ANDERSON, Ind. —
To prepare for The Herald Bulletin’s upcoming spelling bee, Ellie Fleming practices every day, averaging 100 words daily.
A third-grader at St. Ambrose School, Ellie is the youngest competitor out of 19 students heading to Wednesday’s competition.
Each had to win their school’s spelling bees to advance.
“I feel happy and proud,” she said. Her mom, Erin, is proud, too.
The regional winner will head to Washington D.C. for the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee which begins May 28.
“I’ll just try to spell my best,” Ellie said of Wednesday’s competition.
She’s been studying with her mom along with taking words out of the dictionary. Ellie likes learning new vocabulary words and how to pronounce them.
The night before her school spelling bee, she went over hundreds of words, Erin said.
“I don’t push her to do it. She does it on her own,” she said, adding Ellie is “very dedicated to studying” and good under pressure.
On the other end of the age spectrum is Highland Middle School eighth grader Joseph Kirkpatrick, competing for his third Herald Bulletin spelling bee title. He won in 2011 on the word “tentativeness” and made it to the third round in D.C.
Students can compete up until the eighth grade.
Amy Winter, The Herald Bulletin’s circulation manager, organizes the event.
“We want to provide an opportunity for students to represent our community,” she said.
She added that dedicated teachers keep the spelling bee going and stressed the importance of literacy as it “represents the basics of education.”
Tristan Hankins, a fifth-grader at 10th Street Elementary, has been competing in spelling bees since the third grade. It’s very nerve wrecking, he said, but also fun.
Tristan likes to be challenged.
“I’m just studying with my mom. It’s worked for me in the past,” he said. “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”
Sarah Slaven, a seventh-grader at Pendleton Heights Middle School, said consonants sometimes trip her up but she’s been working on the “i before e” rule.
She likes learning new words to use in public, adding she feels smarter the more she knows.
Sarah said winning her school’s spelling bee was “pretty awesome” and that she’s in it to win it.
“I like the competition,” she said. “I’m the oldest sibling of my house and there’s always a big battle.”
The Herald Bulletin’s regional spelling bee is at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the city building’s auditorium, 120 East Eighth St. The public is invited to attend.
Find Dani Palmer on Facebook and @DaniPalmer_THB on Twitter, or call 640-4847.
Community
Related Photos
-
St. Ambrose Elementary School 3rd grader Ellie Fleming works on her words with her mother Erin for the upcoming THB Spelling Bee.
Discussion
Ready to spell
Herald Bulletin sponsors bee on Wednesday
- Community
-
-
Singers vie for Idol All-In prize
Indiana’s got talent. There was no doubt about that on May 16 when Hoosier Park hosted the semifinal competition of its Idol All-In contest. Nine people made it to the semifinals, all vying for a $2,500 cash prize, plus a studio recording session and a gig at Hoosier Park. Three are now left to battle it out Saturday.
-
Community Briefs: May 24
A compilation of community news items as published in the Friday edition of The Herald Bulletin.
-
Live music: May 24
The following listings for live music are published in the Friday edition of The Herald Bulletin.
-
Weekend Calendar: May 24
Entertainment activities at area venues for May 24-26.
-
Community Build celebrates Habitat’s 25th year
Volunteers turned out for a recent Community Build Event marking Habitat for Humanity’s 25th anniversary in Madison County. What started out as a pile of lumber at 8:30 a.m. wound up at noon as the framed walls of Habitat’s latest project home.
-
Community Briefs: May 23
A compilation of community news items as published in the Thursday edition of The Herald Bulletin.
-
Going strong at 90
Martha Passwater is well-known at the White River Club. She’s known as the 89-year-old who actively enjoys classes at the fitness club. But the Knightstown native and longtime Anderson resident is also known for volunteering at St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital and playing golf with the Grandview Ladies League
-
Pendleton singer debuts CD at Falls Park show
Jacob Brown was 7 years old when his grandfather taught him to play “Jesus Loves Me” on the guitar. Since then, the Pendleton Heights senior has become an accomplished singer, songwriter and musician.
-
Jim Bailey: Gospel concerts both fun, ministry
What’s really important is the impact of a concert on the audience. Gauging that often comes from feedback received in the electronic media as well as handwritten communiqués.
-
Community Briefs: May 22
A compilation of community news items as published in the Wednesday edition of The Herald Bulletin.
- More Community Headlines
-
