(951) 659-2145 - Idyllwild Town Crier

Idyllwild Town Crier, January 12, 2006 - Page 19
Spelling bee finalists are headed for district
By Marcia E. Gawecki
Correspondent
After 14 intense rounds
of spelling and eliminating
15 other students, Rebecca
Reeves, an eighth-grader,
was proclaimed winner of
the Idyllwild School Spelling
Bee held Jan. 4 before about
25 family members and
friends. Rebecca and first
alternate Danielle Wampler,
a sixth-grader, will represent
the school at the 29th-annual
District Spelling Bee
held Jan. 31 at the Simpson
Neighborhood Center in
Hemet.
“The last word [aerial]
was the hardest,” Rebecca
admitted. She said she hadn’t
studied much prior to the
spelling bee, but will likely
study more in the next weeks
leading up to district. Four
participants from grades
four to eight were chosen
to attend after they had
participated earlier in their
class spelling bees. However,
not all who qualified showed
up for the event.
Those in the younger
grades aren’t really expected
to win, said Spelling Master
and volunteer Diann Coate,
before the event began. “It’s
a good experience for them,
so next year they’ll know
what to expect and do even
better.”
Yet, Coordinator Diane
D’Arcy disagreed. “Last year
and this year, fifth- and
sixth-graders won the first
alternate positions. We’re a
K-8 school, so our spelling
bees have always included
the younger grades.” Last
year’s winner, Max Conniff,
eighth grade, and first
alternate Wyatt Priefer, fifth
grade, represented the school
at the District Spelling Bee.
Max took second place in the
district and graduated. Wyatt,
a sixth-grader this year,
was eliminated in an early
round. “You just knew he
knew that word, but must’ve
gotten nervous,” said Judge
Patty Carratello.
Before the event started,
D’Arcy laid out the ground
rules. Participants had 60
seconds to say and spell
the word. Coate first said
the word, then gave it in a
sentence, and then gave the
word again. If any student
wanted a definition of the
word, they had to ask for
it before spelling it. D’Arcy
also asked the parents to
resist “coaching” their children
and said if they had a
problem with a word, they
must address it to the judges
immediately and not wait
until after the spelling bee
was over.
Then she added: “You’re
all winners. You had the
Sick of “no show” service
Participants wait for the spelling bee to begin.
Photo by Marcia E. Gawecki
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From left, winner Rebecca Reeves, eighth grade, and first
alternate Danielle Wampler, sixth grade, are introduced by
Idyllwild School Spelling Bee Coordinator Diane D’Arcy.
Photo by Marcia E. Gawecki
courage to practice and
come here today. Remember
that spelling has nothing to
do with intelligence. Albert
Einstein couldn’t spell at
all.”
After D’Arcy introduced
the judges, Coate gave a disclaimer:
“I just wanted you
to know that I had nothing
to do with the sentences.
They came from the County
and they’re pretty bad.” Spelling
bee judges were Interim
Principal Karen Doshier,
and Idyllwild School teachers
Karen Smith, Jeri John,
Vic Scavarda and Carratello.
D’Arcy was timekeeper.
The students lined up
randomly according to the
number listed on their name
cards hung around their
necks. The word list was
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also random, said D’Arcy,
so some words might be
easier to spell. The words
were chosen from the 2006
Riverside County Spelling
Bee Review Booklet given
to all participants earlier.
See Bee, page 27
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