Spelling Bee

Yesterday, we headed upstate and visited Echo (here's their website). It's a kids' museum that focuses on the local lake. It's got some hands-on exhibits for the kids as well as an aquarium. The kids had alot of fun.

Then we headed on over to the location for the Spelling Bee. All day, Eli had alternated between wondering how cool it would be to win and thinking that he'd be the first kid out. Remember, he's only 10 and in 5th grade. The Spelling Bee includes (and mostly consists of) kids in 8th grade and up to the age of 16.

Eli was number 43 out of 45 kids. He spoke very well, loud and slow and consistent. He didn't seem nervous at all, up there in front of all those people! He made it all the way to the 4th round and beat out more than half of the other kids! His words included FATHOM, BOUDOIR, and PYRE. His final word was NARCISSISTIC and while he knows how to spell it, it's a difficult word to spell out loud because it's long and contains so many repeating letters. He got tripped up towards the end and missed a letter. Afterwards, he was interviewed by a local newspaper.

His Principal called me today to chat and said he's never had a student make it past the 1st round. He also said that since the local Middle School does not currently hold a Scripps approved Spelling Bee (Eli must win a local Bee in order to move onto the State competition), he'll be in touch with them to let them know that there's a "local talent" (his words) and it would be great to help him achieve his goal of eventually going to Nationals. He even volunteered to hold it himself if the no one in the school comes through.

We couldn't be anymore proud of him! And he's proud of himself as well. He went into it with a good attitude, recognizing that he was one of the youngest students there and that he has three more years to practice. He feels very hopeful (as do we) that one day, you'll see him on National TV in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.