On Sat., Feb. 8, more than 44 teams comprised of 132 students participated in Northeast’s 16th Annual Geography Bee. With four rounds each of grades 1-3 and two rounds of grades 4-5 this year an added special round of Kindergarten-only was added. All vied for prizes and the winning title.
The goal of the Bee is to get all Northeast students, from Kindergarten through 5th grade and their families, excited about geography and the world around us. In the months leading up to the Bee, students form teams of three and meet regularly to practice. Areas of study include geography terms, state capitals, general world geographical knowledge, man-made and natural landmarks, climate and topographical data and more.
The 2020 Northeast GeoBee winners are: Kindergarten Champions, The Dragons: Nathan Laksin, Leo Levins, James Maloney The 1-3 Champions were for the second year in a row, The Golden Globes: Julia Kroen, Jane Determann, Morgan Angelillo. For their prizes, these two teams will enjoy a delicious lunch provided by the PTA with Principal Gail Clarke.
Principal Gail Clarke with winners The Dragons (l) and The Golden Globes
The Grand Champions of the 4th and 5th grade were the LSX Islanders: Lawrence Bryan, Sebastian Perez, Xavier Keel. These students are looking forward to their grand prize -- a limousine ride into Manhattan to Times Square to enjoy National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey. The winners will have the opportunity to experience a walk-through adventure across the Pacific Ocean and enjoy an NYC lunch before riding back to school in style!
The Grand Champion LSX Islanders
In addition to all the work that the teams and parents put in, the Geo Bee is the result of countless hours of work by many volunteers including co-chairs Amruta Karmakar and Danielle Addair, Master of Ceremonies Matt Knutzen, Mr. Dey and Dr. Clarke and a host of Northeast teachers acting as judges and facilitators.