BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Panama Buena Vista School District partnered with Scripps National Spelling Bee. To bring the first spelling bee to the students of Stockdale Elementary. A night filled of learning from grades 1-6th.
- They started with 300 kids, and the top 35 participated in the bee.
- Students were given a month to learn hundreds of words for their grade level.
- A 2nd grader was apart of the top three finalist.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Learning is fundamental for growth, and spelling is a critical component of communication. Students at Stockdale elementary participated in the first ever Scripps Spelling Bee in their district. I'm Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter. Students from 1-6th grade learned hundreds of words in preparation for the big day.
Panama Buena Vista School District partnered with Scripps National Spelling Bee to bring this competition to their students. The bee has been going on for almost 100 years and now a new tradition has begun in PBVUSD.
Chantel Stansberry Director of Communications for PBVUSD said "Its very exciting, there's been a large initiative. We always prioritize having literacy at the forefront. Obviously, the academic achievement of our students is super important to us. However the spelling bee is really a fun way to promote that literacy, and it's not always just the curriculum that they're used to seeing.
They started with 300 students who were interested in the spelling bee, and gave them the national words for their grade level. Allowing them to practice and prepare. The students worked with family members getting ready for the big day. Heading towards the event they narrowed it down to 35 students.
Aaron Angeles 2nd grade finalist said "I forgot a lot of words but, the only one I can remember is "Anecdotes" .
Aaron Angeles tells me he studied extra hard, and his whole family came out to support him. He came in 3rd place out of all contestants as a second grader. First and second place was held by a 4th and 5th grader.
Savannah Olivas 4th grade finalist said "I owe all this work to my grandpa! I know you're out there, and I just want to give you a really big hug!
Margarita Huezo, a parent of an Stockdale Elementary student said "It was an absolute pleasure and honor to help in the inauguration of the Spelling Bee at Stockdale Elementary School." She then went into saying. "Having grown up in socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances. My husband and I deeply understand how a lack of resources, and guidance can significantly impact an individual's ability to succeed."
"These kids have hidden talents that you would never expect, and it was just such an amazing opportunity to be able to provide this experience for students regardless of financial background or athletic ability is truly is a sport in itself. Academically so its just amazing to be able to see those kids get to participate in something like this." said Kaylee Born 4th grade teacher at Stockdale Elementary
A couple of the students tell me this won't be their last spelling bee, they want to go all the way to Washington DC. For 23 ABC I'm Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter.
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