For the second year in a row, Forest Park School District 91 held their district-wide spelling bee, crowning two winners who will now go on to the SCRIPPS Regional Spelling Bee.
Henry Doerr, seventh grader, spelled his way to first place for Forest Park Middle School and Chelsea Wilson, fifth grader, won first place for Field-Stevenson Elementary School.
Students from both Field-Stevenson and Forest Park Middle who had won their classroom spelling bee went head-to-head in The Forest Park School District 91 2024 Spelling Bee, held Thursday morning in the gymnasium at the Grant-White Elementary School building.
The spelling bee was open to third through eighth graders at D91. Forest Park Middle advanced nine classroom champions and Field-Stevenson advanced 11 classroom champions.
The event kicked off with Amelia Thomas, a third grader from Field-Stevenson, correctly spelling “point.”
The rounds consisted of single-word spelling as well as meaning rounds and by the sixth round, there were only eight students, four from each school, remaining.
Words spelled throughout the event included “sacred,” “mantle,” “quip,” and “salute” among others.
D91’s Board of Education President Shannon Wood, whose daughter Daphne Wood participated in the spelling bee, said hosting a spelling bee was a great way to showcase student’s strengths and as a board member, and parent, she loves to see that.
“I think they all did great,” she said. “It is so hard. There were words that I didn’t know how to spell. I love it. Our future is bright.”
The event was a collaboration of the whole district with Jamie Stauder, principal at Garfield Primary Elementary School serving as the pronouncer and Tinisa Huff, principal at Betsy Ross Elementary School, Susan Bogda, principal at Field-Stevenson, and Terriyaka Watson, principal at Forest Park Middle School serving as judges.
Spelling Bee coordinator James Edler, director of learning and innovation for D91, said it was exciting to have an event that celebrated academic achievements as most often it is achievements in sports or other areas that get public recognition.
“Spelling is an important part of our literacy curriculum,” Edler said. “It really does support students learning to read and communicating as writers. It provides a little bit of fun, a little healthy competition and an opportunity for it to bring our district together around the spelling bee.”
The spelling bee also gave students a chance to engage in public speaking, which Edler said is a great opportunity for them to start gaining experience in front of their peers and community.
“It is such an important part of their learning and growing,” Edler said. “I always thought it was important to have that experience in school.”
Charlie Doerr, father of Henry Doerr, said just like his son, he was excited and nervous at the same time.
Doerr said his son practiced spelling in the nights leading up to the event but took the night before off to relax and play some Minecraft.
Henry Doerr won by correctly spelling “megaron,” which according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “the great central hall of an ancient Mycenaean house usually containing a center hearth.”
Chelsea won by correctly spelling “nondescript.”
Students were also individually acknowledged and recognized during the award ceremony as they each went up one by one to receive a medal.
“For every contestant that is here: We are so proud of you, your families are so proud of you, your teachers are so proud of you, and our district is so proud of you,” Edler said. “Every single one of you has shown incredible skill and knowledge when it comes to spelling, which is such an important [art of our literacy curriculum at Forest Park District 91…again [we congratulate] all of you.”
Edler said the district hopes the spelling bee becomes an annual tradition for many years to come.
According to Edler, he was informed that only one student from the district could advance to the regional round.
Henry Doerr will be representing Forest Park School District 91 at the West 40 ISC Scripps Spelling Bee, which will be held Tuesday, March 5 at E.F. Lindop School in Broadview, Illinois.