| 2009 Canwest
Canspell Spelling Bee
| |
2009 CANSPELL FINALISTS
Stay tuned for exclusive interviews wth Champion Laura Newcombe and runner up Anna Lawrence. NEW details of the 2009 CANSPELL CANWEST
SPELLING BEE coming soon...
| 2008 Canwest
Canspell Spelling Bee |
Steeltown
Kid, Veronica Penny proved to be the best speller in Hamilton, and the
5th (tied for 4th) best speller in all of Canada.
See
below for EXCLUSIVE interviews with 2 time Champion Finola Hackett,
Toronto Champ, Jessica Zung and 2008 Champion Emma Brownlie!
Here are some
Media Reports:
*
Penny
is tops in spelling bee
*
Youth
puts a Spell on older competitors
CanWest
Canspell; Girl, 9, claims title at regional spelling bee
* Ottawa
Capitol Commission
2008
CANWEST CANSPELL NATIONAL FINALS
OTTAWA, ONTARIO
April 18-19, 2008 Canadian Museum of Civilization,
Hull, Quebec
***April 16 2008***
I woke up at 7:04 a.m. and dressed quickly. We (me and Mom) got into a
cab and rode to the airport, where we waited. I ate my Raisin Bran.
We waited more. Finally we boarded the plane and
flew off! About the exact time of 1:28:14 later, we arrived
in Ottawa and to a greeting of some people with a greeting
card and 10 balloons and got a ride in a minivan (yes, there
was 10 balloons and all of us in a tiny minivan) to the Lord Elgin
Hotel.
We checked in,
went to the Speller's Lounge and collected my goody bags and
snacks,then changed into bathing suits and jumped into the pool. We
swam about 20 laps, and then we jumped into the hot tub. Then went into
the sauna. Then we drooped, sweating and sleepy, back to our suite and
showered.
Then we (not
anyone else, just me and Mom) walked down Sparks Street and went to the
Currency Museum. Then we walked back.Then we tried Yahoo! (to
talk to my siblings). It didn't work well, so we tried Skype.
It worked, so we used it. Then we went down to dinner and here is what
I had.... 3 chicken wings, 3 slices of pizza, fries,1/2 can of
Fresca, and 2 bee-tinis(cranberry juice, pineapple, and Sprite).
Me & Mom played Jenga, and then air hockey. Then we
went to our suite, changed,and went back on Skype. Then I watched
Hannah Montana, then went to bed.
***April
17 2008***
I
woke up and went down to the buffet breakfast. Then we went upstairs
and digested until, well, until we went to the Parliament.
We explored the
Peace Tower and then went to the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and
then went to the War Museum.
And
then we started on the downtown walking tour. We walked and
walked until we made it to a giant spider statue thing called Maman.
Then we got bussed back to the Lord Elgin and relaxed a little.
Then
we went to the Hard Rock Cafe. I had 2 pieces of chicken and 1 serving
of fries. I touched John Entwistle's guitar a few times. It
was missing a bass string.
***April
18 2008***
We
woke up and got bussed to CMC. We ate breakfast then started
the bee. I made it to the finals.
After
the Preliminaries, we had a light lunch at CMC. Then we went
to the Parliament and had a press conference.
Then
we went to the hotel and we swam. Dinner was pasta and
salad. Then we went back to the suite and Skyped and I
watched Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Here are the 11
finalists:
Ottawa Emma Brownlie
Vancouver
Grace Tsai
Prince George
Breanna Siemens
Okanagan
Julieann Hutteman
Calgary
Cody Wang
Edmonton
Austin Davis
Charlottetown
Jonathan Schut
Kamloops
Curtis Bogetti
Victoria
Victoria Lan
Toronto
Jessica Zung
Hamilton
Me
***April
19 2008 ***
We woke up and changed and went to the CMC and I
had a light breakfast of Froot Loops, a yogurt, and a chocolate
muffin.
The spelling bee proceeded and I ended up tied with 4th place in the
12th round. We had a nice lunch at the Museum, and some words
with Katherine Barber. We went back to the hotel, relaxed,
and went to the wrap party. Then we went to bed.
***April
20 2008***
We
ate breakfast. I had a pineapple danish and fruit.
Sam (Mom's friend) drove us to his house to fix his TV and look at his
new house. Then we went to the airport. We took a
taxi home and had pizza. Dr. Jacques Bailly is
the 1980 Scripps Champion, and word pronouncer for the National
Scripps-Howard Bee.
He also had a role in
Akeelah and the Bee.
Here are my 12 words:
PRELIMINARIES
croquette
palmetto
langosta
wanton
gymkhana
collaborate
madrigal |
FINALS
leviable
decorticate
avifauna
badinage
ophiomorph (I spelled opheomorph.) |
Here
are the top 6 Spellers:
(The 3 on the left are tied for 4th)
Jessica
Zung, Veronica Penny, Grace Tsai, Emma Brownlie, Cody Wang, Curtis
Bogetti
Here
are some of my Canspell interviews:
2008 Canspell Champion Emma Brownlie
Veronica Penny: How much did you
study?
Emma Brownlie: 1-2
hours a day.
VP: How
long have you been studying?
EB:
Since September.
VP: What
are you doing with the giant cards?
EB: I'm
taking them home.
VP: Do
you think that the fact that you're from Ottawa helped you win?
EB: No
VP: Have
you been in this before?
EB: This
one? Three years, only made it this year.
VP: What
are your hobbies?
EB:
Swimming, biking, hockey, horseback riding, skiing.
VP: Do
your friends treat you any different now that you've won?
EB:
Happy, proud. But after a while, they forget.
VP: Did
you expect to win?
EB: No,
I didn't expect to win.
VP: How
far did you expect to go?
EB:
Second day.
VP: How
do you feel when complete strangers walk up and say ''Good job?''
EB:
Weirded out
2005
and 2006 CanSpell Champion Finola Hackett
Veronica Penny: How did you
study?
Finola Hackett: I studied for a few hours a day. For the
first year not too much. The second year like ten months.
VP: What are your hobbies?
FH: A lot of piano, music, Irish dancing, soccer, badminton,
and swimming.
VP: Where are you from?
FH: Tofield, Alberta.
VP: Did you know the words in this bee?
FH: Most, but not all.
VP: Do your friends treat you any different now that you're a
champion?
FH: No, supportive.
VP: How do you feel when complete strangers tell you
''good job''?
FH: I'm weirded out.
2007 Toronto SBOC and Canspell Champion
Jessica Zung
Interview With:
Jessica Zung, Toronto Champion, number 13
Veronica Penny: How much did you study?
Jessica Zung: I tried to study for an hour a day.
VP: How far did you get in Spelling Bee Of Canada?
JZ: 5th in Ontario.
VP: How long did you study?
JZ: Since January.
VP: What are your hobbies?
JZ: Badminton, flute and reading fiction.
VP: Do your friends treat you any different because you are a
speller?
JZ: No,just an occasional congrats.
VP: Where are you from?
JZ: Toronto.
VP: What did you study from?
JZ: Word lists, like the consolidated word list.
VP: What were your expectations for the bee?
JZ: I didn't expect to get far. I thought I would
make it to the finals.
VP: What made you start spelling?
JZ: My dad's bad spelling.
VP: Who helps you with your spelling?
JZ: My mother and my brother
VP: How old are you?
JZ: 13
|
