On March 25, the Great Neck Public Schools Board of Education celebrated North Middle School’s first-place finish in the Fall 2024 Division II National Vocabulary Bowl Championship, hosted by Vocabulary.com. North Middle students, English faculty, and building administrators proudly showed their championship trophy to Board trustees and district administrators.
The Vocabulary Bowl is a bi-annual academic competition where schools and learners compete online to master the most words, earning points and recognition for their vocabulary skills. North Middle students showed incredible dedication throughout the fall competition, mastering 44,347 words to claim the championship title.
“The achievement we celebrate today is not just about winning a competition—it’s about cultivating a love for language and learning that will serve these students throughout their lives,” North Middle Principal Brendan Nelson said in his remarks to the Board. “It is about empowering our young people to become articulate, thoughtful and empathetic communicators who can make a positive impact in our community and the world.”
During the Board meeting, certificates were presented to the top five students in North Middle’s two highest performing classes for their contributions to the school’s championship win: Vincent Yu, Megan Ho, Skylar Hu, Jayden Liu, and Jonathan Pouratian from Melissa Sephton’s class; and Zelong (Victor) Yang, Jacob Baires, John Han, Erin Chan, Ashley Demers, and Jacob Brown from Kimberley Bliss’s class.
Additionally, seventh-grade English teachers Ms. Sephton and Mrs. Bliss both ranked among the top 10 middle and elementary school teachers in the USA and Canada. Ms. Sephton ranked eighth with her students mastering a whopping 10,845 words, and Ms. Bliss followed closely behind in ninth place with her students mastering 10,480 words.
North Middle is proud of their Fall Championship win and ready to defend their title in the Spring Vocabulary Bowl! The school’s participation in this program is organized by the North Middle School English department, led by Department Chair Cinthia Raffo.