By John L. Braese
The Enterprise
NYSSA – Tips for spelling guided students last week at the inaugural Malheur County Spelling Bee.
The emphasis was on “i before e except after c.”
There were thoughts on a possible silent e at the end of the word and “when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.”
Students from around the county gathered at Nyssa Elementary School for the competition last Wednesday.
Adorned with numbers hanging from their necks, each rose from a chair, walked to the microphone and awaited a word. After hearing the word from a judge and also listening to the word used in a sentence, each student started ever so carefully an attempt to spell the word. Any mistake, even if corrected, bumped the student out of the competition.
As one by one dropped off, only a champion for each grade was left standing.
These champions then met at 11 a.m. for a final “spell off. “As the words continued, only fifth-grade Nyssa student Katie Kuenzli was left standing and claimed the championship.
“My grandma helped me study really hard for today,” said Violet Gonzales, from St. Peter School in Ontario and the first-place finisher among first-grade students. “My toughest word is beginning. I keep forgetting the second “n” in the word.”
The choice of tough words while studying for the competition was different for each competitor.
“My toughest word was fuddy duddy,” said Justin Manees, a first-grade student at Harper Charter who finished third. “I am a big reader so I know lots of these words already.”
After placing second in the second-grade classification, Vale’s Rylee Murrey grabbed a refreshment with her mother.
“I studied every night for about one-half an hour with my mom,” said Murrey. “Sometimes, my brother helped me. I was really nervous coming here and doing this.”
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Contestants (Winners at their individual schools)
First Grade
Lilly Anderson Adrian
Sophia Andrews Four Rivers
Jocelyn Arcadia Nyssa
Layne Berrett W.W. Jones Second place
Laira Bigelow Aiken
Charlie Bly Jordan Valley
Tipton Eklund Willowcreek
Violet Gonzales St. Peter First place
Bryan Hernandez-Rosas Pioneer
Braelyn Keller Vale
Justin Manees Harper Charter Third place
Second Grade
Kaylynn Brandon Alameda First place
Ethan Dotson Willowcreek
Richard Joyce Harper Charter
Enrique Medina Aiken
Rylee Murrey Vale Second place
Claire Peterson St. Peter
Mason Savage Nyssa
Payton Thomas Four Rivers
Brooklyn Wheeler Adrian Third place
Alex Williams Jordan Valley
Third Grade
Evan Alvarez Pioneer
Keira Briner Nyssa
Shane Cannizzaro Harper Charter
Ethan Evers Willowcreek
Fabian Fuentes Aiken
Ashlyn Hung St. Peter Third place
Jacqueline Lopez Cairo
Ariel Martinez Four Rivers First place
Hazel McKrola Vale Second place
Kadence Ragland Alameda
Oliva Rushton Adrian
Fourth Grade
Emmett Bates Vale Third place
Karlie Bennett Aiken
Aluana Cameron Adrian
Claire Collins Jordan Valley
Lizzy Corona St. Peter
Cadi Corn Nyssa Second place
Ellianna Guardiola Pioneer
Brady Jacobs Willowcreek
Kamrie Johnson Harper Charter
Kyla Olivares Alameda First place
Georgie Rodriguez Cairo
Brianna Thomas Four Rivers
Fifth Grade
Adrian Castro-Vega Pioneer
Anne Charlotte Durbin Aiken
Aydin Eddy Willowcreek
Bea Hart St. Peter Third place
Alyssa Hill Alameda Second place
Bode Johnsrud Jordan Valley
Katie Kuenzli Nyssa First place
Alicana Lopez Four Rivers
Esmerlda Martinez Cairo
Keegan Maupin Vale
Hannah Nicholson Harper Charter
Rylee Ready Adrian