Clarence Middle School Students Compete in Spelling Bee

Student spellers at Clarence Middle School showed their skills as they competed in the school’s spelling bee.

Sixth grader Benjamin Gibson won the bee in the 22nd round on the word diagonal, defined as a straight line that joins two opposite corners of a four-sided flat shape, such as a square. The competition’s runner-up was seventh grader Ava Ramachandran, who competed head-to-head with Benjamin for four rounds. Eighth graders Abigail Luk and Arnav Kukar tied for third place.

The 30 students in grades 6-8 exhausted the competition’s study guide during the January 14 competition, spelling words like hors d’oeuvres (various savory foods usually served as appetizers) and boulangerie (a bakery that specializes in bread and especially in French-style breads). 

Benjamin received a Kindle and Amazon gift card for his victory, while Ava, Abigail and Arnav each received a gift card to Barnes & Noble, with prizes donated by the Clarence Middle School PTO. Five additional student participants were selected at random to receive Amazon gift cards. 

In March, Benjamin will compete at the regional competition in Fredonia. Great work by all of our competitors!