South Whittier School District held its annual Spelling Bee on Thursday, January 23, at Loma Vista Elementary.
Spelling Bee contestants consisted of the top four spellers from grades fourth through sixth from each elementary school in the district. Each elementary school held its own Spelling Bee the past couple of months to determine its top four spellers.
This year the Spelling Bee brought exceptional competition with the top five spellers competing for more than twenty rigorous rounds. The top three spellers were from Carmela Elementary, McKibben Elementary, and Loma Vista Elementary.
First Place: Leah Guillen, Carmela
Second Place: Damien Cordero, McKibben
Third Place: Savannah Thomson, Loma Vista
After the Spelling Bee the top three spellers received medals and all participants received a certificate and a goodie bag for their tremendous work. They all were top spellers in each of their schools and brought steep competition to this year’s District event.
“Wow! What a competition. We have to celebrate these academic achievements, this is so important,” SWSD Superintendent, Dr. Gonzales, stated. “These students did such a great job.”
The Spelling Bee winner, Leah Guillen, who is a fifth grader from Carmela Elementary will move on to represent South Whittier School District in the LACOE Spelling Bee that will be held on March 19, 2025. Leah Guillen was the Spelling Bee champion in 2024 as well. This will be her second time representing South Whittier School District at the LACOE Spelling Bee.