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Area’s spellers ready for Bee

PEYTON NEELY The Marietta Times Warren Middle School students Justin Pate, 13, and Olivia Byrd, 11, study for the upcoming Marietta Times Regional Spelling Bee during school on Wednesday.

In between school, sporting events and dinner with family, 66 spellers and alternates have been busy preparing for the 37th annual Marietta Times Regional Spelling Bee this Friday.

Students from 13 different schools and districts across Washington, Noble, Monroe, Pleasants and Wood counties will have their own representatives in the spelling competition held at Marietta High School.

Warren Middle School fourth-grader Justin Pate, 13, will be participating for the fourth time. In between track practices and participating in Science Olympiad, Pate’s mother Michelle, 44, of Vincent, said Justin has been studying every night.

“He’s as prepared as he’s going to be,” she said. “Last weekend he was working with Science Olympiad and as soon as that ended, we started working on the spelling bee. We try to study every night as time permits.”

Justin said he finds the German words challenging and he’s nervous because this is his last go-around before he ages out of the bee.

“We usually practice when we have time and I’m done with my homework,” said Justin. “I just have to keep practicing before Friday.”

The contestants in grades five through eight are all hoping to earn the first place crown Friday to advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. in May. All of these spellers have competed at a local or district level to earn their position in the regional event.

“I’m not that nervous because I can usually talk in front of large crowds very easily,” said Warren Middle School fifth-grader Olivia Byrd. “I’ve mostly been practicing words a couple times each night.”

The 11-year-old said she always studies more than she should for anything because she tries her hardest to get straight As in school.

“I’ve never gotten a B before,” she said. “I want to get into a good college and you have to study to get good grades. The spelling bee isn’t any different. My mom teaches at colleges around here so she knows how to help. My brother was also in the spelling bee.”

Pleasants County Middle schooler Parker Maston, 11, said he does have a few butterflies for the big night Friday.

“I’m afraid I might mess up,” said the fifth-grader. “My mom’s a teacher at St. Marys Elementary School and she helps me out a lot.”

Maston’s mother, Allison Maston, 43, of St. Marys, said they work together about three nights a week.

“I feel like I know how the nerves can get to kids but Parker is a kid that likes to be in the spotlight,” she said. “I’ve been giving him random words throughout the day. I’ve also been talking about how he can ask for definitions and sentences for words because some words might sound the same.”

Allison said Parker has no problem with confidence.

“He’s always had great vocabulary, even earlier on,” she said. “I really think he will do a good job.”

At Veritas Classical Academy, sixth-grader Liam Ritter said he’s been practicing for the spelling bee a lot lately.

“I’m feeling a mix between nervousness and excitement,” he said.

Ritter, 12, also mentioned that the Latin Arts teacher at Veritas has been working with him and the school’s other contestant, fifth-grader Minerva McKay, on Monday and Friday after school for the last few weeks. Regional bee competitors are given a list of words from a variety of categories, including some from certain languages and from different books.

“We pick the group of words we want to do,” he said. “This Monday, we worked on the Spanish words. I find the Spanish words confusing because the letter ‘E’ sound can be made by different letters.”

The Marietta Times Spelling Bee is free and open to the public. It will begin at 7 p.m. in Marietta High School’s auditorium.

No matter the outcome, a new winner will be crowned since last year’s winner, Abigail Worstell, is now in ninth grade and can’t compete this year. Worstell gained the crown last year after spelling “fortnight” correctly.

If you go

¯ What: The 37th annual Marietta Times Regional Spelling Bee.

¯ Where: Marietta High School Auditorium.

¯ When: Friday at 7 p.m.

¯ Cost: Free and open to the public.

Source: The Marietta Times.

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