January 11, 2020–8:48 p.m.
NEWS RELEASE
If someone asked you to spell the word appetite, could you do it without taking a quick peek at your phone? Better yet, could you spell the word in front of judges and a room full of your parents and your peers?
Well, that word just happens to be the one that Natalia Jones, an East Central sixth-grade student, spelled to win the system’s annual Rome City Schools Spelling Bee. Karla Vasquez-Perez won runner-up while representing her school, Elm Street Elementary.
Thirteen young spellers were joined in the RCS Board Room by their parents, school administrators, three distinguished judges, and Superintendent Louis Byars. Byars presented Jones with a banner to display at her school until next year’s Bee and a certificate. Vasquez-Perez was also given a certificate for her accomplishments in a very tough Bee.
Nancy Edwards works in Central Office as the system’s literacy and social studies coordinator and she also served as a moderator for the event. Tricia Waters, Math and Science Coordinator for RCS, called the words for the spellers.
Each one of the six elementary schools and Rome Middle School sent a winner and an alternate to the system-wide Bee. From this field of 13, two students were recognized as winners and runners-up. The runner-up will compete as an alternate in the Regional Spelling Bee that will take place on Feb 22, 2020, at Georgia Highlands College if the winner is unable to make it to the competition.
Participants included:
From Anna K. Davie:
Beyon Lowery
Rebecca Salaun (alternate) (Not Present)
From East Central:
Audrey Claire Loveman
Natalia Jones (alternate)
From Elm Street:
Karla Vasquez-Perez
Alex Hernandez Chaz (alternate)
From Main:
James Matheny
Yakera Stewart (alternate)
From Rome Middle:
Luna Prieto
Mason Cochran (alternate)
From West Central:
CorviniqueSams
ArlynnDepaz (alternate)
From West End:
Annalise Ashley-Pritchett
Lilly Blanchard (alternate)
Jones will be recognized as the winner of the system’s Bee during the March 10, 2020, RCS Board Meeting.
“I tried to prepare for our Spelling Bee by practicing my vocabulary words and practicing a list of words we were given before the competition. I practiced at least once every day,” said Jones. “I wanted to try and keep the words fresh in my mind, and I knew the practice would help. I also read a lot and I recognized some of those words from books I have read. I am going to keep studying as hard as I can before the region competition. This is exciting and I want to thank my school for allowing me to compete today.”
“Our teachers do a phenomenal job in the classroom and our parents do an amazing job with their children at home. This honor for Natalia is just one example of their efforts in helping our students to be successful,” said Wesley Styles, principal at East Central. “I want to say congratulations to Natalia. We are all so proud of her and we hope that she does well at the next level.”
Rome City Schools would like to say congratulations to all of the spellers who competed in the Rome City Schools Spelling Bee. Also to the sponsors of the Bee, National Copiers and Coosa Valley Credit Union, we are grateful for your support of our program.