AUSD celebrates student excellence at annual district spelling bee

Auburn Union School District (AUSD) announced the conclusion of its annual District Spelling Bee on Jan. 13 at the Skyridge Elementary Library. The event showcased the impressive orthographic talents of fourth- and fifth-grade students from all three school sites – Auburn Elementary, EV Cain and Skyridge. Students from each school were selected by their classroom teachers based on in-class assessments. Each grade level progressed through multiple rounds and ended in a spell-off between the top two finishers. Auburn Union School District Superintendent Brittaney Meyer served as the Bee Master with school principals and district office staff supporting the bee in various other roles. As in any good spelling bee, there were nail-biting moments, successes and the occasional disappointment. One spelling bee contestant lamented he knew how to spell every word except the one he went out on. Such is the nature of a spelling bee. While there was only one winner at each grade level, all students represented their schools well. The first place winners for each grade level were: Fourth grade: Haley Ryan, Skyridge. Fifth grade: Roman Wolfert, EV Cain. Cara Schwindt, the AUSD program specialist, said, "The spelling bee brings our school community together to celebrate student effort, academic achievement and a shared commitment to learning. I appreciated seeing all the families surrounding and encouraging their student as well as the other participants." The top four finishers from the district event will now represent Auburn Union in the County Written Spelling Test at the end of this month. Their performance on that exam will determine their eligibility for the official County Spelling Bee in March.