Niwot Elementary School's "alighted" spelling bee

Special to the Courier with reporting by Eliana Reid and Gage Chavel, NES fifth grade students.

"Alighted" was the winning word as Henry Himmerick, a fifth grader, spelled more words correctly than the rest of his competitors at the Niwot Elementary School (NES) Spelling Bee.

The annual spelling bee was held on Wednesday, Dec. 4, in the NES gym. For the first time in the bee's fifteen-year history, all of the finalists were fifth graders. They were supported by students in second through fifth grades, who watched the increasing drama and gave encouraging silent cheers.

The road to Wednesday's competition started in late October, when students in third through fifth grades took a written spelling test. Two further rounds of challenging written tests narrowed the field to the 10 fifth-graders who were in the spotlight last week for the oral spelling bee. Those students studied and attended practice sessions to learn about spelling strategies and the questions that spellers may ask, such as part of speech and definition.

Just before the bee started, spellers were interviewed by fellow students. Not surprisingly, the finalists reported that they enjoyed spelling, and several thought that their spelling was helped by reading books with complicated words.

Competitor Marlowe Campbell recommended "White Fang" for its vocabulary. Although a few students were nervous, they all were still excited and looking forward to the bee. "I just have to have fun," said Merry Fisher. Students shared their favorite words, which ranged from "emblem" to "harbinger." Eli Glick said his favorite word was "goatee," and ironically, he was asked that word during the bee.

Officiating at the bee were Queen Bee Emerita Julie Breyer, Pronouncer Extraordinaire Nancy Olsen, Organizer Audrey Lenger, and Worker Bee Michaela Cavanaugh. Principal Nancy Pitz filled her traditional role as Comforter in Chief.

As the bee got underway, the competitors showed remarkable poise and spelling ability. They dropped slowly from the third through twelfth rounds, when Youming Zhao and Glick both spelled out, leaving only Fisher and Himmerick. For the next ten rounds, the two students correctly spelled words such as "narwhal," "mosque," "confidential," and the giggle-inducing "muttonchops." With the school day drawing to a close, Lenger reluctantly adjourned the bee to the following morning.

The bee was reconvened on the morning of Dec. 5, with the fifth-grade class enjoying front-row seats. Fisher missed a letter in round 23, and Himmerick spelled successfully in round 24 to emerge the victor.

Once the first and second places were determined, spellers Zhao and Glick took the stage again to compete in a tiebreak for third place. This provided additional drama as they went back and forth for several rounds until Zhao finally won, correctly spelling "skeptical."

All of the finalists received certificates and ribbons. Fisher and Zhao also won Merriam-Webster Word-a-Day calendars, and Himmerick took home a hefty hardcover copy of the "New Oxford American Dictionary."

Himmerick will compete next in the Boulder Regional Bee in March 2025. The winner of that bee will go on to the National Bee in Washington, D.C. Niwot students have competed in the national spelling bee five times, usually as middle schoolers, but last year's local bee winner, Cooper Edwards, also won the regional bee and represented Niwot Elementary School on the national stage.