Where in the World?

Gelinas Students Participate in National Geographic Bee

Putting their geography knowledge to the test, this winter P.J. Gelinas Junior High School students once again participated in the nationwide geography contest sponsored by the National Geographic Society and organized at Gelinas by social studies teacher Lou Laird.  

The building’s seventh and eighth-grade students entered the contest when they took the program’s written exam during their social studies classes. As a result of their submissions, approximately 10 students were announced as the school’s finalists and competed in the second round of the competition at the school in late January. During the contest, the students were challenged to answer both oral and written questions, centered on their own innate knowledge of geography, and were tasked with the challenge of interpreting a map.

Providing a challenging experience for all participants, the competition came down to a nail-biting victory. Congratulations to eighth grader Jonathan Finke who placed first in this year’s contest and to seventh grader Max Carrion, who was presented with the second-place trophy.

With the school’s first-place win, Jonathan is now eligible to take the qualifying test for the NY State round and will be notified in March if he is one of the 100 students chosen to compete at the state level. Winners of the state round will take part in the national competition in Washington D.C.