More than 260 of the top spellers from 88 public, private and charter schools in Washington, D.C., took to Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) to compete for 30 final spots in the upcoming Washington Informer Citywide Spelling Bee this spring.
Although about 11% of the students made it to the next round, and only one person will represent the District in the nationwide Scripps National Spelling Bee in May, the annual competition highlights something far beyond winning.
“I was a teacher early in my career for 15 years, [so] it is my absolute favorite thing to work with students and families to see what excellence is and show, not how easy it is to attain it, but how attainable it is,” Jason Moore, the competition’s coordinator said during the Cluster Bees on Feb. 11.
For Moore, the focus is not about who wins or loses, but that students build skills and learn life lessons.
“When I see kids come in and do the spelling bee, I always tell them, look at this fun, weird skill that you have that people will reward and it’s because you showed up, you volunteered, you participated, and you said yes,” he told The Informer. “No matter how nervous or frightened they are, they’re pushing through their fear and nerves, and that is about the best life lesson a child can get.”
A former educator like Moore, Cynthia Ajuzie, one of the four judges working the competition said she volunteered in order to get a “chance to interact with students,” particularly because she no longer has a position that directly works with young people.
Now working with the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Office of Teaching and Learning, Ajuzie enjoyed seeing students support one another during the competition, building a sense of camaraderie and unity overall.
“I think it’s cool seeing the subtle ways that the kids are encouraging each other,” she told The Informer. “You can tell that everyone is rooting for each other.”
Although she did not advance to the next round, Caiyah Floyd, a student from Browne Education Campus, was one of the students just happy to see her fellow students succeed.
“I had a good time [competing] in the spelling bee,” she said, “because I knew that even if I didn’t win, at least one of my best friends would win and get an opportunity to go to the next [round].”
For judge Christina Rodriguez, volunteering with the Cluster Bees not only allows her to give back, but tap into something that brought her joy in her youth.
“As a kid, I loved spelling bees and I’m a very big reading and literacy person, so I was really excited to be asked to judge and support our students who are passionate about language, spelling and reading in general,” Rodriguez, DCPS elementary and social studies manager, told The Informer.
‘Study a Lot and Be Confident‘
Caiyah knew the road to the Clusters and then Citywide Spelling Bee would not be easy, but she worked to be as prepared as possible.
“It was kind of hard because there were 4,000 words to [study from],” she told The Informer at THEARC on Feb. 11, “but if you actually memorized your words and practiced every day, it [made it easier].”
Many students like Caiyah spent months studying for their school competitions and the Cluster Bees.
While she was eliminated Feb. 11, Quinn Koester, a student from Hearst Elementary, is already looking forward to competing in next year’s bee.
“I got out on ‘concierge.’ I was trying to follow the rule that my sister [taught me], ‘i before e except after c,’” she said, “but it turns out there’s hundreds of different variations.”
With this year’s bee under her belt, Quinn offered advice for students who decide to participate in the future.
“Celebrate yourself on the words that you get right,” she told The Informer. “Don’t get mad at yourself for the words you got wrong, and if you do get something wrong, just try again next year.”
As Quinn geared up for this year’s competition, she worked alongside her schoolmate Maia Elliott, who also participated in the Cluster Bees.
“We studied together every Tuesday because we’re from the same school,” she told The Informer. “There was also a lot of mental preparation.”
Although she didn’t make it to the spring matchup, where 30 District spellers will showcase their skills, Maia learned a lot from participating in the Cluster Bees, noting there’s a special science to navigating the competition.
“My advice is to really take your time and break [the words] down,” she said. “Study a lot and be confident because if you’re questionable, [you’ll] have a lot of nerves.”