SHERBURNE – Thinking outside of the box and problem solving aren’t new skills for Sherburne-Earlville Central School District’s gifted and talented students.

For more than a decade, groups of highly-motivated and creative students have formed teams and competed – and even won – internationally recognized Odyssey of the Mind competitions held each year in New York.

But what’s new, and extraordinary, is that this year all six of the district’s teams won first place at the Regional OM Tournament in February. Tomorrow, they move on to OM’s state competition in Binghamton. Two teams of seven students each from the elementary, two from the middle and two from the high school will proudly represent Sherburne-Earlville schools.

“S-E OM teams have won countless times before, but this year is the first time in the district’s history that 100 percent of all of the teams in all age groups will be represented. That’s wonderfully special for our program, one that prides itself on brilliant quality and incredible problem solving,” said teacher Jonathan Sherry, S-E OM coordinator for the past 13 years.