Over the past two weeks, students across the District have been competing in SAISD District Spanish Spelling Bees. Students qualified for the District event by winning a spelling bee at their home campus, where campus sponsors and coaches have been preparing students.
This is the fourth year that the Advanced Academics Department, with the assistance of the Bilingual Department, has hosted the District Spanish Spelling Bee. Three events were held for the categories of elementary (3rd-5th grades only), middle school, and high school.
According to Martha Vasquez, World Languages coordinator and Spanish Spelling Bee director, the competition enables students to display their pride in their culture as well as mastery of the Spanish language.
"The competition boosts their knowledge of roots and origins of words as well as the proper application of words in context," she said. Students who have won first place at the District Spelling Bee qualify to compete in the regional competition hosted at Education Service Center-Region 20, which will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020.
Winners of the 3rd-5th grade competition are:
1. Karen Ramirez - Maverick Elementary School
2. Jubal Villanueva – Highland Park Elementary School
3. Rafael Gomez - Miller Elementary School
4. Marcos Bueno - Franklin Elementary School
5. Camila Herrera - Madison Elementary School
Winners of the 6th-8th grade competition are:
1. April Torres – Young Women’s Leadership Academy
2. Sofia Pena - Irving Dual Language Academy
3. Yoselin Martinez - Tafolla Middle School
4. Ruth Avila - Bonham Academy
5. Citlali Estrada - Young Women’s Leadership Academy
Winners of the 9th-12th grade competition are:
1. Rosa Castañeda – Fox Tech High School
2. Ana Neaves - Travis Early College High School
3. Paola Jauregui - Young Women’s Leadership Academy
4. Wendy Martinez – Fox Tech High School
5. Andrea Sanchez - Brackenridge High School