Rossman School’s annual awards ceremony on the last day of school turned into a celebration of three impressive finishes in an academic competition, including two national title performances.
Rossman School earned first place in the country in the 2011-2012 National Geography Challenge in the fourth grade and fifth grade divisions. The sixth grade team earned third place in the nation.
In the challenge, the scores of the top 10 students are combined to determine the team score. The fourth grade class crushed the competition, recording five perfect scores and a team average of 98 percent. Sriya Bandi, Josie Bournstein, Zachary Mella, Evan Hofer and Janie Shanahan recorded perfect scores. Also counting toward the team score were Will Bohlmann, J.D. Blaylock, Patrick Deemer, Stanley Ding, Christopher Olsen and Ayesha Siddiqi. Because of ties, 11 students were recognized as team members.
Members of the fifth grade national championship team are Lindsay Ball, Matthew Brooks, Allison Dahl, Will Dreesen, Avi Dundoo, Nico Feldman, Samer Hajji, Drew Hardwick, Catherine Holt, Sarah Niesen and Nikki Sewall.
The National Geography Challenge is administered by the National Social Studies League, and is sponsored by the National Council for Geographic Education. The challenge provides standardized testing for children in grades 2-12. At Rossman School, students take the test in grades 4-6. The written exam tests general knowledge of geography, map skills, interpreting charts and graphs and reading comprehension.
Mary Jane Carissimi teaches Upper School Social Studies at Rossman School. These were the second and third national championships for Rossman School in this competition. The school won its first national title in the competition in the 2007-2008 school year.
Rossman School, located in Creve Coeur, is an independent, coeducational, preparatory school for students in Junior Kindergarten (four years old) through Grade 6. The school’s mission is to provide a strong, well-balanced education in a nurturing school community committed to excellence. Rossman School is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools and the Independent Schools Association of the Central States. More information about the school can be found at www.rossmanschool.org.