Thank you to all fourteen of the fourth and fifth grade finalists who participated in the first ever Newcastle Elementary
Geography Bee on Friday, January 13th!  We are proud of all of you! The questions were challenging and the
students gave it their all as their peers watched and waited in suspense to see who would be named our school champion.

A big congratulations to fifth grader, Colby V., our school geography bee champion and also a big congrats to Bridget U., the
runner-up! Colby and Bridget ended up tying in the championship round, leading to a tie-breaker to follow. A very exciting finish for all involved!

As our school champion, Colby will now have the opportunity to take a written test to have a chance at qualifying for the state
2012 National Geographic Bee. The top 100 students in the state (selected based on qualifying test scores) qualify to represent their schools and compete at the state level. State qualifiers compete in an oral competition at the state level, which is usually held in late March or early April.

We wish Colby the best of luck and again would like to thank all who participated in the bee! Many thanks to the fabulous fourth and fifth grade teachers who held classroom bees, Mrs. Newton (our moderator), Ms. Rickey (our geography bee teacher coordinator) and Newcastle Mayor and Deputy Mayor, Rich Crispo and Lisa Jensen (judges). Our first school geography bee was a big success and a great opportunity to again see the many talents of Newcastle Elementary students!