National Geographic Bee 

This is our second year participating in the National Geographic Bee for grades 5-8. In January, Preston Buchanan, Class of 2015, became our winner at the school level. Preston then qualified for the state level bee, which was not an easy feat. The questions were challenging, such as "What port city is at the eastern end of the Trans-Siberian Railway?" and "United Nations peacekeepers secure the buffer zone between two disputed regions on which Mediterranean island?"

On Friday, April 3, Preston traveled to Jacksonville University to compete against 100 other middle school students from around the state of Florida. As a sixth grade student, he did extremely well against older students in grades seven and eight.

Are you smarter than a sixth grader? Take the GeoBee Challenge!

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Pinellas Rotary Speech Contest

Caroline Wallace, Class of 2013, won the middle school Pinellas Rotary Speech Contest. The topic for all speeches this year was "What do I have to be optimistic about in today's world?"

Caroline's winning entry was well researched, positive, and very inspiring. She quoted Sarah Beeny who said, "positive things happen to positive people." Caroline concluded with her own sentiments, "I am optimistic for today and the future because I know there are things in life I can do to make a difference, and when an obstacle meets me, I can look at it as part of a bigger picture. If we make an effort to put some positivity into practice, we will find that challenges are easier and more enjoyable to overcome."

On Thursday, April 9, Caroline will be competing against the school winners from both public and private schools from across Pinellas County.