Students had to ‘bee’ good

Fremont Elementary School’s Leah Kemp will not have to “coax” her fellow students into admiring the trophy “souvenir” she will be bringing back to her school for winning first place on Monday in the elementary level of the Glendale Unified District Spelling Bee.

Leah, a fifth grader, and Alexandria Chwierut, a sixth grader from Lincoln Elementary, faced each other in a spell-off as the last standing from a spelling field of 20 students strong. Leah took home the first place prize after spelling two consecutive words correctly: coax and souvenir.

All 20 elementary students placed first in their individual school spelling bee.

“These are the best of the best,” said Superintendent Michael Escalante.

This was the 33rd Annual GUSD Spelling Bee Finals; the event has been co-sponsored by Soroptimist International Glendale since 1980.

Each student had his or her own, unique way of spelling. Some would look into the air as if they saw the word, others would trace the letters across their palm and a few would whisper the word to themselves over and over again. Monte Vista fifth grader Maddie Blessinger would grab onto the microphone at times as if she were about to break in to song. Verdugo Woodlands Joshua Choi, fourth grade, let out a sigh each time he was correct.

Maybe it was because they were sixth graders, but Nishanth Bahaskara from Valley View, Kortney Casanova from La Crescenta and Mountain Avenue’s Will Lombardo walked to the microphone as if they had done this for years. They would get their words and spell them with ease.

Dunsmore’s sixth grader Sophia Kang had that same confidence when she spelled hieroglyphics; unfortunately the word was actually hieroglyphic and she was out. The spelling bee was that precise.

Students handled their successes and defeats with grace, however. After more than an hour and a half, Leah and Alexandria were left. Both were great spellers with completely different styles. Alexandria would be given a word, stand silent for only a second and then spell. Leah seemed to visualize the word, then spell.

Alexandria began to study for the event shortly after Thanksgiving.

“I don’t really have a technique,” she said.

She admitted that her favorite studies are spelling and English, and that she loves to read.

“I will try [for the spelling bee] again when I get to Rosemont,” she said.

Reading is something Leah and Alexandria have in common.