Last week, middle school students from the Brother Rice Honors Academy at Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep, captured second place at the First Annual Haitian Heritage Month History Bee.  The event, that took place at North Miami Senior High School, hosted students from both public and private schools throughout Miami.  The Brother Rice students, the only middle school team to compete at the high school level, fell only one point short of the MAST Academy.

The competition was part of a month-long celebration of the arts, culture, and education held under the auspice of Miami-Dade County’s Haitian Heritage Cultural Month held each May for the past 12 years. 

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jean Monestime who sponsored the event, stated in a press release, “The history of the Haitian people is rich and should be shared and cherished by everyone.  The History Bee is an excellent opportunity to share the story of the Haitian people with the residents of Miami-Dade County.  This is also a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the contributions that Haitians have made to our country and our world.”

The Brother Rice students prepared for the competition for about one month.  Academy teacher William Perry had pairs of students prepare lesson plans and quizzes to present to their fellow students.  “We studied everything from the Pre-Columbian Era to the Revolutionary War,” commented Perry.  “It was an exciting competition and, by the end, our students received a standing ovation!”

The Brother Rice Honors Academy accepts no more than 30 students in grades 6 to 8 inclusive.  The school offers a high school preparatory experience where individually designed programs offer a mix of formal classes; small and large group presentations; research work in the library and media center; and a daily period reserved for reading.  For more information, visit www.acnd.net.

Br. Rice Honors Academy students place 2nd at the First Annual Heritage History Bee. The middle school students competed at the high school level and against public and private schools in Miami-Dade. Back Row (from l to r) - Emily Windsor, Ivanee Cruz, Aaron Martin, Dawaun Davis, Christian Masseus, Lorie Tranchant, Trevor Landry; Middle Row - Moises Iriarte; Front Row (from l to r): Dimitri Grant , Maximilian Gazeroglu, Kevin Valladares.