Four local students have won the right to compete at the state level after coming out on top at the Santa Barbara County Spelling Bee, which was held Wednesday at the Santa Barbara County Education Office.
Aidan Garard, a sixth grader at Vieja Valley School in the Hope School District, took first place in the elementary division by correctly spelling “cuckoo.” Keaton Cross, a sixth grader at Kellogg School in the Goleta Union School District, took second place with “coalesce.” Third place went to Daniel Nickolov, a sixth grader at Isla Vista School in the Goleta Union School District. His winning word was “alliance.”
In the junior high division, Tyler Norman, an eighth grader from La Colina Jr. High School in the Santa Barbara Unified School District, took first place by correctly spelling “bailiff.” Second place went to Emily Donelan, an eighth grader from Laguna Blanca School. Her winning word was “aquiline.” Third place was won by Shio Chiba, an eighth grader from Goleta Valley Jr. High School in the Santa Barbara Unified School District, correctly spelling “paradisiacal.” The two top winners in each division will proceed to the state level.
Thanks to The Masons Lodge, The Women’s Service Club of Goleta, and Town and Country Women’s Club for their donations.
The 2017 Elementary State Spelling Bee, for grades 4 through 6, will be held May 13 at the San Joaquin County Office of Education in Stockton. The 2017 State Junior High Spelling Bee, for grades 7 through 9, will be held May 6 at Miller Creek Middle School in San Rafael.
More information is available from Rose Koller of the Santa Barbara County Education Office at 964-4710, ext. 5222.
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| Left to right: Elementary winners Daniel Nickolov, 3rd place; Aidan Garard, 1st place; Keaton Cross, 2nd place |
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| Left to right: Junior high winners Shio Chiba; 3rd place; Tyler Norman, 1st place; Emily Donelan, 2nd place |
