Hempfield, Greensburg Salem, Aquinas 3rd-graders reach spelling bee final

After months of preparation, area third graders will meet Thursday at Stanwood Elementary School in Hempfield for a battle of wits and words.

The 13th annual Rotary Club of Greensburg Spelling Bee will feature students from Hempfield Area School District, Greensburg Salem School District and Aquinas Academy.

“It’s just so neat to see the competition among the third-grade students, and see their enthusiasm for spelling,” said Matthew Conner, assistant superintendent for elementary education at Hempfield Area School District.

The Rotary toured all the third-grade classrooms in participating schools late last year, giving a dictionary to every student.

Each classroom has its own spelling bee. The winner from each will compete in Thursday’s event.

“All these students won their competitions in each of their classrooms, so they’re the cream of the crop,” said Conner.

There’s usually about 30 competitors.

The winner gets an iPad Mini and a trophy for their school.

Learning to spell is still important in an era of spell-check, Conner said.

“Typically strong spellers are strong readers,” he said.

Learning where words come from — their root words and etymologies — improves reading comprehension, Conner said. These skills are also key to gaining an edge at a spelling bee.

“It’s really interesting how kids can study, and if they learn some of those common root words they can can really have an advantage,” he said.

The spelling bee starts at 6 p.m.