Competing To Be Spelling Champions
San Andreas, CA – Local Calaveras County middle school students took center stage to show off their spelling skills.
During Tuesday’s 54th Annual Calaveras County Spelling Championship, put on by the Calaveras County Office of Education (CCOE), the Calaveras River Academy/Mountain Oaks gymnasium was a hive of activity and excitement. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders throughout the county had to spell each word in 15 seconds and could make up to four incorrect spelling attempts before exiting the competition.
Students across the three grade levels received plaques for first, second, and third place; the first-place finishers received a $50 cash reward from the Bank of Stockton. An extra $50 prize for the best speller overall was added to the tournament this year. Cailin Holdsworth, a seventh grader from Toyon, took home that prize.
“The dedication and enthusiasm of the spellers was evident throughout the event,” stated CCOE’s Coordinator of Communications and Student Events, Debbie Strand, noting the high level of completion and praising, “It’s inspiring to see the next generation of scholars excel.”
Avery Middle School, Bear Valley Elementary, Copperopolis Elementary, Mark Twain Elementary, Sierra Hills Education Center, and Toyon Middle School were the six nearby schools that participated in this year’s tournament. The best spellers in the seventh and eighth grades will advance to compete in the State Spelling Bee on behalf of Calaveras County. They are Holdsworth and Charley Imlach, an eighth grader at Avery Middle School.
Sponsors that helped put on the event were the Calaveras Community Foundation, Adventist Health Sonora, Bank of Stockton, Dignity Health, Angels-Murphy Rotary, and Middleton’s furniture store. Click here for a list of all the winners.
