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Toll Gate ES
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Sycamore Creek ES
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Violet ES
Are you smarter than a fourth grader? Pickerington area fourth graders showed their spelling smarts in class spelling bees held by the schools in January.
Armed with word lists and number signs around their necks, the students competed head-to-head, tackling challenging words such as ‘crescendo’ and ‘committee.’
In the end, four students took the crown at their respective schools – Pickerington Elementary, Sycamore Creek Elementary, Toll Gate Elementary and Tussing Elementary. The winning students shared their tips and strategies for spelling under pressure.
Caitlin Ampah – Pickerington Elementary
Caitlin Ampah from Pickerington Elementary won her spelling bee against 15 classmates. Ampah says the hardest word she had to spell was ‘flailed,’ but she did not flail in securing the victory.
“I was very thrilled and over the moon when I won,” Ampah says.
She used this opportunity to practice perseverance and hard work while studying her long word list.
“Just try your best and don’t listen to anyone who is against your decision,” Ampah says.“Practice hard, and even if you don’t win, that doesn’t mean you are a failure, or you won’t win the next time.”
Lincoln Murphy – Sycamore Creek Elementary
Twenty-seven fourth graders competed in Sycamore Creek Elementary’s spelling bee and Lincoln Murphy came out on top. Even when it got down to the final round, Murphy was in disbelief that his hard work paid off.
“When I was in the top two, I thought, ‘I don’t need to win’ because I had such a great competitor,” Murphy says.
Murphy had to spell two tough ‘c’ words, ‘crescendo’ and ‘catapult,’ but thanks to hours of practice, they didn’t rattle him. His advice to other spellers is simple: enjoy the moment.
“Practice, try your best, and believe in yourself,” Murphy says. “It’s OK if you don’t win. It’s just great that you made it there.”
William Briscoe – Toll Gate Elementary
At Toll Gate Elementary, 26 students competed in a tough war of words, but there was no bad blood when William Briscoe won. Instead, the class surrounded him in a group hug with cheers.
“When I won the spelling bee, I felt excited and supported because my friends cheered for me,” Briscoe says.
It came down to the final word, ‘errands,’ for the championship, but the double ‘r’ didn’t stump him. Briscoe advises other students to enjoy the moment and release the jitters.
“The advice I would give is: study the words, don’t be nervous, and have fun,” Briscoe says.
Samantha Kwashie – Tussing Elementary
At the Tussing Elementary Spelling Bee, Samantha Kwashie faced tough multi-syllable words like ‘committee’ and ‘respiratory.’
“I felt very confused when I won the spelling bee, because I was not expecting to win,” Kwashie says.
Although she didn’t expect to win, her hard work in preparation paid off.
“I realized that practicing helped me to spell words I did not know,” Kwashie says. “I also felt thankful for my mom because she is the one who helped me a lot and practiced with me.”
She wishes future spellers good luck in their quest to win.
Brandon Barksdale – Violet Elementary
When Brandon Barksdale won Violet Elementary’s spelling bee, his first thought was disbelief. Following the initial shock, he experienced mixed emotions about his victory.
“I felt really happy and I was excited, but I felt bad for the people who didn’t win,” Barksdale says. “I felt bad because they worked hard for the spelling bee but didn’t win.”
As Barksdale spelled word after word, he came across the word ‘invisible.’
“It doesn’t sound like how you spell it, which made it extra difficult,” Barksdale says.
He is hoping to make it to the regional round at Nationwide Arena, but he has a lot of hard work to do.
“My advice would be to just try your best, work hard, and see what happens,” Barksdale says.
Maggie Fipps is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
