Petluri is winner of Central West Spelling Bee

Sidney’s West Elementary School auditorium went silent as approximately 45 parents sat in anticipation watching each of the 32 students nervously or confidently approach the microphone during the practice round of the annual Central West Spelling Bee competition this Wednesday.

Students advanced to the front of the stage when their name was called and turned toward their word pronouncer, Carla Brauer.

Brauer, who serves as the school counselor at Central and West Elementary, pronounced each word and gave a brief explanation of the terms. She used the words in a sentence for students before repeating them once more.

During the practice round simple words such as “ball” and “end” were used to calm the nerves of the fourth, fifth and sixth grade students. But as the rounds continued the words become more difficult. Some words even stumped audience members.

“There is always one practice round, even at the county spelling bee level because they kind of need a chance to get their wiggles out; they are so nervous,” Brauer said. “But the words do get really difficult.”

Some words tricked students, such as the word “wasp”, the letter “p” being almost silent as it’s pronounced.

Students stood at attention as their word was read; their facial expressions that of extreme focus. Most students’ hands fell to their sides and appeared to slow danced around their pants pockets as if the nervousness they tried to hide was trapped at their fingertips.

The spelling bee participants looked straight ahead at the three judges, Charlotte Dorwart, Mandy McKay and Henrietta Pelster or at the ground as they recited their word and tried to spell it letter-by-letter. The children shuffled back to their seats excited for staying in for another round.

But the seats on stage slowly emptied one-by-one. Students hung their heads in obvious disappointment as they were politely told that though they made a good guess at spelling the word they were still incorrect. Students walked off stage and headed back to class or into the waiting, admiring arms of their parents.

One student lasted more rounds then the rest and was pronounced the winner of the spelling bee. That student was Salena Petluri.

The two students who tied in the round before her, Arik Doty and Makenzie Pettit, will accompany Salena to the Cheyenne County Bee competition on Feb. 6.

Also to join the county bee-bound spellers will be three more students who are to be determined by a spell-off this upcoming Monday at the school. Each school is allowed to send six representatives to the county spelling bee. Five other students from Wednesday’s spelling bee will participate in the spell-off. Three will advance with the others to the county bee, while the remaining two will serve as alternates.

Students Shayla Schilz, Samantha Haddock, Johnny Hehnke, Jaren Cameron and Allison Nesbitt will participate in Monday’s spell-off for the open spots.

Brauer said that this spelling bee and the county bee serve as preliminary competitions to the state spelling bee sponsored by the Omaha World Herald.

The winner of the Cheyenne County Bee will advance to the state bee, she said. The county spelling be will also be held at West Elementary and will consist of the winners from the Central West bee as well as homeschool students and students from Leyton and Potter.

The words used in the Central West bee this year were provided from the pronouncers’ guide sent to Brauer by officials of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Brauer said that she included most of the words that were provided in the guide during the competition, however there are a few words that she crossed off and didn’t use.

“I always go through ahead of time and make notes,” she said. “Sometimes I might cross off a word if I can’t look at it and pronounce it right away or if it’s a word that I think they won’t identify with at all. There are a few that are crossed off but mostly we go word-for-word.”

Participants in the spelling bee receive a Spell It book to study prior to the competition that includes the first 225 words of the pronouncers’ guide. If the competition goes over 225 words more words from the pronouncers’ guide are introduced that the students haven’t had the chance to study. This year however the competition ended after seven rounds, meaning only the Spell It words were used.

The spelling bee participants this year were determined by the results of written tests given in each of the classrooms, Brauer said. The top two spellers from each class were sent to the competition upon their desire to compete.

Judges for the event were asked to help but were more than willing to volunteer, she said.

“They all expressed great interest in the bee,” Brauer said.

Charlotte Dorwart, who will also be running the county spelling bee in February, coordinated the Central West bee.

Brauer said that Karen Kissler also helped out a lot in getting everything ready for the spelling bee. Karen, a teacher at the school, was a Kimball County Bee state champion during her either grade year and went on to compete at the state level.

Brauer said that the spelling bee was an overall success and she thinks the students really enjoy competing.

“I think the students really seem to like it, and some of them study for it lots. It is always a fun time,” Brauer said.