Tuckahoe Student in State Geographic Bee

Thanks to Tammy Ehrenfeld for letting us know about Josh's achievement.

The National Geographic Society has announced Josh Newman, an 8th Grade student at Tuckahoe Middle School, as a semifinalist in the 2013 New York National Geographic Bee.

This year’s Bee began back in November, when thousands of schools around the nation participated, and the top scorers from each state were selected to participate in the semifinals, which will take place on April 5.

To progress to the semifinals, contestants were asked such questions as:

• A subspecies of brown bear known as the Kodiak bear takes its common name from an island that lies off the southern coast of what state?  (Alaska)
• The Danakil Depression, located in part of the Great Rift Valley, is one of the lowest points on which continent?   (Africa)

The winner at this state level competition will receive $100 and a trip to Washington, D.C., where he/she will represent New York in the national finals at National Geographic Society Headquarters, May 20-22, 2013.  This is the 25th year anniversary of the Bee.   The winner of the national finals will receive a $25,000 college scholarship and a trip to the Galapagos Islands (with one parent or guardian).

“Josh has always been fascinated by geography.  When he was in 1st grade, he got his first atlas and would spend hours studying maps of different countries”, noted Kathryn Newman, Josh’s mother.  His father Mark added “Josh is thrilled to represent Tuckahoe Middle School in this Bee.  He loves geography and learning about the world.

For more information about the National Geographic Bee, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee.