Spelling Bee

STORY UPDATED!

Some kids play football, some kids play soccer, others play chess or spell. That’s right, they spell as in competitive spelling competitions. The Scripps National Spelling Bee is a competition that is held each year and was started in 1925. Since then students from around the country compete to reach the national level. 

Recently, the Cortland Enlarged School District held its 2020-21 Spell-off. Any student who has not reached the eighth grade before August 31, 2020 or reached their 15th birthday on or before August 31, 2020 is eligible to compete. All students compete at the same grade level.

Cortland is proud to send three students to the first level of competition in Syracuse held on Saturday, January 23. Those students are Kaleb Krissel, Xzavion Lockwood, and Gabriel Mendiola. The top 25 winners of a written spell of exam will then compete in an oral bee in person on Saturday, March 20 or virtually on March 24 pending COVID-19 restrictions.

The Cortland Enlarged School District is very proud of these gifted spellers and wish them good luck and success! Go Tigers!

UPDATE:

The top 30 spellers have been been announced for The Post-Standard | Syracuse.com Spelling Bee area finals.

Due to the pandemic, the students this year took the written test online. They had 30 minutes to complete 50 questions. They took the exam between Jan. 23 and 25.

The winning students scored the highest among more than 100 students who registered for the written qualifying exam. They will compete next online on March 24.

Gabriel Mendiola has moved on and will be competeling online on March 24! Congrats Gabriel!