Over 100 kindergarten through eighth grade students recently demonstrated their ingenuity by creating inventions for this year’s Ottumwa Invention Convention. The event was held Thursday, February 4 at Ottumwa High School. Students represented the Ottumwa and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Community School Districts.
Thirty-four students were selected by the judges as winners. Winners included: Kindergarten, Spencer Dalbey, Douma Elementary; Second Grade, Lauren Kendrick and Darius Dean, Liberty Elementary; Third Grade, Roan Quinn, Eisenhower Elementary, Annabelle Little, Horace Mann Elementary, Annabelle Teel, Liberty Elementary; Fifth Grade, Gage Dobbe, Denisha Dean, Makynna Beinhart, Zachary McCarty, Emma Strayer, and Addie Large, Liberty Elementary, Stephen Troxel, Ella Allar, Ava Hanson, Cloe Armstrong, Dallas Kester, Tristen Carranza, Sara McElroy, Abby Rodgers, Luke Graeve, and Gael Batres, Horace Mann Elementary; Ethan Ross and Shawn Galloway, James Elementary; Olivia Coram and Hailey Garrison, Eisenhower Elementary; Sixth Grade, Jace Stouffer, Spencer Knipfer, Calvin Neely, Olivia Palen, Rece Budde, Tristan Lemeuse, and Drake Little, Evans Middle School; and Eighth Grade, Isaac Bradford, Evans Middle School.
These students received medals donated by John Deere Ottumwa Works. Judges for the event representing John Deere Ottumwa Works, Community First Credit Union, Ottumwa High School, and NOEL Insurance were: Martha Scharff, Susan Gates, Deb Cramblit, Kenneth Evans, Ashley Sims, Nolan Stewart, Kyle Teach, Stephanie Ellis, Robert Naeger, Larry Valentine, David Drahozal, Austin Jones, Laura Evans, Alba Anderson, Halsey Scales, Alex Toft, Rynee Henderson, and Cassidy Henderson.
The local Invention Convention is presented each year by the Ottumwa Community School District’s Gifted and Talented Program consisting of Teri King, TAG Director; Brooke Gevock, Ottumwa High School TAG teacher; Heidi Bradford, Evans Middle School TAG teacher; and Breanna Hinmon and Ann Youngman, elementary TAG teachers. A special thanks to Donna Bohlmann, K-12 TAG teacher at Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont CSD; Nicole King, first grade teacher at Wilson; Dawn Sievertsen, Principal at Liberty Elementary; and Tina Walker, OHS teacher; for assisting in the event as well.
