Niwot Elementary School abuzz with spelling excitement

By Kestrel Glick, Sienna Shear, and Graham Ottem

(NES fifth-grade students)

"Contemptible" was the winning word as Cooper Edwards, a fifth-grader, outlasted ten other competitors to win the 14th Annual Niwot Elementary School Spelling Bee on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023.

Fourth-grader Henry Himmerick took second, followed closely by fifth-grader Grayson Michael, who finished third. The bee was watched by all second-grade through fifth-grade students, who supported their schoolmates vigorously with silent cheers throughout the nail-biting rounds, and finally erupted into rousing applause when the champion was announced.

All students in grades three through five took a written spelling test in late October, with students who did well progressing through two more increasingly challenging rounds. The 11 spelling bee finalists emerged as the school's top spellers, and prior to the bee they studied and attended several sessions to practice spelling strategies and familiarize themselves with the questions that spellers are encouraged to ask the judges.

The previous 13 versions of this academic competition were organized by local legend and former teacher Julie Breyer. After Breyer's retirement last year, that role passed to teacher Audrey Lenger, who opened the bee with brief remarks about the history of spelling bees and the running of the school's spelling bee. Students gasped in mock horror at her mention of the spellers' bane, "The Dreaded Schwa." Breyer returned to serve as a bee judge along with Lenger, and teacher Nancy Olsen continued her role as the official pronouncer.

As the bee progressed, the competing students showed impressive sportsmanship, exchanging fistbumps of congratulations with their fellow spellers. Students were progressively eliminated until round nine, when for the next five rounds Edwards, Himmerick, and Michael spelled every word correctly.

Michael was finally felled in round 14 by the word "antechamber." Second-place winner Himmerick stuck it out to the 15th round until the word "pullets" slipped him up. Edwards then spelled successfully in round 16 to cement his victory.

Before the competition began, fifth-grader Nika Magginetti admitted to some nerves, but said, "I am not trying to win--I will just try to do my best." Magginetti eventually slipped up on the word "recital."

Immediately following the bee, all participating spellers were celebrated by the student body, teachers, and attending parents, and presented with handsome ribbons and certificates. Himmerick and Michael also won Merriam-Webster Word-A-Day calendars, and Edwards was presented with an impressive hardcover copy of the New Oxford American Dictionary.

This was Edwards' second year participating in the school bee. He reported that his favorite word in the competition was "boba," because "it was short and fun," while the word that challenged him most was "secreted," which means produced and emitted from a gland.

"I am really proud of Cooper for taking part in the spelling bee again this year," said Kara Yonker, a fifth-grade teacher. "I know he was in it last year and didn't get as far as he wanted to, so I am just really proud of him for persevering and winning the whole thing."

Edwards will compete next in the Boulder Regional Bee in March 2024. The winner of that bee will go on to the National Bee in Washington, D.C. Former Niwot Elementary students have competed in the National Bee four times as middle-school students. When asked about his feelings about the upcoming Regional Spelling Bee, Edwards replied, "I am not expecting to win, but I would like to have fun. Spelling is the best."