Northley student is Delco’s spelling champion
MORTON » By putting the correct sequence of letters together for yuan (the basic monetary unit of China) and storis (a floating mass of closely-crowded icebergs and floes), Northley Middle Schooler Phoebe Smith was the winning orthographer at Saturday’s Delaware County Spelling Bee.
Smith bested 43 fellow students for an expensepaid advancement to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. The local event was sponsored by the Delaware County Intermediate Unit.
“I’m really excited,” she said. “This is the second year in a row I will be representing Delaware County.”
The spellers’ seats were filled with elementary and middle school students, some as young as eight, from 26 public, private and parochial schools. They were encouraged by an audience of parents, siblings and friends, many no doubt sounding the words in their heads as the contestants spoke them aloud.
The words were pronounced by Delco Hi-Q Director Rick Durnate. After listening to the enunciation and possibly having it repeated, the participants were permitted to ask for its definition, language of origin, use in a sentence and alternate pronunciation before committing to the individual letters. A
“I’m really excited. This is the second year in a row I will be representing Delaware County.” — Northley Middle Schooler Phoebe Smith on advancing to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C
panel of DCIU representatives served as judges.
By the start of the fifth round, all but 10 students had heard the dreaded bell. The first four cycles included words selected from a prepared list which the students could study in advance, but the dictionary was an open book for those who remained.
The spellers formed the words in various ways. Some, like Smith, used their numbered cards as paper and fingers as pens to compose them, while others transformed the air, the microphone or their leg into a surface on which to figuratively inscribe the letters.
Smith, a seventh-grader, fellow Northley Viking Kelsey Celestino, an eighthgrader, and Aadarsh Balaji, an eighth-grader at Garnet Valley Middle School, were the last three standing. The thirteenth round included words such as chroma, penumbra, puparium, quartel and teff and when her rivals faltered, Smith spelled her way to victory.
The final contestants were rewarded for their endurance. Celestino (third place) received a $25 American Express gift card, while Balaji (second place) was also given the MerriamWebster Collegiate Dictionary. In addition to the trip, Smith was presented with the Samuel Louis Sugarman Award and one-year subscriptions to MerriamWebster Unabridged online and Britannica Online Premium. In addition, all can boast their prowess with Spelling Bee hoodies.
Smith also received a copy of “Nautical Words,” which she will add to “Words of Wisdom,” Quizlet and lists used in previous national bees. She creates flash cards for her coach and dad, Steve, to test her.
“There are so many words to learn,” she said. “We just do a little at a time.”
The entire family, including her mom Josette and brother Trevor, a fifthgrader at Aston Elementary School, will accompany her to the nation’s capital the last week in May. While there, they may even have time to watch Smith’s favorite movie – “Akeelah and the Bee.”