By Carmen M. Woodson-Wray, Gary Crusader
Although the students at Spirit of God Accelerated School didn’t find out about the Association of Christian Schools International (ASCI) Northern Region Spelling Bee until a month before the competition, they still prepared for the contest. With only a month to study and prepare, seven students at Spirit of God placed very high in several grade levels in the competition.
Charisse Davis, a parent of a student at Spirit of God and coordinator of the Spelling Bee team said the school practiced for the short length of time they had by quizzing themselves from the words in the study book provided to them by ASCI to compete in the contest.
Davis said, “All of the students at Spirit of God were allowed to participate so we did our own spelling bees to practice among ourselves. From our top winners we chose the students that would represent us in the contest.”
According to Davis, in order to qualify students had to compete in their perspective grade levels. The contest was only for Christian schools throughout the Northern Region of Indiana. It was held at Lighthouse Christian Academy School in Bloomington, Indiana earlier this month.
Students from Spirit of God that won were Kaitlynn Taylor, a 5th grader who placed Third in the contest, DeVon Weathersby, a 6th grader who placed high enough to go to the second round in the 7th grade division. Other students who placed in the 4th and 5th grade categories were Donte Weathersby, D’Mari Nakasen, Ya’Kima Griffin, Josiah Mays and Moni Nakasen.
Kaitlynn Taylor said she decided to get in the spelling competition because she really likes spelling. She said, “I practiced all seven pages of the practice book of words. When we held a practice contest at school, I placed Second but when I was in the contest in Bloomington I placed Third. It was hard in Bloomington because of all the schools we were up against. I would like to go back next year and try again. One thing I will never forget from the competition was the word I won on. It was ‘Revolution’.”
Davis said the students from Spirit of God did a great job despite the small amount of time they had to study. She said, “For them to place so high it was a wonder. It might not sound like a lot, but it was impressive to all of us at Spirit of God.”
