“I felt a lot of anxiety because there were a lot of people watching and the words progressively got harder, incorporating different languages and silent letters,” Dawis said after the Feb. 22 contest. “I am excited to advance and represent Santa Fe in the regional spelling bee.”
The Santa Fe competition started with 35 contestants from sixth, seventh and eighth grades who competed in a series of lunch period competitions. The top nine contestants competed in the final round on Feb. 22, with three seventh-grade students emerged as the victors. Gabriel David took third place and Stella Smit claimed second.
"We are very proud and impressed by all of our contestants," Principal Geoff Zamarripa said. "Our annual spelling bee helps students increase their vocabulary and strengthens literacy. Our contestants were dedicated and powered through each round, showing what it means to be an Awesome Cougar Scholar.”
Seventh-grade students claimed the top three spots in Santa Fe Computer Science Magnet School’s 2019 Spelling Bee, with Jose Dawis (left) winning first place and advancing to the Los Angeles County Scripps Regional Spelling Bee.
In all, 35 students competed in Santa Fe Computer Science Magnet School’s 2019 Spelling Bee, with nine students advancing to the final round on Feb. 22.