The 22nd annual regional spelling bee was held Saturday in the Goodrich Theater, SUNY Oneonta. Twenty-six students from 14 school districts competed in this year’s event, having won earlier at their school’s local spelling bee. Nyarah Garver, a grade 7 student in Windham-Ashland-Jewett Central School, correctly spelled “disaffected” in the tenth round and was declared the winner of this year’s regional competition.
The victory earns Garver the chance to travel to National Harbor, Maryland in May to compete against more than 200 other spellers from around the country and the world at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. “Bee Week,” as it’s called, is a week-long experience for the students and their families that includes special events, educational workshops, excursions into Washington, D.C. and three days of nationally-televised spelling competition.
According to DCMO BOCES Enrichment Coordinator and Regional Spelling Bee Coordinator Martha Ryan, “The spelling bee is much more than just spelling words. These remarkable students improved their vocabulary and tested their public speaking skills. Today we contributed to workforce development.”
The students who participated in Saturday’s spelling bee included Mackenzie Hubbell and Naomi Delpratt from Margaretville Central School, Michaela Tucker and Aubrey Swartz from Roxbury Central School, Molly Snyder and Emily Snyder from Stamford Central School, and Brianna BigBack and Brynn Moody from South Kortright Central School.
For more information about the Scripps National Spelling Bee, visit spellingbee.com. For more information about DCMO BOCES, visit www.dcmoboces.com.
