Sarah DeMatteis, a sixth grade student at St. Michael Catholic School, took top honors in the annual School Spelling Bee last week.
The competition was held in the format of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Dozens of students from the school’s middle level grades took part of the competition.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the nation’s largest, longest-running, and most successful educational program. Its purpose is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabulary, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives. Students in grades five through eight participated in classroom written rounds earlier in January, and the top twenty-four students from those rounds participated in the School Spelling Bee.
As the school’s champion, Sarah will advance to the Regional Spelling Bee on February 11, 2016 at Resource Training & Solutions in Sartell, Minnesota. Four regional winners will advance to the Minnesota Multi-Regional State Spelling Bee on Monday, February 22, 2016 coordinated by Lake Country Service Cooperative. The state winner advances to the Scripps National Spelling Bee the week of May 22, 2016.
The Multi-Region State Spelling Bee is open to public, private, and parochial school students in grades five through eight and is coordinated by the Minnesota Service Cooperatives.
StMCS Spelling Champion Sarah DeMatteis
Champion: Sarah DeMatteis
Top Five: Casey Fredrickson, Samantha Duerr, Sarah DeMatteis, Samantha Mahoney, Yasmin Berganza
Participants: Tanvi Abraham, Alaina Dorval, Alayna Johnson, MaryGrace Steffl, Eva Grahl, Sarah DeMatteis, Olivia Dembouski, Mary Hegrenes, Mary Herbst, James Zachman, Yasmin Berganza, Samantha Duerr, Sarah Marty, Rosella Stewart, Nathan Dierberger, Ben Lefebvre, Anastasia Setter, Bennett Cotterman, Rajvir Johal, Adam Hegrenes, Ben Engstrom, Samantha Mahoney, Casey Fredrickson and Hunter Sauer.
The Top Five pose for a photo before the final rounds.
The competitors from StMCS Middle Level.