Two top Johnson Junior High School spellers will represent Colusa County on Saturday, April 18, 2015, in the California State Elementary Spelling Bee Championship.
On March 24, 2015, over 60 people gathered for Colusa County Elementary Spelling Championship, hosted by the Colusa County Office of Education. The spectators, along with twenty-three fourth through sixth grade competitors, watched as the contest quickly progressed.
After 4 rounds, Eduardo Hernandez and Sierra Murphy, both 6th grade students at Johnson Junior High School, took first place and second place consecutively in the contest.
Johnson Junior High Spelling Champions
Colusa County Superintendent of Schools Michael West emceed the event and Board of Education President Ed Conrado was the “Spell Master” for the competition that advances Eduardo and Sierra to the State Spelling Bee.
In addition to Mr. West and Mr. Conrado, an audience including family, friends, teachers, and principals was on hand to support the competitors. At the end of the fast-paced event, “laboratory” was finally Sierra’s undoing, while Eduardo took the first place title by correctly spelling “opportunity”.
“I could not be any more proud of the effort that Eduardo and Sierra put into the competition” Blake Kitchen, Principal of Johnson Junior High excitedly said as he shook both of the competitor’s hand.
After the event, Mr. Kitchen went on to say how proud the entire school is of their winners “We wish them the best of luck as they progress to the next level of competition. Regardless of how they place, we are really proud of them.”
All 58 counties in California are eligible to send two spellers, who have been certified as county champions by their County Superintendent of Schools, to compete in the State championship.
The public is invited to attend the competition which will be held at the Wentworth Education Center, 2707 Transworld Drive in Stockton. For further information, contact Tina Maxwell at 458-0350, ext. 10354, or tmaxwell@ccoe.net.