S-p-e-l-l-i-n-g B-e-e

Seven innings of spelling

BY KATIE STOCKSTILL
THE MORNING SUN

It was like watching a baseball game as 72 students in grades third through fifth squared off in the school-wide spelling bee at Westside Elementary School.
There were home runs and strike outs, pop-ups and curveballs. And as each child stepped up to the plate, there was excitement and anxiety as he or she waited for their next word.

But after seven rounds of spelling, one student proved herself as she walked away with the school spelling bee title.

Randa Pitts, a fifth grade student at Westside Elementary, correctly spelled salami to hit yet another home run and walk away with the title.

"It feels really good to win," Pitts said. "I didn't know I would win but I thought I would do OK because I made the county spelling bee when I was a third grader."

Myrna Montelongo, Dylan Brizzee and Elwood Bardwell finished second through fourth, respectively, and will accompany Pitts to the county spelling bee.

All students, Miller said, received a copy of the words that were used during Thursday's competition, but some students admit they did not give the list much time.

"I really didn't study," Brizzee said. "I just spelled the words." Montelongo said she agreed but admitted that she would probably begin practicing for the county competition.

Miller said she organized the words so that they would progress from easy to hard.

"I make the lists so that the words start off easy and progressively get harder," Miller said. "I don't want to give them hard words from the beginning. I want the kids to have some success. I know they are putting themselves on the line doing this."

Spelling bees have and continue to remain popular and important school activities. Miller said the recent movie and Broadway musical about spelling bees help to make them popular among children. The individual, competitive set-up of the bees also keep kids coming back

"It's like running a race," Miller said. "The kids don't have to rely on a team, they can win the bee themselves."

The county spelling bee, which will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 22 at Pittsburg High School will feature more home runs and strike outs from students in third through eighth grade and will result in another Crawford County spelling champion.

The Morning Sun, (www.morningsun.net) February 9, 2007

 

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