Two middle school students at Islesboro Central School have received awards for academic excellence. Seventh grader Dylan O’Connell won the annual Waldo County Spelling Bee, and sixth grader Jeffrey Lewis took first place in the school’s Geography Bee. Both students will now advance to competition at the state level, Dylan on March 26, and Jeffrey on April 2, at the University of Maine’s Orono campus. Lewis follows in the footsteps of former ICS student Morgan Kerr who, in 2001, represented Maine at the national geography competition in Washington, D.C. O’Connell’s antecedents include fellow student T.L. Tutor, who won last year’s championship, and former ICS student Daniel Tutor (T.L.’s older brother), who won in 2000.
Jeffrey Lewis credits his achievement to his consuming interest in geography, especially foreign countries and the wildlife found there. He envisions a career in photojournalism, traveling to the countries he reads about in National Geographic. Lewis (currently immersing himself in the book How to Prepare for the State Geography Bee) is also an accomplished musician, playing mandolin and singing with his dad, Dave Lewis, in a bluegrass duo, “Me, Myself, My Dad and I.”
Dylan O’Connell is a non-resident (magnet) student at Islesboro Central School who lives in Belfast and takes the ferry from Lincolnville back and forth every school day. Spelling the word “cathedral” correctly to win his first place standing, he credits his success in part to his teacher, Sheila Coombs, who holds her students accountable for good grammar and spelling habits and encourages them to read and write regularly.