PUHI — Orah McGee, a sixth grade student from Alaka‘i O Kaua‘i Public Charter School, stumbled on “embezzlement” during the 2023 Kaua‘i Complex Area Spelling Bee at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on Friday.
Following the dreaded “ding!” of the bell denoting an error, Ethan Irimata, a fifth grade student at ‘Ele‘ele School, whizzed through “corpulent” and “subliminal” to survive 17 rounds of spelling that started with 22 students from 11 different schools taking the stage to receive their words from Jan TenBruggencate.
“We’re back to full force,” said Sean Doi of the state Department of Education Kaua‘i Complex Area office, who coordinated the Kaua‘i district bee. “This is the first time we have 22 students from 11 different schools here in-person since the pandemic shutdown. These students are all winners just by being here because they each had to go their school’s respective spelling bees to earn the right to be here.”
For their efforts at surviving the 17 rounds of spelling, Irimata and McGee will participate in the state spelling bee on March 4 for an opportunity to represent the state of Hawai‘i at the National Spelling Bee that will take place in the spring.
Davis Brown, of Koloa School, by being the final contestant to stumble ahead of McGee on “luconic,” is the first alternative to the state bee if either of the designated two spellers are unable to participate.
Title sponsors for the spelling bee include Kaya’s Store, celebrating 75 years “in the heart of Punalu‘u,” aio Foundation and Alaska Airlines.
The judges were Michael Depoe, Joy Abreu, Darlene Muraoka and Debbie Higuchi.
Representing Alaka‘i O Kaua‘i were contestants McGee and Iaccorino Constantino; Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School contestestants Kate Edwards and Evan Burgess; ‘Ele‘ele School contestants Irimata and Boaz Lagoc; Hanalei School spellers Carter Facas and Lily Leonard; and Island School spellers Karson Feutz and Max Fazio.
Also participating were Kapa‘a Elementary School contestants Phillip Garcia and Kanoa Ancheta, Kapa‘a Middle School spellers William Kimura and Paul Menard, Kekaha School contestants Hapuna‘akala Aranio and Jose Gabriel Gawaran, Kilauea School contestants Sebastian Bejar and Peshants Watson-Spang, Koloa School spellers Brown and Rory Shim, and St. Theresa School contestants Lina Kimmel and James Logan Pereira.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 ordfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
