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In the back row is Wells Junior High School teacher and moderator of the local school level of the National Geographic Society’s 28th National Geography Bee, Bonnie Dill. In the second row, from left, are: Natalie Hanagan, grade seven; Tyler Evans, grade eight; Ethan Beals, grade eight; Sam Norbert, grade six; and Kate Pinette, grade seven. In the first row, from left, are: Annabelle Breton, grade seven; Katie Plourde, grade eight and runner up; Griffin Allaire, grade eight and winner; Jaidyn Patel, grade eight; and Auggie Ciorra, grade six.
In the back row is Wells Junior High School teacher and moderator of the local school level of the National Geographic Society’s 28th National Geography Bee, Bonnie Dill. In the second row, from left, are: Natalie Hanagan, grade seven; Tyler Evans, grade eight; Ethan Beals, grade eight; Sam Norbert, grade six; and Kate Pinette, grade seven. In the first row, from left, are: Annabelle Breton, grade seven; Katie Plourde, grade eight and runner up; Griffin Allaire, grade eight and winner; Jaidyn Patel, grade eight; and Auggie Ciorra, grade six.
WELLS — On Feb. 2, a sixth-grade student at Wells Junior High School, Griffin Allaire, won first place in the school’s annual participation at the local school level of the National Geographic Society’s 28th National Geography Bee.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS /Courtesy of Renee Savage Facing the moderator of the local school level of the National Geographic Society’s 28th National Geography Bee Bonnie Dill is sixth-grade student (and soon to be winner of the 2016 WJHS Geography Bee) Griffin Allaire. Natalie Hanagan is at far left.
SUBMITTED PHOTOS /Courtesy of Renee Savage Facing the moderator of the local school level of the National Geographic Society’s 28th National Geography Bee Bonnie Dill is sixth-grade student (and soon to be winner of the 2016 WJHS Geography Bee) Griffin Allaire. Natalie Hanagan is at far left.
Through a process of elimination, Katie Plourde, an eighth-grade student at WJHS, become runner-up and Allaire’s backup should he not be able to attend the state level of the Bee to be held April 1 at a location to be announced.

Winners at the state level will be invited to travel to Washington, D.C. to compete in the final phase of this competition beginning May 22. The winner at this final level will receive a $50,000 college scholarship.

At WJHS, 10 finalists, five girls and five boys, competed before a large audience of students, staff and parents in the Ward Gymnasium.

All 10 contestants received a certificate from the National Geographic Society congratulating them on becoming finalists plus the international Swiss chocolate candy bar, Toblerone. This tasty prize, as teacher and moderator of the Bee, Bonnie Dill, said is “to symbolize a sweet success.” Allaire and Plourde also received a World atlas.

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To ensure all students had a chance to compete, each classroom at WJHS held a bee. Classroom winners then met in a semifinal round that narrowed the field down to 10.

Judges for the WJHS Bee included teachers Susan Dugovic and Bruce Pelqouin. The timekeeper was Dan MacLeod.


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