LITTLE MOUNTAIN — Eighteen fourth-graders and fifth-graders at Little Mountain Elementary School participated in the school’s National Geographic Geography Bee on Jan. 5.
LME teacher Paige Starnes, one of the faculty members in charge of setting up for this year’s geography bee, said she was chosen to organize the event because she handles the National Geographic materials for the school. She is also the Geography Club adviser for the fourth-graders and fifth-graders at the school.
Principal Kimberly Mack was the bee’s judge while Christopher Dukes, assistant administrator, was the time keeper for the competition. Kelly Folk, literacy coach, was the scorekeeper while teachers Courtney Hentz and Starnes were moderators, asking each student questions.
“I am so proud of our boys and girls that participated in The Little Mountain Elementary’s Geography Bee,” said Mack. “Many of the questions were extremely difficult, yet our students stayed focused and persevered. I would also like to thank our teachers Paige Starnes and Courtney Hentz for their dedication to the Geography Bee. They provided a meaningful learning experience for our young adults.”
Contestants were each asked a question during a preliminary competition in the school’s auditorium. Questions in the bee could range from cities, states, countries, bodies of water, and anything relating to geography, according to Starnes.
The following students participated: Shaylei Archey, Adam Bedenbaugh, Ryan Conder, Connor Cromer, Brady Davenport, Alana Davis, Lyle Fulmer, Ben Hawkins, TC Shepard, Jacob Spells, Aubrie Suber, Ethan Riddle, Gabi Riddle, MJ Spencer, David VanZadelhoff, Kenslee Wessinger, Callie Wilbanks, and Maya Williams.
The participants had 15 seconds to give their responses, which were stated to be correct or incorrect. Similar to a game show, points were tallied after the rounds, choosing the top scoring students to move on to the final competition. If a student missed two questions, they were asked to leave the stage.
The top two students, David VanZadelhoff and Maya Williams, competed in the final competition round, after the other students had been eliminated. The two were asked the same three questions, each writing their answers down before reading them aloud.
Answering the most questions correctly, Maya Williams was the school’s geography bee champion, with David VanZadelhoff taking second place, and Lyle Fulmer taking third place.
“I think it is important in this day and age to raise awareness of geography and the world in which we live,” Starnes said. “We must understand our past to see how far we have all come, and understanding continents, oceans, and other countries helps our students grasp this concept.”
Williams said she was nervous in the days leading up to the bee.
“I was also nervous when the geographic bee started on Thursday morning, but then I was more relaxed until the final question. Then I realized that I had answered it correctly and was our school champion,” Williams said.
