawford, Mr Chris Hilton, Ms Brooke Henderson, Ms Marianne van Niekerk and Ms Linda Cheng, as well as senior students Joshua H, Jack S and Emma L, who are generously sharing their time and expertise throughout the season. Their encouragement and guidance continue to inspire our teams to aim high and think boldly.
There is plenty of excitement across the School as our teams prepare for the Regional Finals at Deakin University on Saturday 15 August. We are incredibly proud of the effort they have already shown and look forward to seeing them share their ideas and talents on Tournament Day.
Go TKS!
