0 CommentsThe buzz about spelling bees
Seb Seager, winner of this year’s Spring Branch ISD District Spelling Bee, moved on to the HoustonPBS Spelling Bee, which was broadcast live.
My adventures in spelling started two years ago when I won my classroom spelling bee, was the runner-up in the Hunters Creek Elementary School Spelling Bee, and then won fifth place in the Spring Branch ISD District Spelling Bee. This year, in fifth grade, I got to compete in the District Bee again. I was upset when I missed the word “zealotry,” but fortunately the other speller misspelled her word too. After spelling my next two words correctly, I was thrilled to hear that I was the district champion and that my dream of going to the HoustonPBS Bee had come true!
About six weeks later, I was in the television broadcast studio for the HoustonPBS Spelling Bee feeling a little nervous. My first two words were “trawl” and “schnecke,” which I spelled correctly. I missed my next word, “litany,” but was able to stay in the bee by winning an appeal. I went on to spell “immolate” correctly, but then missed “kepi,” which I spelled “capie” because it was a French word.
Studying for the bees was exhausting at times, but my hard work paid off. Although I was eliminated in the fifth round of the HoustonPBS Bee, I was proud to have tied for 11th place and be one of only two elementary school students to get that far. I love the whole spelling-bee experience, and it was fun to study with Mom and Dad. Now I’m noticing words everywhere and thinking, “Oh! I studied that word! I know what it means.” By learning Greek and Latin roots and affixes, I am able to work out the meaning of words that I have never seen before. And some words just sound cool, such as my current favorite, “Bombacaceae” (a family of flowering trees).
When I was in the third grade I set a goal to reach the National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C., and now I feel that I am one step closer.
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