Scotia-Glenville students compete in district-wide Spelling Bee

Fifteen students from the four elementary schools and middle school took turns spelling words during the annual Spelling Bee at the Middle School on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Two students - grade 5 student Aubrey Gallop from Glendaal and grade 6 student Avery Maycock from the Middle School - will represent Scotia-Glenville at the 27th annual Regional Spelling Bee on Monday, March 16, at Proctor's Theater in Schenectady.

The winner of the regional bee receives an all-expense paid trip to the Scripps Howard Spelling Bee in Washington, DC May 24-29. The regional champion will also receive a computer as well as other prizes for the area's top spellers.

These students were the building champions who competed in the school-wide Spelling Bee:

• Glendaal School: Graciana Cox, grade 4; Aubrey Gallop, grade 5; and Joie Prentice, grade 5

• Glen-Worden School: Erin Zeman, grade 4; Zachary Ladouceur, grade 5; and Liam Rooney, grade 5

• Lincoln School: Stratton Yerman, grade 4; Maggie Holley, grade 5; and John Pierce, grade 5

• Sacandaga School: Dylan Van Patten, grade 4; Carter Gibbons, grade 5; and Natalie Straut, grade 5

• Middle School: Avery Maycock, grade 6; Teddy Meiners, grade 6; and Jenna Greene, grade 7

Lincoln Princpal Ann Comley pronounced the words while Glen-Worden Principal James Dunham, Glendaal Principal Tom Eagan and Sacandaga Principal John Tobiassen were the judges.

Superintendent Susan Swartz opened the ceremony by discussing the importance of correct spelling in writing and telling the students that "you are already way ahead of a lot of other students - even college students - that I have known."

Comley assured the students that they are all champions just for making it through the process in each individual school. She also mentioned a truism of spelling bees - "you may end up being able to spell every other word you hear today - except for the one that you are given. That is how it is."

She went on to challenge them with words such as "reckless," "thermal," "tutu," "finale," "feudal," "tendency," "legible" and "mahogany."

Among the top two spellers, Avery correctly spelled "occupancy" and Aubrey correctly spelled "vocable" to become the two SG representatives to the Regional Spelling Bee.

Below are some photos from today's Spelling Bee: