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Spellers go word-to-word for spot at national bee
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Anonymous user Mon Feb 5, 2007 14:44:44 PST
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0 responses 0 comments If persistence counts, four of the 17 competitors in the 29th annual Kern County Spelling Bee hope to be rewarded.
Chipman Junior High School eighth-grader Alex Meza was a third-place finisher last year, and Mountain View Middle School seventh-grader Antonio Ochoa finished ninth. Two years ago, Beardsley Junior High School eighth-grader Shawnee Whitted finished at fifth place and Lincoln Junior High School eighth-grader Philip Anaya at seventh place. They are the only four students with previous spelling bee finals experience.
The public is invited to see the top 17 Kern County spellers in grades four to eight contend for a spot during the 79th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 30 and 31 in Washington, D.C.
To reach county finals, students had to spell with a total pool of approximately 50,000 students at classroom, school, district and regional levels.
The event will be held on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at University Square, 2000 K St., in conference room 1.
This year’s competitors will be: Matthew Buccat, 8th grade, Norris Middle School;  Antonio Ochoa, 7th grade, Mountain View Middle School; Phillip Anaya, 8th grade, Lincoln Junior High School; Alex Meza, 8th grade, Chipman Junior High School; Dulce Angulo, 5th grade, Frank West Elementary School; Gabrielle Garcia, 6th grade, Thorner Elementary School; Sahar Ali, 8th grade, Washington Middle School; Shawnee Whitted, 8th grade, Beardsley Junior High School; Shaquille Foronda, 5th grade, Morningside Elementary School; Sowmya Jothikumar, 7th grade, Murray Middle School; Angie Rowe, 7th grade, Wallace Middle School; Elijah Johnson, 8th grade, Warren Junior High School; Bernard Jee, 8th grade, Tevis Junior High School; Sophia Valdez, 5th grade, Palla Elementary School; Lawrence Meddela, 8th grade, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School;  and Alexis Tolliver, 8th grade, Jefferson Middle School.
Local sponsors include the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, The Bakersfield Californian, Scripps-Howard Newspapers, and the Kern Reading Association.
For more information, call Christine Goedhart-Humphrey at 636-4330.

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