Stoddert’s Entrants in D.C.’s Citywide Spelling Bee

Stoddert's stellar spellers, Joel and Samer

by Reem Nourallah Chiaviello

Stoddert School, represented by fifth-graders Samer Chiaviello and Joel Clark, participated in the Citywide Spelling Bee on March 20, 2010. Twenty-seven students in grades four to eight, and winners of five District of Columbia Cluster Bees participated in this event that was taped by NBC Channel 4 at their studios in Northwest.

Participant schools were Alice Deal Middle School, Bolling Area Home Educators, Brightwood Educational Campus, Browne Educational Campus, Columbia Heights Educational Campus, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, Eaton Elementary School, Emery Educational Campus, Elsie Whitlow Stokes Public Charter School, Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science, Johnson Middle School, Key Elementary School, Kimball Elementary School, Lafayette Elementary School, Leckie Elementary School, Murch Elementary School, Oyster-Adams Bilingual Educational Campus, Paul Public Charter School, Root Activity Learning Center and Stoddert Elementary.

All 27 contestants were encouraged to ask to repeat the pronounced words, ask about the origin of the words, and ask to put the to-be-spelled words in a complete sentence. Joel, contestant number eight, remained in the competition until round four. Samer, contestant number three, remained in the competition until round six and tied at fifth place with three other contestants.

The Citywide Spelling Bee competition was featured in the April 8th edition of The Washington Informer and was televised on April 10th from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on NBC Channel 4.

Congratulations to Samer and Joel … keep up the good work!

Link: http://www.washingtoninformer.com/03D3689845149D458A074F9FF5747707/index.html