Nutmeg State spellers
Trio of Connecticut youths set to take the stage this week for the Scripps National Spelling Bee
Three Connecticut middle-schoolers are registered to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee this week in Washington, D.C. Learn a little about them.
Among the three Connecticut middle-schoolers registered to participate when the Scripps National Spelling Bee begins in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, up to 60 hours a week goes into preparing for the competition — from learning about the roots of words to studying linguistic patterns to memorizing definitions.
And when the trio — Janelle Newell, Charles Fennell and Rod Chittem — take the stage, the whiz kids will put their knowledge to the test, facing off against hundreds of other students.
But even making nationals is a feat that requires “extraordinary dedication,” said Jennifer DiCola Matos, executive director of the Noah Webster House and West Hartford Historical Society.
The organization has hosted the Connecticut Spelling Bee, the only regional spelling competition in the state, since 2017. The competition is sponsored by The Courant.
“Being in a spelling bee also teaches a lot of life lessons like hard work, dedication and stickto-itiveness,” Matos said. “So recognizing that even if you work at something really hard, you might not always win, and that’s OK. There’s value in just doing the work itself.”
Janelle, a seventh-grader at the Multicultural Magnet School in Bridgeport, won the statewide competition in March, and as a result, an all-expense paid Scripps experience.
Rod and Charles, who placed second and third in the region, were able to get in through the RSVBee program, Matos said. The program enables regional participants to apply for nationals.
The three spellers are all in participant group one, Matos said, and will appear for their first round of spelling from 8 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. Tuesday on ESPN3.
Learn more about the Connecticut students participating in the
Scripps National Spelling Bee below:
Janelle Newell
Age: 12
Grade: Seventh
School: Multicultural Magnet School in Bridgeport
Practicing spelling originally began as an obligatory assignment for Janelle Newell in third grade, she said.
But when the now seventh-grader recognized she had a real talent for the craft, her focus on improving — and striving to become the best — only grew.
It’s a focus that has allowed for Janelle to place in the Connecticut Spelling Bee two years in a row — she placed third in 2018 and claimed the winning spot for 2019 — and compete in nationals last May.
With her mom, StaceyAnn Graham, Janelle practices every day. She said between balancing schoolwork and other hobbies, like writing and dancing, it can get “very stressful.”
“My mom and I are a team. She is really supportive,” Janelle said. “She goes to all of my competitions.”
“I definitely get nervous. There are so many people watching you,” she said. “It’s a good feeling to have my mom in the audience.”
It’s customary, Janelle said, for mom and her to celebrate with food after competitions — and regardless of the results of the spelling bee, that’s one outcome she can look forward to.
“Plain cheese pizza — I don’t like any toppings,” she said.
“Along with pizza, my second favorite food is chow mein with wok-fried shrimp. I’m a little bit excited but mostly really nervous.”
Charles Fennell
Age: 11
Grade: Sixth
School: Carmen Arace Intermediate School in Bloomfield
For Charles Fennell, his interest in spelling began with “Akeelah and the Bee” — a film in which an 11-yearold girl wins the Scripps National Spelling Bee against all odds.
“When I was in third grade, we watched the movie,” he said. “Watching her compete was interesting. And I wanted to do it.”
Charles said he practices for three hours a day, and mostly independently. By flipping through his etymology dictionary and unabridged dictionary on a regular basis, he has developed a keen awareness for how different languages influence the spelling and pronunciation of words.
“I study roots and word patterns,” he said. “I look at roots of different languages and see how they’re spelled, like the schwa sound in Spanish.”
He used to get nervous about participating in competitions, but after making the Connecticut Spelling Bee for the second time this year, Charles said he is now “calm and collected.”
“I’m mentally prepared for the competition, and I give myself confidence boosters and stuff like that,” he said. “I know I’m ready to spell.”
And knowing that his parents are in the crowd, who Charles said are his biggest supporters, only helps.
“They do so much for me, and they help me all the time,” he said. “They take care of me and teach me about the real world.”
In his spare — but limited — time, Charles said he also enjoys playing basketball, and likened the Scripps National Spelling Bee to the National Basketball Association finals.
“I feel great about participating,” he said. “It’s a whole week dedicated to spelling. And all the kids in this competition are good spellers and I feel honored to get to compete against them.”
Rod Chittem
Age: 14
Grade: Eighth
School: Bethel Middle School in Bethel
Ever since Rod Chittem learned to read, he has had his head in a book — absorbing the descriptions of characters, their adventurous tales and the words that brought them to life.
Rod said his interest in studying the etymology of words, and desire to participate in spelling bees, likely stems from this early love of reading.
“I think that from a young age, I had kind of a bond with books,” he said. “And when I was in seventh grade, which was last year, I actually went to the principal of my school and started the spelling bee in myschool so we could participate.”
Today, the two-time Connecticut Spelling Bee finisher and 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee participant said he counts J.K. Rowling, creator of the beloved Harry Potter series, and Frank Herbert among his favorite authors. He remains an avid reader, but also enjoys swimming, playing tennis and skiing whenever he can.
For at least an hour every day, Rod said he practices by having a family member read words aloud, and then spelling the term back to them, similar to how normal competitions operate.
“I find that that’s a pretty effective studying method,” he said. “Sometimes I also study, for example, Latin and Greek roots or certain words from different languages, so that I can get accustomed to other languages and words from other languages.”
And while spelling in front of so many people can be “kind of nerve-racking,” Rod said it’s also pretty fun, and he appreciates having the support of his classmates and family behind him.
“I think what I’m look forward to the most is being able to spell words and exercise spelling abilities that I practice for,” he said.
Shannon Larson can be reached at slarson@courant.com.