NEWS RELEASE
February 3, 2017
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen, Marketing Director
561-345-3103
PHOTO ID:
7419: Rosarian seventh-grader Christian Azqueta proudly holds the winning trophy and certificate for the National Geographic Bee.
7472: (L-R) Scripps Spelling Bee winner Madison Fabbri (7th grade) and runner-up Hope Diffenderfer (8th grade) will both advance to the regional bee.
Geography, Spelling, and Religion: Rosarian Academy Middle School Students Compete in Three Bees
Rosarian Academy middle school students recently competed at the school-level in the National Geographic Bee, the National Spelling Bee, and Religion Bee.
Christian Azqueta, a seventh-grade student at Rosarian Academy, won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee on January 27, 2017, and a chance at a $50,000 college scholarship. The school-level Bee, at which students answered oral questions on geography, was the first round in the 29th annual National Geographic Bee. Thousands of schools around the United States, the five U.S. territories, and the Department of Defense Dependent Schools around the world, are participating in the 2017 Bee. The school champions, including Christian Azqueta, will take a qualifying test; up to 100 of the top scorers on that test in each state will then be eligible to compete in their state Bee on March 31, 2017. The National Geographic Society will provide an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for state winners to participate in the Bee national championship rounds May 15-17, 2017. The first-place national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship.
The school-level competition of the 2017 Scripps Spelling Bee was held on February 1, 2017. Sixteen fifth-through-eighth-grade students competed in the Bee. After nine rounds, Madison Fabbri (seventh grade) won with the word Òscrumptiously.Ó Hope Diffenderfer (eighth grade) then won runner-up in the tie-breaker round against MJ Hanlon (sixth grade). HopeÕs final word was Òcatastrophic.Ó Madison and Hope will both represent Rosarian at the Final Regional Southeastern Florida Scripps Spelling Bee on Tuesday, February 22, 2017, at The Benjamin School.
In celebration of National Catholic Schools Week (January 29-February 4), Rosarian held a middle school Religion Bee on Friday, February 3, 2017. Six teamsÑeach comprising one student from fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth gradesÑcompeted against each other to answer questions related to the Catholic faith and history of the Church. The winning team, the Evangelists, included: Marlowe Dunn Flom (eighth grade), Mercedes Cassidy (seventh grade), Katarina Bessenroth (sixth grade), and Brewer Rehm (fifth grade).
Rosarian Academy, founded in 1925, educates students from early childhood through eighth grade and offers an exceptionally strong academic program enriched by athletics, visual and performing arts, and community service opportunities. The independent, Catholic school is located on Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach and is sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters. For more information, visit www.rosarian.org or call 561.345.3106.
