Spelling Bee 2022

DAILY E H ST T

SARAH EAMES | THE DAILY STAR

A publication of The Daily Star Friday, March 11, 2022

B-E-E

Coleen Pettingill, from Afton Central School and champion of The Daily Star’s 19th annual regional spelling bee, stands with her English teacher and mentor, Courtney Fitzgerald, in the school hallway shortly after winning the virtual competition Friday, March 26, 2021.

-G I-N

S-P-E-L-LR A

Spelling Bee CHAMPIONS

Afton girl wins 2021 regional spelling bee ‘2 1

B-E-E

DAILY

S-P-E-L-LR A

TH E

C H A M P

competitors, Worcester Central School fourth-grader Hai­ley Zabelicky, was the first to be eliminat­ed, missing the double “m” in the middle of “yammer” at the end of Round Three after correctly spelling “lucky” and “pending.”

Morgyn Turner from Edmeston Central School fell out in the fifth round, adding an extra “h” to “wistful.”

Norwich seventh-grader Delilah Spiegel made it to the eighth round before switching the vowels in “bau­ ble.”

Delaware Academy sixth-grader Benja­ min Hadley missed the “i” in “vermin” in the 11th round, though he correctly spelled the words he was given during the first 10 rounds, all of which were available for all spellers to study prior to the competition on the 2021 “Words of the Champions” list.

Asked how she practiced for the bee, Coleen said, “I didn’t.”

“Aside from the actual school spelling bee, there wasn’t any formal way that we approached it,” said her English teacher and mentor, Courtney Fitzgerald.

In the weeks leading up to the schoolwide competition, Fitzgerald said she dedicated one day a week to

-G I-N

ST

The Daily Star crowned its first-ever spell­ing bee champion from Afton at the 19th annual regional competition, held virtually Friday, March 26, 2021.

Eighth-grader Coleen Pettingill is the first speller to represent Chenango County in more than a decade, following the victories of Claudia Schulze of Bainbridge-Guilford in 2008 and Oxford Academy’s then-eighthgrader Lea Davis in 2009.

In just under an hour of competition between students from six schools, Coleen emerged victorious in the 15th round with the correct spelling of “quench.”

“When they said I won, I was really excit­ed but also really shocked,” said Coleen, 13. “I was really settled on thinking that the oth­er girl would win, but then I was like, ‘Oh, I did it!’”

First-runner up was Cooperstown eighth-grader Punya Phaugat, last year’s regional champion, who tripped up on the spelling of “jowls” Friday after a perfect 13 rounds prior.

Spellers are typically required to repeat their given word into the microphone once before spelling it to ensure proper pronun­ciation, but amid the auditory uncertainties brought about by a virtual competition, the pronouncer took extra care to repeat each word and offer its part of speech and defini­ tion to the students, who often repeated it several times before giving the first letter.

The youngest of the regional

spelling practice in the classroom.

Despite her natural gift for spelling, Coleen said her spelling tests aren’t always perfect.

“If I spell something wrong, I don’t really get too upset about it,” she said.

“It’s usually a pretty simple fix.”

“I was really nervous this morning because my parents were like, ‘You can do it, you can do it!’ and that always gets me anxious, but once I sat down, I was actually quite comfortable,” Coleen said. “I would have been definitely more nervous if it was in-person. For the school competition, I had to be up in front of my parents.”

Coleen said her father, Chris, tuned in to watch the competition live, but her mother, Peggi Peters, who was working at the school as a substitute Friday, wasn’t able to. She hap­pened to run into her mother as she was leav­ ing the conference room after winning the bee and got to break the good news herself.

In school, Coleen is known for her cute animal-themed outfits, which sometimes include bunny-eared hats and a pink and white cat sweatshirt, which she wore to the competition.

“During class, she’s pretty quiet, but she’s always on the ball with the

SPELLING

THE BEE’S PURPOSE

For the past 20 years, the Spelling Bee program has continued to foster language arts enrichment education for more than 35 schools in The Daily Star readership region. The school champions compete for the regional title and to earn an opportunity to advance to the National Scripps Spelling Bee competition.

“Our purpose is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives.”

S-U-C-C-E-S-S

To learn more about the spelling bee competition, please visit https://www.dcmoboces.com/SPELLINGBEEPROGRAM.aspx 2

MARCH 11, 2022

workload,” Fitzgerald said, describ­ ing Coleen as a conscientious student.

“Her effort is amazing, and the report cards of course reflect that every time.”

Outside of school, Coleen said, her hobbies include making beaded brace­ lets, illustrating the stories she writes and reading the Harry Potter and Per­ cy Jackson adventure series.

Coleen proceeded to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which was held virtually because of the pandemic in the weeks leading up to the final round, which was held in person. She was on of 71 spellers eliminated in the first round, misspelling nyctinasty, a noun meaning “: a nastic movement (as the opening and closing of some flowers) that is associated with diurnal changes of temperature or light intensity,” as nictonasty.

The top 11 spellers competed at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort on July 8.

The winner was Zaila Avant-garde, a 14 year old from the suburb of New Orleans and the first Black student to win the competition. She correctly spelled Murraya, a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees (family Rutaceae) having pinnate leaves and flowers with imbricated petals.

The Daily Star awarded Coleen a $1,000 scholarship and continued to fol­ low her progress throughout the com­petition.

Sarah Eames

– The E. W. Scripps Company

THE DAILY STAR SPELLING BEE

Afton Central School

CHAMPION

Zoe Payne-Fuller

DAILY

B-E-E

TH E

S-P-E-L-LAR

-G I-N

ST

Zoe Payne-Fuller was declared the Afton Central School Spelling Bee Champion. Zoe is 12 years old attending 7th grade. She won her championship by spelling the word “sitcom” correctly. We extend a message of appreciation to Courtney Fitzgerald, the school Spelling Bee program coordinator for the work and commitment to this effort. We wish Zoe good luck at the Regional Spelling Bee competition and invite friends and family to join the event.

7th Grade WINNING WORD:

sitcom

THE DAILY STAR SPELLING BEE MARCH 11, 2022 3

Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School CHAMPION Ethan All

The Daily Star Regional Spelling Bee

Saturday, March 19, 2022 10:00 AM SUNY Oneonta Goodrich Theater JOIN US! The public is welcome to attend.

S

TH E 4

MARCH 11, 2022

B-E-E

DAILY

S-P-E-L-LAR

-G I-N

ST

Ethan All is the Spelling Bee Champion for Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School. He is an 8th grade student who has a special love for chickens. He mentioned that he has 5 hens and 13 chicks! He is 12 years old and his favorite author, Brandon Sanderson, inspires him to read and learn vocabulary. Ethan won the competition by spelling the word “trappings” correctly. We thank Molly McAvoy for coordinating the school Spelling Bee program and for going above and beyond the duty to support the students.

8th Grade WINNING WORD:

trappings

tudents from area schools return to an in-person event to compete at the 20th Annual Regional Spelling Bee Competition to be held on March 19, 2022, at the SUNY Oneonta’s Goodrich Theater beginning at 10:00 am. Shortly after the 2020 Competition, schools dismissed students a few days after due to the COVID pandemic. Since 2002, DCMO BOCES has coordinated this event with sponsorship support from The Daily Star.

The competition welcomes sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students from Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Madison and Northern Catskill’s schools.

School champions compete for the regional title that qualifies the student for a spot in the national Scripps Spelling Bee Competition to be held in Washington, D.C. The regional champion receives funding to offset the journey to the national competition. This award includes travel expenses, lodging, and meals for the student and one guardian. Other prizes to be given out at the competition include Webster’s Third New International Dictionary and its Addenda section, The Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, and gifts from the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Event coordinator Martha Ryan expressed her appreciation to the organizations supporting the event, “The Daily Star’s financial contribution removes the financial barriers for our students to compete at the national level. This is a life-changing experience that has launched many students to amazing careers.” Ryan also recognized the first-class support from SUNY Oneonta, “The Office of the President sponsors our event and gives access to theater facilities that meet all the competition rules and requirements.”

The pronouncers at the March 19 bee will be Julia P. Suarez Hayes, retired professor from Hartwick College, and Dr. Paul French, a professor at SUNY Oneonta. The judging panel will include Mary Dugan, certified speech pathologist, and Janet Laytham, educational Consultant. Martha Ryan, public and school liaison at DCMO BOCES, will handle the rounds notification. The public is welcome to attend the event. For more information about this program, contact Martha Ryan at 607-335-1200 or by email at ryanm@dcmoboces.com.

THE DAILY STAR SPELLING BEE

Cooperstown Central School

CHAMPION Emily Menzies

DAILY

B-E-E

TH E

S-P-E-L-LAR

-G I-N

ST

Emily Menzies was declared the Cooperstown Central School Spelling Bee Champion. Emily is 12 years old attending 8th grade. She won her championship by spelling the word “hawsers” correctly. We extend a message of appreciation to Chalya Pudlewski, the school Spelling Bee program coordinator for the work and commitment to this effort. We wish Emily good luck at the Regional Spelling Bee competition and invite friends and family to join the event.

8th Grade WINNING WORD:

hawsers

THE DAILY STAR SPELLING BEE MARCH 11, 2022 5

Delaware Academy School

CHAMPION

Benjamin Hadley

TH E 6

MARCH 11, 2022

B-E-E

DAILY

S-P-E-L-LAR

-G I-N

ST

Benjamin Hadley was declared the Delaware Academy Middle School Spelling Bee Champion.

Benjamin is 12 years old attending 8th grade.

He won his championship by spelling the word “infallibility” correctly. We extend a message of appreciation to Steven Lange, the school Spelling Bee program coordinator for the work and commitment to this effort. We wish Benjamin good luck at the Regional Spelling Bee competition and invite friends and family to join the event.

8th Grade WINNING WORD:

infallibility THE DAILY STAR SPELLING BEE

Edmeston Central School

CHAMPION Lucas Hoagland

DAILY

B-E-E

TH E

S-P-E-L-LAR

-G I-N

ST

Lucas Hoagland was declared the Edmeston Central School Spelling Bee Champion. Lucas is 12 years old attending 7th grade. He won his championship by spelling the word “cobblestone” correctly. We extend a message of appreciation to Liz Vetter, the school Spelling Bee program coordinator for the work and commitment to this effort. We wish Lucas good luck at the Regional Spelling Bee competition and invite friends and family to join the event.

NYCM Insurance congratulates all participants in the 2022 Regional Spelling Bee and wishes them luck

7th Grade WINNING WORD:

cobblestone

New York Central Mutual Fire Insurance Company 1899 CENTRAL PLAZA EAST, EDMESTON, NEWYORK 13335 800-234-6926 • nycm.com

THE DAILY STAR SPELLING BEE MARCH 11, 2022 7

Franklin Central School

CHAMPION Amelia Coulter

TH E 8

MARCH 11, 2022

B-E-E

DAILY

S-P-E-L-LAR

-G I-N

ST

Amelia Coulter was declared the Franklin Central School Spelling Bee Champion. Amelia is 10 years old attending 5th grade. She won her championship by spelling the word “professional” correctly. We extend a message of appreciation to Somer Coyle, the school Spelling Bee program coordinator for the work and commitment to this effort. We wish Amelia good luck at the Regional Spelling Bee competition and invite friends and family to join the event.

5th Grade WINNING WORD:

professional

Congratulations

to the Franklin Central School Champion!

Franklin Railroad and Community Museum 572 Main Street Franklin, NY 13775 607-829-2692 johncampbell8@gmail.com Hours Open: Last Sunday of Each Month 1:00pm to 4:00pm Call 607-829-5890 or 607-829-2692 Admission: Free Handicapped Accessible THE DAILY STAR SPELLING BEE

Oneonta City School

CHAMPION Daanya Butt

A BETTER YOU MAKES A BETTER US

DAILY

B-E-E

TH E

JOIN TODAY! Oneonta Family YMCA

S-P-E-L-LAR

-G I-N

ST

Daanya Butt was declared the Oneonta City School Spelling Bee Champion. Daanya is 13 years old attending 7th grade. She won her championship by spelling the word “independence” correctly.

We extend a message of appreciation to Jason Neer, the school Spelling Bee program coordinator for the work and commitment to this effort. We wish Daanya good luck at the Regional Spelling Bee competition and invite friends and family to join the event.

7th Grade WINNING WORD:

independence

20-26 Ford Ave Oneonta, NY 13820

607-432-0010 Oneontaymca.org

THE DAILY STAR SPELLING BEE MARCH 11, 2022 9

Stamford Central School

CHAMPION

Allison VanBuren

SPECIALIZING IN WATER WELL DRILLING

Pump Sales & Service, Water Filtration & Geo Thermal Drilling

Contact us for dependable drilling contractors who ensure your water systems are operating as they should.

TH E 10

MARCH 11, 2022

B-E-E

DAILY

S-P-E-L-LAR

-G I-N

ST

Allison VanBuren was declared the Stamford Central School Spelling Bee Champion. Allison is 11 years old attending 6th grade. She won her championship by spelling the word “fidgeting” correctly. We extend a message of appreciation to Dawn Tefft, the school Spelling Bee program coordinator for the work and commitment to this effort. We wish Allison good luck at the Regional Spelling Bee competition and invite friends and family to join the event.

6th Grade WINNING WORD:

fidgeting

1-800-GO-TITAN 1-845-586-4000

264 Co. Hwy. 38 Arkville, NY 12406 www.titanwelldrillingny.com Find us on Facebook THE DAILY STAR SPELLING BEE

Tan-Tam Home School

CHAMPION Stella Tam

DAILY

B-E-E

TH E

S-P-E-L-LAR

-G I-N

ST

Stella Tam is a 5th grade student attending the Tan-Tam Home School in Cooperstown. Stella is currently reading the Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. She enjoys horseback riding, soccer, music and spontaneous dance parties with her family! She won the spelling bee competition after spelling the word “orchestra” correctly. We thank Clara Tan-Tam for coaching and inspiring Stella to expand her vocabulary and pursue the spelling competition.

5th Grade WINNING WORD:

Join our champions!

School

Name

Winning Word

Afton Central School

Zoe Payne-Fuller

sitcom

Cherry Valley-Springfield CS

Ethan All

trappings

Cooperstown Central School

Emily Menzies

hawsers

Delaware Academy School

Benjamin Hadley

infallibility

Edmeston Central School

Lucas Hoagland

cobblestone

Franklin Central School

Amelia Coulter

professional

Oneonta City School

Daanya Butt

independence

Stamford Central School

Allison VanBuren

fidgeting

Tan-Tam Home School

Stella Tam

orchestra

Good luck students!

The Daily Star Regional Spelling Bee Competition

SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 2022 10:00 AM SUNY Oneonta Goodrich Theater

Recognizing MERRIAM-WEBSTER Spelling Champion Award Sponsor

orchestra

THE DAILY STAR SPELLING BEE MARCH 11, 2022 11

Good luck to all 2022 Regional Spelling Bee participants!

12

MARCH 11, 2022

THE DAILY STAR SPELLING BEE