The San Benito County Office of Education recently hosted its 20th annual Spelling Bee with the top two winners from two age categories (4th through 6th grade and 7th through 8th grade) advancing to the state competition.
“It was a great event,” said Supt. Krystal Lomanto, who thanked the Hollister Rotary for donating iPads as prizes for the first-place winners in each category.
Lomanto, along with her husband, also donated Amazon gift cards for the winners in each division, while Sen. Anthony Canella provided certificates of recognition for each student who competed in the finals.
In the elementary school division, Rasmeet Brar, a sixth grader at Accelerated Achievement Academy, finished in first place ahead of runner-up Max Westphal, a sixth grader at Hollister Dual Language Academy 6th Grade, third-place winner Brooklynn Goldstone, a fifth grader at Accelerated Achievement Academy, and fourth-place finisher Kim Barrcelos, a fifth grader at RO Hardin Elementary School.
In the junior high division, Carmela Clark, an eighth grader at Spring Grove School, took first-place honors with Kyle Yamanishi, an eighth grader at Southside, in second place, Cassandra Reyes a seventh grader at Hollister Dual Language Academy, in third place, and Emmia Rivera, a seventh grader at Hollister Dual Language Academy, in fourth place.
The California State Junior HIgh Spelling Bee will take place May 5 at Miller Creek Middle School in San Rafael. Competition begins at 9:30am.
The California State Elementary Spelling Bee is scheduled for May 12 at San Joaguin County Office of Education’s Wentworth Education Center in Stockton. The introduction of spellers kicks off at 8:45am.
