County students will compete in spelling bee

Last year’s winner: After winning the 2011 Aiken County district spelling bee, Busbee Corbett Elementary Middle School seventh-grader Tialeisha Corley gets a hug from Principal Rose Marshall. The 2012 event is scheduled for Tuesday.

The Aiken County School District will host the Aiken County Schools Scripps National Spelling Bee at the URS Center for the Performing Arts on Newberry Street in Aiken on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Twelve students from fifth through eighth grades will compete for the district championship. All of the students finished either first or second in six semifinal matches throughout the school district.

The semifinal bees included students from all county public elementary and middle schools and from Mead Hall, St. Mary Help of Christians, Our Lady of Peace, Midland Valley Prep Charter School and the Aiken County Home School

The finalists are Larisa Crowder of Aiken Area Home Educators, Ivey Li of Schofield Middle School, Tommy Jude Carroll of Our Lady of Peace, Stephen Havasy of North Augusta Elementary School, Sebastian Bach of Midland Valley Prep, Jonathan Robinson of Clearwater Elementary School, Jade Cofield of Aiken Middle School, Miranda Middlebrooks of Ridge Spring-Monetta Elementary/Middle School, Justin Walker of Greendale Elementary School, Steven Lambert of Jackson Middle School, Cameron Shiffner of Busbee Corbett Elementary Middle School and Wilson Parrish of Millbrook Elementary School.

"It's just such a good experience," said Charlie Tyler, the district coordinator. "It's a positive experience for an educator, and the students are excited to be a part of something like this."

Before the formal competition, Tyler will give the students a chance to introduce themselves and then get a practice word.

"Hopefully, that will ease their fears before we get started," he said.

Association.

The other sponsors include URS, Savannah River Remediation and the Aiken Standard.

The Aiken Standard is donating the plaques for the first- and second-place winners.

ASTV will televise the event live. It starts at 7 p.m. on Atlantic Broadband channel 95.

SRR is providing gift certificates from Books-A-Million, and the overall winner will be awarded an HP laptop computer. The company will also host a reception after the event.

The public is invited to attend the spelling bee.

The first-place finisher will be eligible to participate in the regional spelling bee in Augusta on March 3, sponsored by the Augusta Chronicle. The regional winner will go on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Student alternates for the spelling bee include Virginia Wayt of Mead Hall, Joyce Bernadino of North Augusta Elementary School, Ayleen Roman of Warrenville Elementary School, Cayden Nichols of North Aiken Elementary School, Clinton Holtsizer of New Ellenton Middle School and Avery Ofoje of Kennedy Middle School.

Senior writer Rob Novit, a journalist for the past 41 years, joined the Aiken Standard staff in 2001. He covers education news and general assignments.