Berner Middle School eighth-grader Daniel Lobacarro made history for the school when he made it all the way to the tie-breaking final round of the National Geographic Geography Bee regional competition in Albany.
“That’s a major milestone,” said social studies teacher Danielle Kennedy, coordinator of the school-wide geography bee. “He is the first regional finalist from Berner to progress that far in the regional competition.”
Lobacarro advanced to the competition after being crowned champion of the school-wide bee earlier in the school year and by scoring well on a qualifying test. Sponsored by the National Geographic Society, the bees at each level provide a way to spark interest and awareness about geography.
Eighth-grader Marcus Hogan also gave a shining performance as runner up. Eleven other students competed, including eighth-graders Michael Leibow, Luigi LoCascio and Lucas Tonello; and seventh-graders Lucas Alonso, Emmy Amid, Emily Fiola, David Ford, Maria Greene, Devin Loiacano, Liam Mahoney and Sean Satory.
“The geography bee is an interactive way for students to build their skills, boost their confidence and strengthen their overall knowledge of geography,” said Kennedy. “We’re proud of all our students who challenged themselves in this competition, and congratulate Daniel for his excellent performance at the school and regional levels.”
All seventh- and eighth-grade students in the school took a qualifying assessment to determine a winner for each team. These winners then participated in the school-wide bee held in an oral and written format where students answered questions in rounds. The bee was coordinated with the assistance of teachers William Chlystun and Josee Charvet.
—Submitted by Massapequa Public Schools
