Caleb Pawelski wins Golden Hill's Geography Bee

Fourth grader moves one step closer to $25,000 college scholarship from National Geographic Society Florida - Caleb Pawelski, a fourth-grade student at Golden Hill Elementary School, won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee on Jan. 11 and a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship by knowing the answer to the question: In June 2006, which country bordering the Caspian and Aral seas launched its first communication satellite? Answer: Kazakhstan. The school-level Bee, at which students answered oral questions on geography, was the first round in the 19th annual Geographic Bee sponsored by the National Geographic Society. Fifth-grader grader Thomas Smyth and fourth-grader Andrew Meier placed second and third, respectively, in the Golden Hill competition. Other finalists included fifth-graders Nicholas Carbonaro and Jennifer Pomella and fourth grader Colin Kenny. Golden Hill Elementary School Library Teacher Marlayne Sick said some but not all of the questions required the students to look at maps before answering. She provided a sampling of the questions: • Grand Canyon National Park, a World Heritage site and one of the studied geologic landscapes in the world, lies on the Colorado Plateau in the northwestern part of which state? Answer: Arizona. • Big Bend National Park, boasting diverse desert flora and fauna, is one of the largest and least visited parks in the United States. This park is located in which state? Answer: Texas. • Padre Island, the longest stretch of underdeveloped barrier island in the country, extends along the southeastern coast of which state? Answer: Texas. • Long-lot settlement patterns are common in the southeastern region of what U.S. state which has a strong French heritage? Answer: Louisiana. The Bee began in the week of Nov. 13 with thousands of schools around the United States and in the five U.S. territories participating. The school winners, including Caleb Pawelski, will now take a written test; up to 100 of the top scorers in each state and territory, will be eligible to compete in their state Bee on March 30. The National Geographic Society will provide an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for state champions and teacher-escorts to participate in the National Geographic Bee national championship on May 22 and 23. The first-place national winner will receive a $25,000 college scholarship and a lifetime membership in the Society.