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Accordino is Hilltop’s Queen bee
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.A fourth-grade student at Hilltop Elementary School took her turn at the microphone during the school’s annual Spelling Bee held on June 4.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Prahb Dhaliawal (left), second runner-up, stands next to Elisa Accordino, who was crowned Hilltop Elementary School’s 2011-12 Spelling Bee Champion. Next to Accordino is Sophia Neddy, who was named the first runner-up and Ally Stein (right) was named third runner-up at the Spelling Bee on June 4.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Twelve fourth-grade Hilltop Elementary School students, three top winners from each of the four classes, participated in the school’s annual Spelling Bee held on June 4
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Elisa Accordino (left) was crowned Hilltop Elementary School’s 2011-12 Spelling Bee Champion, with Sophia Neddy (right) named the first runner-up. Each received a dictionary and gift card to Barnes & Noble, courtesy of the PTO.
By ABBY SLANKER
Twelve fourth-grade students at Hilltop Elementary School let their spelling skills shine as they participated in the school’s annual Spelling Bee on June 4.
Three students from each of the four fourth-grade classrooms qualified for the grade-wide spelling bee by winning one of three classroom spelling bees held throughout the school year.
Hilltop Elementary School Principal Cathy Mowry was the announcer, with Diane Dankovich, guidance counselor, Jeannie Bloomster, a teacher at Hilltop, and Suzen Woolley, reading intervention tutor, serving as judges.
Third- and fellow fourth-grade students, friends and family were also in attendance to urge the spellers on.
The students competed for several rounds until it came down to the final two spellers, Elisa Accordino and Sophia Neddy.
For the last two spellers, the rules changed. The announcer would say the word and use the word in a sentence. The contestant must then spell the word correctly to move on. If the word was misspelled, the other contestant must spell the word correctly and then spell a new word correctly to win.
It went back and forth between the girls, with Accordino and Neddy drawing on their exceptional spelling skills. The final round came down to the word ‘custom,‘ with Neddy misspelling it and Accordino then correctly spelling it.
Mowry then reminded Accordino that she must spell the next word correctly to be crowned the winner. The word was ‘frightened,’ which Accordino spelled with ease, cementing her place in Hilltop history as the champion of the 2011-12 Spelling Bee.
“I am so proud of everyone here today. I hope that you continue to learn and grow as you enter your new school in the fall,” said Mowry, as she congratulated the contestants.
Prahb Dhaliawal was second runner-up, with Ally Stein named third runner-up.
Accordino, Neddy and Dhaliawal received a dictionary and a Barnes and Noble gift card, and Stein received a dictionary, all courtesy of Hilltop PTO.