Arlington School & Family Magazine March/April 2018 | Page 7

Spelling Bee Success
By Kenneth Perkins
The way Shackelford Junior High eighth grader
Haley W. approached the podium and correctly
spelled word after word, it was as though she’d been
there and done that all before.
Which, of course, she had.
Haley competed in the AISD Area Spelling Bee
three times before this year, placing second twice
and winning it all as a fifth grader.
Advanced Academics Coordinator Julie Porter said
the long rounds were a testament to the sharpness of
the various campus spellers.
Martin High School teacher Dr. David Tripp was the
pronouncer while Michelle Pringle, Alice Petersen
and Kathryn Ryan were judges.
Sixty-four students competed in the two spelling
bees combined.
So when two other students remained with
Haley at the beginning of the seventh round
during the Area 8 Spelling Bee - Larson
Elementary sixth grader Nathania U. and
Beckham fourth grader George R. - Haley
looked quite calm and collected.
The three went toe-to-toe-to-toe for several
rounds until George tripped up in the 16th
round on the word Banzai, replacing the
first “a” with an “o.”
One round later, Nathania missed a word,
giving Haley the chance to spell the final
winning word peloton.
Haley advanced to the Regional Spelling
Bee held in early March at TCU in Fort
Worth where she finished as the region
runner up.
Haley was joined at the regional bee
by Jolene N., a fifth grader at Duff
Elementary, who lasted a whooping 29
rounds in a battle with Swift Elementary
fifth grader Priyanka P. to win the Area 7
Spelling Bee.
Jolene won by successfully spelling
competitive, which is certainly what both
bees turned out to be.
Arlington School & Family
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