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Destination Imagination descends on Rifle High School

Post Independent
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
Contributed photoThe Swashbuckling Builders are Cactus Valley Elementary second-graders. From left, front row: Hunter Swart, Shane Sandblom and Eli Stratton; and back row: Chloe Young, Kaysha DeMent and Julian Davis. Not shown is Aidan Boyd.
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More than 70 teams of the most creative elementary, middle and high school students descended upon Rifle High School on March 26 for the annual Destination Imagination tournament.

For almost a year, students from all over the Western Slope have been preparing for this event. Teams in identical shirts roamed the halls of Rifle High School as they tried to work off their nervous energy, waiting for their team to be called in to perform.

Teams are given a project to complete without any outside help, even from their challenge master or coach. As they prepare for the competition, teams choose one of five different scenarios, and then must create a story line, props and act in a live play.



This year’s scenarios included:

• Unidentified Moving Object: moving various materials to and from towering heights without power.



• Spinning a Tale: energy cycles in the natural world presented in a three-act circular story, but they never knew which act they would have to begin with.

• Triple Take Road Show: a five-minute improvisational skit about a mission involving a mythical creature in a foreign culture.

• Verses! Foiled Again: building a structure from aluminum foil, wood and glue.

• Big Bug’s Bad Day, for kindergarten through second grade, creating a play about how bugs live with other living things.

Colorado is the second largest Destination Imagination affiliate in the world with 931 teams participating statewide. Only Texas has more teams. DI has affiliates in 23 countries, so when teams go to the Global Finals, it truly is global.

This year, Garfield Re-2 has eight teams traveling to Denver in April to the state competition: the Non-Slackers from Cactus Valley Elementary and the Swashbuckling Builders from Cactus Valley Elementary; The Incredible Soaring Eagles from Elk Creek Elementary; the DI Masters, the Vicious Vikings and the Jolly Jokers from Riverside Middle School; the craVens from Coal Ridge High School; and the Bulldog Puppies Back in Action from Rifle Middle School.

It takes about 100 volunteers to make the event run. The Garfield School District Re-2 thanks all who volunteered at the event, as DI coaches and challenge masters.

The Garfield Re-2 school board and Kathryn Senor Elementary awarded the Teacher of the Month to Kelly Lord. Kelly helps advance her students with the knowledge of technology.

The Volunteer of the Month was presented to Heather Paulson. She organized the Parent Night Out for Kathryn Senor.

The Business of the Month was presented to Elk Creek Mining Company, which helped the school raise money for many school projects.


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