3rd Annual 4th Grade Spelling Bee Championships

On January 29^th 30 of Fair Lawn’s finest spellers took to the bleachers at the Fair Lawn Community Center to vie for title of 4^th Grade Spelling Bee Champion.  These 30 4^th graders represented each of the six elementary schools in Fair Lawn; Henry B. Milnes, John A. Forrest, Lyncrest, Radburn, Warren Point and Westmoreland.  Due to their hard work and dedication as well as the support of their parents and teachers, each child was well prepared to tackle an extensive list of words to spell in front of an audience filled with their family, friends, teachers and principals.

The format for this year’s Championship was changed for the winner has the opportunity to move on the Bergen Passaic Spelling Bee and "up the ladder" to possibly qualify for the Scripps National Championships.  Fair Lawn Rotarians worked with the elementary school teachers and principals as well as the Language Arts Supervisor in bringing the entire program together.  This program of a 4^th Grade Spelling Bee Championship is an outgrowth of the Fair Lawn Rotary Third Grade Distribution Project.

After 7 rounds, the field was reduced to two excellent spellers working hard and not missing a beat as they moved towards the Championship.  The two finalists were Jaelyn Greer from Radburn Elementary and Sarah Rachel Abraham from Warren Point Elementary. They continued amazing the audience with their spelling ability; belting out the letters for words such as cavalier and juxtapose.  The final wining words were matriculation and smithereens.  In the end, after a tough emotional battle, Sarah Rachel Abraham was crowned Fair Lawn Rotary 4^th Grade Spelling Bee Champion for 2014.

(Vicki Padavano prepping the contestants prior to the start of the Spelling Bee - more photos of this event can be found by clicking Photo Albums on our home page)