Fauquier County Public Schools News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 7, 2017 Karen Parkinson, Coordinator of Information Phone (540) 422-7031 [email protected]

TWO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS NAMED NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC STATE BEE SEMIFINALISTS

Taylor Middle School student Elizabeth Ott and Warrenton Middle School student Josie Hutt have been notified by the National Geographic Society that they are two of 100 semifinalists in the state eligible to compete in the 2017 Virginia National Geographic State Bee. The contest will be held at Longwood University in Farmville on Friday, March 31. This is the second level of the National Geographic Bee competition, now in its 29th year. School Bees were held in schools with fourth- through eighth-grade students throughout the state to determine each school champion. School champions then took a qualifying test, which they submitted to the National Geographic Society. The National Geographic Society has invited 100 of the top-scoring students in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense Dependents Schools and U.S. territories to compete in the State Bees. Taylor’s Talented Teen Elizabeth Ott said she was definitely surprised to qualify for the state- level geography bee and was very matter-of-fact about her preparation for competition at the school- and county-levels. “I looked over the book ‘How to Ace the National Geographic Bee,’ and I also checked out a book on the Middle East because we had not studied that region yet this year.” TMS geography teacher Mark Rankins, who coached the Taylor team, including Elizabeth, to a first-place win in the Fauquier County Middle School Geography Tournament on Feb. 15, was not surprised at his student’s latest accomplishment. “Elizabeth has been in my geography class this past year, and she has maintained an A average all year,” he said. “Her work is high quality, and she is also talented at drawing. She seemed very relaxed at the county Elizabeth Ott, front left, is pictured tournament and the TMS librarian, Mrs. Reynolds, said she has also with the Taylor team which recently won the county’s middle school participated on the TMS Battle of the Books team the last few years. I guess geography tournament. she loves competitions!” Not only does Elizabeth enjoy competitions, but she enjoys the subject of geography: “There is so much to learn about the world,” she said.

Warrenton’s World Whiz WMS geography teacher Tom Bringenberg described his student Josie Hutt as “a very hard worker” who has an “excellent grasp of the world around her.” “She does very well with deeper thinking activities and consistently puts forth her best efforts in class,” he said. “She was hesitant to participate in the Geo Bee when she initially qualified, but she did outstanding in the school competition and was a huge contributor for our team in the County Geography Bee at Fauquier High. Josie’s intelligence and disposition have been an important part of our classroom community throughout the year.” Asked if she were surprised to be named to the state bee, Josie replied, “Uh, yes, very.” Her preparation methods for geography competitions? “Real-life experiences and some luck have gotten me where I am so far!” she said. Josie explained her interest in geography: “I enjoy learning about the world that I live in and I like to travel,” she said. What’s Coming At the state level each champion will receive $100, the National Geographic Concise Atlas of the World, 4th Edition and a trip to Washington, D.C., to represent their state in the National Geographic Bee Championship to be held at National Geographic Society headquarters May 14-17. The national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the Society, including a subscription to National Geographic magazine, and an all-expenses-paid Lindblad expedition to the Galápagos Islands aboard the new National Geographic Endeavour ll. Travel for the trip is provided by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic. Visit www.natgeobee.org for more information on the National Geographic Bee. The National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD will air the 2017 National Geographic Bee Championship, moderated by journalist and humorist Mo Rocca, on Friday, May 19, at 8 p.m. ET. Public television stations will broadcast the final round at a later date. How would you fare as a Bee contestant? At the school Bees this year, students had to answer questions like these:

1. The North Platte and South Platte Rivers meet in which state—New Mexico or Nebraska?

2. Which landmark in Washington, D.C., was burned by the British in 1814—the Washington Monument or the White House?

3. Sea otters sometimes wrap themselves in kelp when resting to keep from drifting away. Sea otters can be found near eastern Russia in the Sea of Okhotsk in which ocean?

4. The island of Mauritius [maw-RISH-uhs] in the Indian Ocean has multicolored sand dunes. It’s weird, but it’s true! Mauritius lies off the southeast coast of which continent that includes the Kalahari Desert?

5. What is the term for an underground layer of rock that holds groundwater—an arroyo or an aquifer?

1. Answer: Nebraska 2. Answer: White House 3. Answer: Pacific Ocean 4. Answer: Africa 5. Answer: Aquifer