Homer Alaska - Schools

Can you spell "adolescence"?

Can you spell "incidental"?

Those are the two words seventh-grader Jacob Roberts spelled to become the champion of the 2012 Chapman Spelling Bee.

On Jan. 26, Chapman second- through eighth-graders gathered in the gym for the spelling bee competition.The students, chosen by their classroom teachers on the basis of their spelling skills, met at lunchtime for several weeks to study for the spelling bee. The following students participated:

• Second grade: Andrew Nelson;

• Third grade: Llena Bice, Mya Houglum, Andrew Drake;

• Fourth grade: Savannah Jansen, Jamie Parish, Jonny Bice;

• Fifth grade: Kalen Molodih, Ro'en Bice, Garrett Cooper, Donald Woods;

• Sixth grade: Kyle Wells, Jae Spence, Uno Mireles;

• Seventh grade: Jacob Roberts, Ashley Gentry, Alyssa Nehren-Rawls;

• Eighth grade: Anna Johnson, Wyatt Frank.

After 16 rounds of the competition, only two students remained.

Eighth grader Wyatt Frank misspelled the word "epilepsy" and Jacob Roberts went on to spell the final two words to win the contest.

Congratulations to Wyatt, our runner-up, and to Jacob, our winner. Jacob is eligible to compete in the Alaska State Spelling Bee in Anchorage on March 8.

The winner of that competition will represent Alaska at the national finals in Washington, D.C.

Linda Harris is the Chapman School spelling bee organizer and a special services aide at the school.