NORTH WEBSTER – Shortly after the “gloaming” Tuesday at North Webster Elementary School, Warsaw Christian School sixth-grader Brianna Pitts won the fifth- and sixth-grade division of the 2012 Kosciusko County Spelling Bee.
The daughter of Dr. Gary and Beverly Pitts, Brianna moves on to the county spell-off to face the winner of the middle school division, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
The county champion will advance from Thursday’s contest to the 58th annual regional Journal Gazette Spelling Bee, scheduled for March 17, at the Auer Auditorium in the IPFW Rhinehart Music Center in Fort Wayne.
There were 17 participants in the elementary school division Tuesday, but by round 10 it was just Pitts and Madison Elementary School fifth-grader Miriam Hagg.
Hagg misspelled “fluoride” as “flouride.” Pitts correctly spelled “auditorium,” but before she was given her championship word, members of the audience appealed Hagg’s dismissal from the spelling bee. When the cassette tape was replayed, it was revealed that Hagg did misspell the word.
Pitts then was given “gloaming” as her championship word.
In addition to receiving a trophy provided by Kosciusko REMC, the winners of the two local grade division bees also each receive a $2,500 Richard R. Long Scholarship. The scholarship is given in recognition of Long’s many years of service to the children, teachers and parents of North Webster School and in honor of his work for the International Palace of Sports, now known as the Shoop Sports and Youth Foundation.
The Shoop Foundation funds the spelling bee scholarships to help provide future higher education for the spelling bee winners.
Kosciusko REMC sponsors the local competition with additional support for the regional spelling bee provided by IPFW and the area Touchstone Energy Electric Cooperatives, according to a press release from REMC.
Besides Hagg and Pitts, participants in Tuesday’s elementary division spelling bee included: Katey Walls, Leesburg; Caleb VanLue, Syracuse; Brandon Chan, Sacred Heart; Kyle Hayward, Washington; Nathan Freeman, Jefferson; Sierra Clement, Claypool; Morgan Conn, Milford School; Evan Wolferman, North Webster; Josh Reynaud, Pierceton; Billy Gillman, Akron; Hannah Jansma, Mentone; Roger Fitzpatrick, Harrison; Claire Hubner, Lincoln; Aaron Bartman, Wawasee Middle; and Sheldon Shen, Eisenhower.
Judges for Tuesday’s spelling bee were Doug Hoffert, Pam Long and Amy Miller. Recorder was Dr. Tom Edington, and pronouncer was Dr. James Bowling, Grace College.
Kristine Woodard, North Webster Elementary School principal, is the local spelling bee coordinator this year. North Webster Elementary School is at 5745 N. CR 750E, North Webster.
Kosciusko REMC is a Touchstone Energy® electric cooperative serving more than 17,000 members throughout Kosciusko County and into surrounding counties.
