By Nick B.
On Friday the 7th, the EES Spelling Team came in 1st at the district Spelling Bee. This is the 6th year in a row that EES has won this event. Very Impressive indeed! A big reason for this success has been the support and coaching over the last 9 years of Mrs. Prescott and Mrs. Lamont. Nick B. recently got a chance to sit down with Mrs. Prescott and ask a few questions about the win.
How many kids are on the team?
There are 6 students from EES on the team, all 4th and 5th graders. They are Lena S., Ruby S., Almir K., Isabelle H., Sam H. and Malin H. You select the team based on a written spelling test given to those interested in the 4th and 5th grade. The top 6 scores make the team. “I wish that we could take more kids on the team,” Ms. Prescott said.
How do you prepare the team and how many times do you practice?
We meet twice a week during recess to practice. The team will usually start to practice after the February break.
How does the Spelling Contest actually work?
There are generally 6 teams open to any Burlington school. This year the participants were EES, C.P. Smith, Champlain. Flynn, IAA and Christ the King. There are three matches. There are two teams that com- pete at a time. A team member spells the word out loud and are allowed to ask for a definition and to have the word used in a sentence. If the word is spelled correctly, the team gets 1 point. Each match has four rounds. The team with the most point wins!
What were some of the words that the kids had to spell?
“The toughest word of the day was probably ‘Bronchitis’.” explained Mrs. Prescott.
Who judges the contest?
People from the district – volunteer coordinators.
Have you ever been on a spelling team?
“I don’t remember our school having a spelling team. I do remember winning my class spelling bee in 4th grade. The word was ‘Massachusetts’.”
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