Eighth Grader Quentin Curtiss Wins WJHS Geography Bee for 2014
Post date: Jan 15, 2014 1:35:8 PM
Eighth grade student Quentin Curtiss earned first place in the 2014 Geography Bee at Wells Junior High School on January 14th. Curtiss emerged the winner over seventh grade student Matt Chase, the 2013 winner of this contest, by knowing correct answers to all three questions presented to them in the final championship round. Seventh grade student Logan Worthley and sixth grader Max Gates tied for third place before the final round.
There were 10 students competing in this early morning competition presented in the Ward Gymnasium in front of 5th through 8th grade students, parents and school staff. The process to choose these 10 students began earlier with geography bees held in classrooms followed by one semi-final round. This process allowed for all students to have the chance to participate.
This is but one of thousands of geography bees held at the local level of the annual National Geographic Bee sponsored by the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C.
Chase, will now serve as Curtiss’ back-up at the state geography bee to be held at one of the campuses of the University of Maine in April. However, Curtiss and other school winners will still have to take a 75 question test to qualify for the state bee. Winners of state level competitions are invited to compete in May in Washington, D.C. at the National Geography Bee which features the top prizes of a $50,000 scholarship plus a trip to the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean almost 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador.
It is the National Geographic Society that provides participating schools with questions, supplies, rules, guidelines, and prizes. At the local level the Wells-Ogunquit CSD also helps make the event possible. “We thank the WOCSD for supporting the National Geographic Bee each year with money for the entrance fee and prizes,” commented Social Studies teacher Bonnie Dill, who is also the Geography Bee’s organizer and moderator.
Dill wishes to thank all the social studies teachers who held classroom bees, Lynn Mercier and Susie Dugovic (for being score keepers), and Dan MacLeod (the time keeper), custodian Mike Provencher and other staff. “Thank you to the student body for being an excellent audience and for making signs in support of their classmates,” she added.
According Dill, each of the 10 contestants received a certificate, a globe squishy ball and a Toblerone Swiss chocolate bar. The first runner-up also received a student atlas while the winner received a globe and a medal.
Caption: Front row (l to r): Ben Campbell, Covy Dufort, Kate Pinette and Max Gates. Back Row (l to r): Paige Raymond, Paula Kaszynski, Matt Chase (1st runner-up), Quentin Curtiss (winner), Logan Worthley and Shawn Ouellette
Caption: In the final round, Matt Chase (facing the camera) and Quentin Curtiss (behind Chase) face off with three questions. Each student answered the questions by writing on a white board. At the podium is WJHS Social Studies Teacher Bonnie Dill who moderated and organized the bee. Whoever answers most of the three correctly, is declared the winner of the school bee. To the right of Dill is Dan MacLeod and at far right is Susie Dugovic