Champion spellers from Peterborough elementary schools won great prizes for themselves and their schools during the Rotary Club of Peterborough’s ninth annual School Spelling Bee on Saturday (May 13).
More than 60 students from grades 4 to 8 competed in the regional final, selected from 4,200 students across Peterborough County who competed in mini-spelling bees at their schools.
The spelling bee final consisted of a junior challenge for students in grades 4 to 6, and a senior challenge for students in grades 7 and 8.
Olivia Jones of Saint Catherine Catholic Elementary School placed first in the junior division and Noah Hofman of Kenner Intermediate School placed first in the senior division. Each student won an overnight camp session at Camp Kawartha, a family photo shoot from Miranda Studios, and $225 to use toward a youth program at the Art School of Peterborough.
Arthur Zadro of Our Lady of the Wayside Academy placed second in the junior division and Sonny Gillis of Saint Catherine Catholic Elementary School placed second in the senior division. Each student won a Trent Excalibur Ultimate Camp session and $100 to use toward a youth program at the Art School of Peterborough.
Kaiden Surphlis of James Strath Public School place third in the junior division and Crepe Cochrane of Adam Scott Intermediate School placed third in the senior division. Each student won an iPad courtesy of YourTV Cogeco and $50 to use toward a youth program at the Art School of Peterborough.
The winning students’ schools also received $1,000, $500, and $250 respectively to use toward literacy programs and materials.
The School Spelling Bee was organized by the Rotary Club of Peterborough’s literacy committee.
“The Rotary Club of Peterborough is grateful to all teachers, principals, parents, and guardians for organizing the mini-spelling bees at their schools and within their home schooling community,” reads a Rotary media release. “We recognize that it can be resource intensive. Thank you for supporting young people in our community and the Rotary Club of Peterborough’s literacy committee’s goal of promoting literacy and a love of reading and writing.”
