Posted by Communications Staff on 1/31/2023 1:05:00 AM
Leo approached the microphone in front of dozens of parents and classmates at Hamblen Elementary. He was one of two remaining contestants in the school’s spelling bee for fourth graders, and his word was “blasphemous.”
Some of the adults in the tense crowd cringed at the assumed difficulty of the word, but Leo beamed and, with little hesitation, confidently stated, “Blasphemous. B-L-A-S-P-H-E-M-O-U-S. Blasphemous.”
After his remaining opponent narrowly missed on their word, Leo was declared the winner following about a dozen rounds that started with 21 students.
“When I won, I couldn’t even believe it, and then my heart, like, stopped,” he said. “Right when I got the words, I studied them for 30 minutes and then last night I studied for two hours.”
At Westview Elementary, fourth grader Oliver was the winner, successfully spelling “Overseas.”
"I was very nervous up there because I wasn't sure if I was going to get one wrong or not,” he said.
The winners from all eight competing elementary schools include:
- Browne: Michael
- Franklin: Foster
- Grant: Violet
- Hamblen: Leo
- Longfellow: Jennifer
- Spokane Public Language Immersion: Suki
- Westview: Oliver
- Wilson: Lauren
Each winner will move forward to take an online test through Scripps National Spelling Bee to see if they can qualify for the regional round. Students reached the school-based spelling bee based on a 25-word spelling test in early January.
The spelling bee is one of many ways schools are helping students flourish.
"We just look for all the different opportunities that kids can do that lets their talent or their strength shine,” said Libby Center Principal Kimberly Stretch. “We might have arts and crafts clubs, sports clubs, an essay writing contest and this is just one other avenue in which someone will shine." 
Standing at a microphone in front of your peers and parents is intimidating. Spelling words without writing them down—which involves different parts of your brain—is a challenge.
At Hamblen, Principal Stefanie Heinen reminded students that only one person gets win, which means 20 other students will experience failure in front of their peers. It’s a lesson in sportsmanship, focus and having fun regardless of the results.
The eight winners will forever be fourth grade spelling bee champions.
