Students Strive in Geographic Bee
Teacher Lydia Boto with Geographic Bee winners: First place winner Kyleb Howell (sixth grade), second place winner Nieman Walker (seventh grade), and third place winner Rusty Vittrup, (eighth grade)
Liberty has once again set a precedent that will continue to exhibit the quality of education offered on campus for years to come. Liberty students now have the opportunity to compete and display the geographic knowledge they receive in class.
According to Middle School Principal Martin Noto, he believes that in the information age as our world continues to get smaller and smaller, it is imperative that students know about other nations, where they are located, and that they are all a part of God’s creation.
He added that just as athletics is not just about exercising but also about competing to apply those physical skills, so it is important to Liberty to be active and strong in academic competitions, to give students the opportunity to test and apply their mental abilities and knowledge learned in class.
Mrs. Lydia Boto, sixth grade history teacher, answered Middle School Principal Dr. Martin Noto’s call in mid-summer to become the Middle School’s National Geographic Bee director. The first geography bee was held in the Middle School Village in December. At the competition, questions could be heard like, “The Oswego River in central New York flows north into what body of water? Could you answer this question without an atlas?”
The sixth, seventh, and eighth grade champions came back from their Christmas holidays prepared to compete for the championship. On Jan. 15, sixth grader Kyleb Howell, seventh grader Neiman Walker, and eighth grader Rusty Vittrup competed in the school championship contest. Sixth grader Kyleb Howell emerged as Middle School Champion after four rounds of questions.
Kyleb now has the opportunity to advance to the state championship in Austin and win not only cash prizes, but also the opportunity to go to the National Geographic Bee finals in Washington D.C. The grand prize winner will receive a $25,000 college scholarship, $500 cash, and an all-expense paid trip to the Galapagos Islands.