Eighth grader wins annual Oak Knoll Geography Bee

SUMMIT, NJ, January 8, 2016 – Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child students’ knowledge spanned oceans and continents from the comfort of the Mother Mary Campion Center for the Performing Arts during the annual Geography Bee on Friday.

Ten students in grades 5-8 answered a series of questions on U.S. and world geography in multiple rounds on Friday, January 8, before eighth grader Faith Bulan ’20, of New Providence, outlasted fellow eight grader Kylie Gall ’20, of Summit, in the championship round.

Bulan will now take a written test to be submitted to National Geographic to determine whether she is a state finalist and whether she qualifies for a statewide Geography Bee in the spring.

“This really enhances all of the students’ geography knowledge, which is really what we’re looking for,” said Lower School Social Studies Teacher Leslie Smith, who co-moderated the bee with Upper School History Teacher Erin Traynor.

Contestants in the Oak Knoll Geography Bee consisted of two students from grade 5: Clara O’ Mara ’23 and Vyom Singh ’23; three from grade 6: Gabrielle Delano ‘22, John Jagoe ’22 and Samantha Petrucco ’22; two from grade 7: Callie Riabov ’21 and Sarah Duttenhofer ’21; and three from grade 8: Gall ’20, Bulan and Caroline Hall ’20.

Students in fifth-, sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade history and social study classes previously participated in a preliminary competition. Students with the most correct answers during the preliminary competition, which consisted of seven rounds of questions, moved onto Friday’s final round.

Upper School Division Head Jennifer Landis and Lower School Division Head Christine Spies were judges for the bee.