Do You Do DI? You Can!
by Rachel Baack
September 01, 2010
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO?
Do you like inventing things?
Do you like drawing, painting, sculpture, etc.?
Do you like performing in any way - plays, skits, dancing, singing, etc.
Do you like working together with other kids as part of a team?
Do you like the idea of having a chance to create something?
Do you sometimes feel like “Hey, I could come up with a better way to do that!”?
If the answer is “yes” to any one of these questions, then you would enjoy Destination ImagiNation! DI is for anyone who likes to be creative in one way or another. Anyone in grades 2 through 12 can participate in DI if they are willing to work hard with fellow teammates!
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE ON A DI TEAM?
You must be COMMITTED! DI will be a lot of FUN, but it will also take time. Starting sometime before December, teams will meet at least once a week. As March gets closer, teams may meet more often.
WHAT IS DI?
DI, which stands for Destination ImagiNation, is a unique opportunity for kids to use their creativity and work together to solve a challenge. Teams of no more than 7 students will work on a solution to one of the five different DI Team Challenges (plus a Primary Challenge for 2nd & 3rd graders!) Teams must create solutions that are imaginative, original, and ingenious! Students work together in teams to tackle these challenges under the direction of the Team Manager.
Second and third grade DI Teams are non-competitive and will present only at Presentation Night on March 22nd in the Learning Center. Grades 4th and above are competitive teams. In addition to presenting on Presentation Night, they will compete at Regionals on March 26th at Potter-Dix. The top teams advance to State on April 9th, and then possibly to Global Finals in Knoxville, Tennessee.
WHO MANAGES OUR DI TEAMS?
Volunteers! Parents, grandparents, teachers - anyone who is willing! Some teams have co-managers who share the job and ease the time commitment.
We DO NEED Team Managers for this year! The number of kids who can participate depends entirely on the number of Team Managers. We cannot put more than seven students on a team.
If you have never managed a DI Team before, don’t worry! We offer a Team Manager training and the materials to get you started! It is also the DI Coordinator’s job to help you along the way.
Yes, working parents make great Team Managers! You can schedule the meetings at your convenience, whether after school, in the evening, or on Saturdays.
HOW DO I REGISTER FOR DI?
Registration forms are now available!! Registration forms will be sent home with 2nd – 4th graders. Students in grades 5 – 12 can pick up a registration form from Miss Baack or from the office.
Registration forms are due back by Friday, September 10th.
**REMINDER: A MANDATORY parent meeting will be held Monday, September 13th at 7:00 PM in the Learning Center of Ainsworth Community Schools. Each student that wishes to participate in DI must have at least one parent/guardian in attendance!!
For more information you can go to www.idodi.org. If you have additional questions, please contact Rachel Baack at the high school 387-2082.
