Fifty students have made it past the first round of the County
Spelling Bee.
The preliminary rounds were held Feb. 4 and 11 for two
groups
– fourth, fifth and sixth graders, and seventh and eighth
graders.
During the two preliminary rounds, students spelled out 50 words
read to them and used in a sentence by Kim O’Connor, County
Spelling Bee coordinator. When O’Connor asked if the students were
nervous, they shook their heads.
Fifty students have made it past the first round of the County Spelling Bee.
The preliminary rounds were held Feb. 4 and 11 for two groups – fourth, fifth and sixth graders, and seventh and eighth graders.
During the two preliminary rounds, students spelled out 50 words read to them and used in a sentence by Kim O’Connor, County Spelling Bee coordinator. When O’Connor asked if the students were nervous, they shook their heads.
At the beginning of each contest, County Superintendent of Schools Tim Foley acknowledged the students’ parents.
“To the parents, thank you for taking the time and effort to bring your scholars out here tonight,” he said.
The top 25 spellers in each category go on to the final round of the County Spelling Bee where they spell words outloud until one champion speller is left.
Before each preliminary round, O’Connor was nervous because she didn’t have as many students showing up. For the fourth, fifth and sixth grade round, 51 students showed up. Last year, 130 participated, she said.
Thirty-one students showed up for the seventh- and eighth-grade preliminary round.
The top 50 will receive spelling lists from O’Connor in the mail this month. Words from the State Spelling Bee Web site will be on the list to prepare students who will head to that competition in May.
Fourth, fifth and sixth graders going to the County Spelling Bee March 3 are: Natalie Madson and Jeanine Madson from Bitterwater-Tully School; Alex Hernandez from Calaveras School; Ali Bootwala and Francis Isabel Scherry from Cerra Vista School; June Branon from Gabilan Hills School; Jefferson School’s Susie Miramontes; Ladd Lane School’s Eric Adams; Stacy Soneye from Marguerite Maze Middle School; Sienna Robrock, Galen Wrobel and Ann Mari Rich from Rancho San Justo Middle School; Scared Heart School’s Hina Moheyuddin, Mia Vodanovich, Kellen O’Laughlin, Glester Invencion and Travis Mills; Melissa Murphy from Seventh-Day Adventist School; Southside School’s Lauren Hack; Eric Wang and Michael Frelier from Spring Grove School; Nadia Ahmed and Jessica Cabral from Sunnyslope School; and Tres Pinos School’s Scott McFall and Brian Sanders.
Seventh and eighth graders that made it to the County Spelling Bee March 10 are: home-schooled Mark Frelier; Bitterwater-Tully School’s Kindra King, Carolyn Madson and Cody King; Cienega School’s Ila Foley; Jared Ballinger from Jefferson School; Marguerite Maze Middle School’s Logan Truong, Miles Terry, Esmeralda Paniagua, Philip Caltabiano and Madi Farmer; Rancho San Justo Middle School’s Christian Solis, Waleed Alam, Cody Flores, Stephanie Martinez, John England, Jacob Oates and Wanda Alam; Callie George and Huma Moheyuddin from Sacred Heart School; Olivia Fiori and Alysa Magana from San Juan School; and Southside School’s Chelsea Conley, Nathalie Ferare and Allie Kimes.
For more information on the County Spelling Bee, call the County Office of Educaiton at 637-5393.
