The Citizen
WEEDSPORT - When the fifth-grade round of the New York Spelling Bee was down to two contestants, Michaela Elliott wanted the dictionary definition of anchovy.
Well, said pronouncer Joe Flanigan, there really is not more to the definition of the word than “little fish.”
But Elliott, standing a head taller than rival Cassidy Sulaiman with a brown ponytail tied back with a pink hair-tie that matched her sneakers, had the right to ask for a definition from a library-sized dictionary before venturing her guess.
The older children participating Saturday in the state's spelling bee know the rules of the competition of elimination and make sure the adult judges follow them as precisely as they spell the erratic and mongrel words of the English language, said Gordon Lund, who was a judge for the seventh-grade round and who watched the fifth-grade round attentively.
Hundreds of spellers from the around the state took turns with tricky words at the annual event held at Weedsport High School. The bee features competitions in first- through eighth-grades.
In the fifth-grade round, both Elliott and Sulaiman had stumbled over the spelling of quorum. Q-u-a-r-e-m was Sulaiman's guess and q-u-a-r-r-e-m was Elliott's try.
Before a response judge even indicated the spelling was incorrect to Sulaiman, a confident fifth-grader with a booming voice and a mop of brown hair, he announced: “I know that's wrong.”
They took turns stepping to the microphone in the gymnasium at the Weedsport High School, successfully spelling joyous, prodigy, venture. But the competition came down to the spelling of the word for the little fish that people either love or hate on their pizza.
Elliott guessed: a-n-c-h-o-v-i-e. With the competition whittled down to two from 25 other students, Sulaiman had his own chance to spell the word. Elliott's misguess opened the door to Sulaiman's correct answer: a-n-c-h-o-v-y.
But he still had to take another turn at the microphone. Yes, he knew how to spell the word for a small ax: “Hatchet, h-a-t-c-h-e-t, hatchet.”
His mother, Rosalind, became tearful in the gymnasium bleachers. Sulaiman shook hands with Elliott. His first-place meant a trophy and a $200 savings bond. The top four winners were photographed with their trophies amid the applause of parents and educators. The fifth-placed student had left early so he and his mom could catch a plane home. Participants in the state spelling bee come from all over the Empire State.
Sulaiman, of Williamsville, had been driven two hours to Weedsport for the competition. He was hugged tightly in turn by his mother, his grandmother and his grandfather. He has been participating in spelling bees since second-grade, improving his final ranking each year of competition. He also won his level at the Williamsville regional qualifier for the state spelling bee. Another qualifier was held in the Niagara area.
It was long hours of preparation followed by breaks that helped him win, Sulaiman said.
“I really have to thank my family,” said Sulaiman, who has a bit of British affectation from his British-born mom. “They were very cooperative.”
All those hours spent practicing were with life goals in mind, Rosalind said.
“I think it's important not just to learn spelling but to learn study skills and how to be a gracious loser,” Rosalind said.
Students older than sixth-grade, however, lose interest in the spelling bees, Lund said, thinking that it's just not cool to hone sharp memorization and facility with language.
For the retired Auburn Enlarged City School District administrator, it is a pleasure to be around children, “especially sharp kids like these kids,” Lund said.
Lund was not the only current or retired educator involved in the state spelling bee. Around 400 students were present for the 17th year of the state spelling bee. It was founded in the Auburn area and has continued to grow in popularity, said Mike Diehl, an Auburn second-grade teacher and one of the bee's main organizers.
Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net
Well, said pronouncer Joe Flanigan, there really is not more to the definition of the word than “little fish.”
But Elliott, standing a head taller than rival Cassidy Sulaiman with a brown ponytail tied back with a pink hair-tie that matched her sneakers, had the right to ask for a definition from a library-sized dictionary before venturing her guess.
The older children participating Saturday in the state's spelling bee know the rules of the competition of elimination and make sure the adult judges follow them as precisely as they spell the erratic and mongrel words of the English language, said Gordon Lund, who was a judge for the seventh-grade round and who watched the fifth-grade round attentively.
Hundreds of spellers from the around the state took turns with tricky words at the annual event held at Weedsport High School. The bee features competitions in first- through eighth-grades.
In the fifth-grade round, both Elliott and Sulaiman had stumbled over the spelling of quorum. Q-u-a-r-e-m was Sulaiman's guess and q-u-a-r-r-e-m was Elliott's try.
Before a response judge even indicated the spelling was incorrect to Sulaiman, a confident fifth-grader with a booming voice and a mop of brown hair, he announced: “I know that's wrong.”
They took turns stepping to the microphone in the gymnasium at the Weedsport High School, successfully spelling joyous, prodigy, venture. But the competition came down to the spelling of the word for the little fish that people either love or hate on their pizza.
Elliott guessed: a-n-c-h-o-v-i-e. With the competition whittled down to two from 25 other students, Sulaiman had his own chance to spell the word. Elliott's misguess opened the door to Sulaiman's correct answer: a-n-c-h-o-v-y.
But he still had to take another turn at the microphone. Yes, he knew how to spell the word for a small ax: “Hatchet, h-a-t-c-h-e-t, hatchet.”
His mother, Rosalind, became tearful in the gymnasium bleachers. Sulaiman shook hands with Elliott. His first-place meant a trophy and a $200 savings bond. The top four winners were photographed with their trophies amid the applause of parents and educators. The fifth-placed student had left early so he and his mom could catch a plane home. Participants in the state spelling bee come from all over the Empire State.
Sulaiman, of Williamsville, had been driven two hours to Weedsport for the competition. He was hugged tightly in turn by his mother, his grandmother and his grandfather. He has been participating in spelling bees since second-grade, improving his final ranking each year of competition. He also won his level at the Williamsville regional qualifier for the state spelling bee. Another qualifier was held in the Niagara area.
It was long hours of preparation followed by breaks that helped him win, Sulaiman said.
“I really have to thank my family,” said Sulaiman, who has a bit of British affectation from his British-born mom. “They were very cooperative.”
All those hours spent practicing were with life goals in mind, Rosalind said.
“I think it's important not just to learn spelling but to learn study skills and how to be a gracious loser,” Rosalind said.
Students older than sixth-grade, however, lose interest in the spelling bees, Lund said, thinking that it's just not cool to hone sharp memorization and facility with language.
For the retired Auburn Enlarged City School District administrator, it is a pleasure to be around children, “especially sharp kids like these kids,” Lund said.
Lund was not the only current or retired educator involved in the state spelling bee. Around 400 students were present for the 17th year of the state spelling bee. It was founded in the Auburn area and has continued to grow in popularity, said Mike Diehl, an Auburn second-grade teacher and one of the bee's main organizers.
Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net
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