Schools
Morris Students Headed to Major Spelling Bee
On Thursday, students ranging from grades 3-8 will compete at the North Jersey Spelling Bee, could be headed to national contest next.
Thursday will be the final round of the 75th North Jersey Spelling Bee for grades 3-8. And out of the 32 finalists competing for a spot at the national competition, several will proudly represent Morris County.
From Long Valley
Among these participants is seventh-grader Krystyna Constantino of Long Valley. Constantino, a student at , won her school's spelling bee in January—a qualification a student must make in order to participate in the North Jersey Spelling Bee, which is sponsored by The Record and The Herald News.
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This is Constantino's second year in a row winning her school bee. Last year, as a sixth-grader, she beat out all of the sixth, seventh- and eighth-graders, and this year she came in first place again out of about 80 students.
Constantino's language arts teacher, Betty Paolella, has been helping her prepare by printing out study packets.
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"She's been diligent and very dedicated," Paolella said. "We're very proud of her and we hope she makes it. She has that drive and desire."
Kate Sansom, an eighth-grade teacher at Long Valley Middle School and organizer for the school's spelling bee, said Constantino is ready to face the competition again after another year of experience.
"Last year she didn't move past North Jersey, but this year she is much better prepared," said Sansom.
Constantino has already made it further in the semifinals than she did last year. Her hard work and preperation will hopefully show on Thursday.
"She's an amazing young lady," said Paolella. "She's hardworking, she's helpful, and she embraces challenges."
From Morristown Area
Amogh Anakru of Morristown is also a two-time spelling bee winner, and will be competing on Thursday. This seventh-grader is passionate about math and science, and also participates in many school activities such as the play and orchestra.
"Amogh is a voracious reader and he has knowledge beyond his years," English teacher Holly Darby told NorthJersey.com, the online home of The Record and Herald News, last month.
Also competing according to the papers' report are is Sahil Reddy of Morristown and Roshni Kainthan of Morris Plains. Neither those contestants nor educators who've worked with them could be reached for comment Monday.
Students from Morris County towns not served by Patch sites include Kaveesha Kodituwakku of Boonton, and Arianna Pollack and Kavi Wick, both of Succasunna.
The next and final step past the North Jersey bee is the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. One winner on March 22 will earn a spot for this competition in May at a chance at the national title. The trip is paid for by The Record and Herald News.
Two semifinal rounds determined the finalists for Thursday. The first was early last week, which selected the first 17 students, and the second took place this past Saturday at Bergen Community College, where the final 15 students qualifed.
Other counties participating in the bee are Bergen, Passaic, Essex, and Rockland.
The final is at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Ciccone Theater at in Paramus. After the winner is selected, celebrity baker Buddy Valastro from TLC's "Cake Boss" is set to speak.
Who are you rooting for in this year's spelling bee? Show your support in the comments below!
