QCUSD’s Annual District Spelling Bee

On Thursday, January 16, the Queen Creek Unified School District (QCUSD) hosted its annual district spelling bee at the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center (QCPAC). Students from each of our fourteen schools had the opportunity to showcase their orthography skills, honed through dedicated practice, as they competed in this exciting event. Each school first held its own spelling bee, with top spellers advancing to represent their campus at the district-wide competition. The district champions will move on to the county spelling bee, ready to make their mark on an even larger stage.

Sally Ericson, the district spelling bee coordinator, and Steve Watkins, QCUSD’s director of elementary curriculum and professional development organized the district spelling bee. The panel included a dedicated team: Stacey Duke, principal of Frances Brandon-Pickett Elementary, served as the pronouncer; Tami Vega, a third-grade teacher at Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary, was the rules judge; Dr. Robert Carlisle, director of research and evaluation, took the role of lead judge; Anne Herbert, librarian at Faith Mather Sossaman Elementary, was a judge; and Jenny Dompier, secondary ELA academic coach, kept the rounds running smoothly as the rounds keeper.

To help spellers feel at ease, the spelling bee began with a review of the rules and a practice round. Words for the competition came from the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary. As the event kicked off, students proudly stood while their schools were announced, earning applause from the audience. Reaching this stage required dedication and hard work, and each participant was celebrated for their achievement.

District Spelling Bee Winners:

  • First Place from DME - Jake V.
  • Second Place from NBCP - Brandon L.
  • Third Place from NBCP - Isabella D.

QCUSD is dedicated to providing students with opportunities to succeed and showcase their unique talents. Events like the district spelling bee highlight the hard work and determination of our students while celebrating their achievements and growth. 

Give your student access to opportunities like this and so much more—visit our Enrollment page to enroll them.

QCUSD students competing in the district spelling bee

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