8th Annual GeoBee
On Dec. 20 the Eisenhower Middle/High School Social Studies Department held its 8th Annual GeoBee.
A GeoBee is similar to a spelling bee except that students are asked questions about physical and cultural geography of both the United States and the world. The event started back on Friday, Dec. 3, when all 7th and 8th grade students took a ten question qualifying quiz.
Article Photos
Photo by Candis Rieder
Spreading Christmas Cheer
The Fantasia Choir from Eisenhower High School stopped at the WCSD Administration offices during a recent field trip to provide a caroling break to all the employees in the building.
The top 29 students then participated in the GeoBee. Students were asked questions from categories of United States Geography, United States Quarters (pictures on the backs of them), United States cities, and world continents. Students with incorrect responses were eliminated. The final nine students were then asked questions about identifying different states, both from characteristics and maps. Students with two incorrect responses were eliminated. When the event reached the final two contestants, both were asked to provide written responses to the same three questions. The finalist with the most correct answers was year's EMHS GeoBee champion.
In the end it all came down to this question "Africa's highest peak is part of a national park in Tanzania. Name this mountain." This year's winner, who knew the answer to the question was Mount Kilimanjaro, was 7th grader Kayla Kuppertz. Kuppertz was awarded a medal from the National Geographic Society, a certificate which the Social Studies Department had framed, and a Geographical Dictionary from the Social Studies Department. Runner-up, 8th grader Jason Morine, was presented a World Atlas from the Social Studies Department.
Kupertz will now take the state qualifying test consisting of 70 questions in one hour. The top 100 scoring students in the state of Pennsylvania will be asked to participate in the State Level GeoBee on April 1. The Pennsylvania winner will then participate in the National GeoBee in Washington, D.C. on May 24 and 25. Twice in the last seven years the Eisenhower Champion has qualified for the Pennsylvania GeoBee. The Eisenhower Social Studies Department would like to congratulate Runner-up Jason Morine and Champion Kayla Kuppertz for their success in the 2010-2011 GeoBee.
Holiday break
Eisenhower High School and Sugar Grove Elementary School can plan to be on holiday break through Jan. 2. Classes will resume on Monday, Jan. 3. Throughout January 2011 the students will also not have school in observance of Martin Luther King day on Jan. 17, and classes will not be in session on Jan. 24 for a teachers professional development day.
Knitting classes
Wednesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. the Sugar Grove Free Library is holding Knitting Classes. The next session will begin January 12th. Register Early by calling the Library. Classes will be held Jan. 12, 19, 26 and Feb. 2. The fee is $35, payable prior to first class. For more information, stop by the library.
Red Kettle Campaign
Thank you to all those in the community who gave to the Red Kettle Campaign for the Salvation Army. Each weekend the kettle was manned by volunteers from local area churches. All funds raised by the kettle located outside the Town and Country Food Center remain in the area. The Red Kettle Campaign helps raise donations for those who need it most by providing toys for kids, coats for the homeless, food for the hungry and countless other programs.
Sugar Grove
Food Pantry
Many area volunteers, businesses, and organizations have donated to refill our local Sugar Grove Food Pantry. The food pantry is daily in operation to help out those in need in the Sugar Grove Community. If you are in need of food items this holiday season, please contact the Sugar Grove Free Methodist Church at 489-3105 for information on how you can make an appointment with a volunteer who can assist you in receiving needed food items.
Food distribution
The Second Harvest Food Bank once again held it's mobile food pantry distribution on December 19th. Families began to line up at 7:30 a.m. for the 10:00 a.m. distribution. Breakfast was provided by the church for the many volunteers and those families on site to pick up food. Once the semi truck loaded with food arrives, the numerous volunteers unload and organize the donations.
On this particular day the volunteers organized 10,000 pounds or 5 tons of food. The donations were distributed to more than 125 families. Second Harvest is the major supplier of food to charitable agencies throughout Northwestern Pennsylvania. They obtain products from the organization's warehouse and distribute them to individuals and families facing hard times in 11 counties. The distribution is held every other month in the gymnasium at the Sugar Grove Free Methodist Church which is the host site for the Northern part of Warren County for this program.