BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont middle and elementary schoolers are getting ready to compete in the statewide spelling bee just one week away.
Vermont’s State Spelling Bee is for students grades 1 through 8. The students competing will be from all 5 grades and are finalists of their school’s individual bee. The winner of this competition will go on to represent Vermont in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.
Sixth grader Lewis Elliott is spelling Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – which, ironically, is the fear of long words. He and his classmate Vincent are two of St. Johnsbury School’s three finalists headed to the Vermont State Spelling Bee.
“We have like times where we practice and I’m hoping to raise it to around an hour for 30 minutes in these final weeks,” said Elliott.
“I’m doing a lot. So my mom just like randomly throws out a bunch of words that she looks up,” said Vincent.
Right now, they’re in the home stretch of their preparation, which personalized learning teacher Pam Fallon says is helping with public speaking, confidence, and regular schooling.
“They love words, and that, that love of words, and has sort of carried over into their reading their writing or vice versa,” said Fallon.
27 schools will compete at the state bee, representing many corners of the Green Mountain State’s best spellers.
In Montpelier, U32 is sending three middle schoolers too. Seventh grader Jojo Taylor says words are fun and it helps that she’s a strong reader.
“I’ve always liked spelling and stuff like that,” said Taylor.
She’s excited to bring fans to the state bee too.
“I think I’ll take my friends with me, so I’ll have like extra support,” she said.
The words students are tackling are no joke. Some words Vermont spellers have had to know in past years include ‘perionychium’ and ‘slavering’.
But U32 middle school English teacher Shawn McIntyre says it’s less about getting every word right or winning the national prize. He says the momentum from the students is already paying off.
“They really built a lot of enthusiasm around it. It just seemed like a fun, fun thing to try and a low-stress way to get everyone kind of a moment on stage,” said McIntyre.
WCAX is one of the sponsors of this event so you can watch it on our livestream or using our app on your favorite streaming device. The spelling bee will be held on March 28 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.