County returns to its roots and brings back spelling bee
There is always plenty of pressure-packed excitement at any spelling bee as youth are put in the spotlight to spell some tough words. While Holmes County disbanded its county spelling bee a number of years ago so more youth could qualify for the regional bee, it will return to a time-honored favorite as it brings back the annual Holmes County Spelling Bee, which will take place Jan. 15 at West Holmes High School.
The Holmes County Spelling Bee will make its way back to the county after a lengthy hiatus. It will feature students from all over Holmes County and take place on Tuesday, Jan. 15 at West Holmes High School at 6 p.m.
While county elementary and middle school bees have sent a champion on to regionals at GlenOak High School over the past years, the Holmes County Spelling Bee was dropped a number of years ago. While that afforded more opportunities to send additional youth on to the regional event, what it lost was creating that excitement and buzz that crowned a county spelling bee champion, something that was formerly a huge deal in the county.
“Holmes County hasn’t had a countywide spelling bee for a number of years now, and we were excited about the possibility of bringing it back,” Debbie Miller of Tri-County Educational Services said. “It’s something we’ve wanted to do again for a couple of years, and we were finally able to pull it together. A county spelling bee is something that does have that sense of value and meaningfulness to it.”
In former years students from each school in the county would have to spell their way to victory or at least the runner-up spot in their own class, then compete for a school title to earn a shot at the county bee. The winners from each school would then come together for the opportunity to win the county bee and advance to regionals.
This year’s Holmes County Spelling Bee will not be one that sends the winner on to regionals. Each of the 22 schools’ winners still have that opportunity if they choose to accept a trip to regionals to represent their school.
Instead, the Holmes County Spelling Bee will be more about the prestige and honor of being crowned as the county champion.
“This county bee is more about just going and having a great time and competing to see who is the best speller in Holmes County,” Miller said. “It is kind of a throwback to the older years when we crowned one champion of the county, and there is a lot of pride in achieving that honor.”
A total of 22 youth from fifth to eighth grade will unite at West Holmes High School for the county bee. They will have prepared, studied, memorized and done whatever they can to put themselves in a position to claim the title of Holmes County’s finest young speller.
The list of spelling bee competitors includes Garrett Williamson, Kaylee Gingerich and Robert Yabroff of Millersburg Elementary; Shane Lorentz and Kaileigh Doering of Lakeville Elementary; Natalie Thorpe and Remyck Beachy of Killbuck Elementary; Jo Young and Saige Krownapple of Clark Elementary; Zac Craft and Aiden Piatt of West Holmes Middle School; Lynn Yoder and David Yoder of Wise Middle School; Jennifer Miller of Winesburg Elementary; Jacob Hershberger of Walnut Creek Elementary; Sara Mast and Josh Shetler of Mt. Hope Elementary; Suzanna Yoder and Alayna Yoder of Chestnut Ridge Elementary; Logan Yoder and Kailyn Miller of Berlin Elementary; and Hana Yoder of Hiland Middle School.
Miller said with the advancements in computers and texting, spelling has become somewhat of a lost art for youth today. She said the hope is that spelling bees will continue to provide an avenue for the art of spelling to flourish in Holmes County.
“This bee is strictly for East and West Holmes School District students who have participated in their respective school spelling bees,” Miller said. “While it has nothing to do with advancing on to regionals, the winner will receive a big trophy and the honor of being tabbed as the best speller in Holmes County. Plus it will still have all of the drama and excitement of a bee that is meaningful. We invite everyone to come out and support the kids and experience what should be a really fun night.”