WBESC provides county spelling bee info

VW independent/submitted information

Ashley Shepherd, director of gifted services for the Western Buckeye Educational Service Center, announces that the 2021 Journal Gazette Van Wert County Spelling Bee will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, January 31, in the Lincolnview High School gym. 

Immediate family members and grandparents of each speller are welcome to attend this event. Masks are required for all that enter, and while seated during the bee. Spectators are also asked to socially distance themselves from other families. 

Twelve contestants representing seven Van Wert County schools, grades 5-8, will compete for the honor of representing the county in the Journal Gazette Regional Spelling Bee presented by STAR Financial Bank on March 6. The Regional Spelling Bee will be held in the Purdue University Fort Wayne Rhinehart Recital Hall at 10 a.m. that day. The winner of the Regional contest will go on to compete in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. 

Individual school champions are:

• Crestview Elementary — Lucas Sawmiller, grade 5
• Crestview Middle School — To be announced
• Lincolnview Elementary — Zavier Kemler, grade 5, and Josie Miller, grade 6.
• Lincolnview Junior High — Gabby Thomas, grade 7, and Lindsey Hatcher, grade 8.
• St. Mary of the Assumption School — Jazzlyn Florence, grade 6
• Van Wert Elementary — Isabelle Murphy, grade 5
• Van Wert Middle School — Harrison Sloan, grade 6, and Peyton Hoffman, grade 7 

Doug Grooms, special services coordinator for Van Wert City Schools, will be the pronouncer. Judges for the Spelling Bee are Van Wert Middle School Principal Darla Dunlap, St. Mary’s School sixth grade teacher Dustin Hesseling, and Crestview Elementary Principal Jessica Schuette. Lincolnview Junior High-High School Principal Brad Mendenhall is in charge of the physical arrangements. 

Van Wert Federal Savings Bank is sponsoring the awards for the event, which include cash awards and plaques for the top three finishers and certificates for all the contestants. The plaques are provided by Northwest Ohio Trophy. 

Contestants are reminded to report to the Lincolnview High School Lecture Hall at 2:30 p.m. January 31. 

For additional information, contact Ashley Shepherd at the Western Buckeye ESC at 419.399.4711, or by email at ashepherd@wbesc.org.