Carmel Middle wins first place in Odyssey of the Mind world competition

Congrats to Carmel Middle for taking the top spot in the challenge called "It's How You Look at It" at this year's world finals for Odyssey of the Mind.

Carmel Middle OM team. Photo courtesy CMS

The first-place winning team:

Ethan Foster
Luke Foster
Katie Freije
Rachel Gardner
Will Horne
Lucy Koeniger
Beckett Stillman

Carmel has won a first place prize in the world finals for the past three years.

The competition, at Michigan State University, involved 813 teams from around the world, according to a release from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

In the challenge, the team of seven students had to give a humorous performance about two characters who think they're acting naturally but are strange to those around them.

Four other CMS schools placed in the competition: Elon Park Elementary, Irwin Academic Center, Community House Middle and Myers Park High.

Carmel Middle students earn President's Volunteer Service Awards

Six members of Carmel Middle's National Junior Honor Society will receive a President's Volunteer Service Award.

The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation established the national awards in 2003, according to the award's website.

Casey Watkins will receive the gold award for 100 hours of service, and Barbara Euripides, Erin Furney, Andrew Gardner, Ashley Grice and Lindsey Noonan will receive the bronze award for completing 50 to 74 hours of service.

Kym Furney, the school's leadership team chairwoman (and Erin's mother), said the six students who will be recognized are honor roll students who are active in athletic and academic teams.

Overall, 32 of the school's National Junior Honor Society members, including the six, completed at least 25 hours of community service in the past year, she said.