Submitted by Indian Valley Middle School

On March 4, 2013, Indian Valley Middle School was notified by the National Geographic Society that 8^th grade student Liam J. Kelley had qualified to represent Indian Valley Middle School and participate at the state level of the National Geographic Bee sponsored by Google and Plum Creek. The state competition is to be held April 15, 2013, at the Eisenhower Hotel and Conference Center in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

            To achieve this honor, Liam had to exceed in earlier, local levels of the Geography Bee.  On the first day after the Christmas break in January, all Social Studies classes in grades six through eight too part in the classroom level of competition. The winner in each class, including Liam, then had to participate in the elimination segment for the Bee to narrow the contestants down to ten finalists.

The final ten contestants take part in the last and final segment at this level which is an assembly attended by parents, students, teachers, and administrators. The questions and format are dictated by the National Geographic Society and includes a variety of world and United States geography questions. Liam won this competition and his final leg in this “Geographic” journey was to complete a paper and pencil test compiled by the National Geographic Society. This test was then sent to the home office in Washington, D.C. and was corrected and scored there. The top performers in the state were then chosen for the state competition in April.

            Indian Valley Middle School is extremely proud of Liam and his accomplishments and wish him the best in the state level of the National Geographic Geography Bee.