Whiz Kid: Port Jefferson Student Qualifies For State Level Geography Bee

This year, Joe Longo, a seventh grader in Port Jefferson Middle School took first place in the district’s competition and qualified for the New York State competition, according to a statement released by the school.

If selected, Longo will compete against 100 others in the state to bid for a spot in the National Geographic Bee in Washington D.C. later this year.

Students compete in question-and-answer quizzes in subject areas such as U.S., continental, physical and world geographies.

Longo came in third place in last year’s school bee.

The school district said that teacher representatives will be notified whether Longo qualifies to represent Port Jefferson Middle School at the state level in March.

Social studies teacher Philip Giannusa has facilitated a bee for students for the last eight years. Two students advanced to the state-level competition in Albany, and one student make it to the top 10 in that time.