Can you spell S-M-A-R-T?

The multipurpose room at Daniel Island School was abuzz last Thursday, Dec. 12, as middle school students waited nervously on stage for the spelling bee to start.

Mrs. Jennifer Fisher, who teaches eighth grade English and Social Studies, organized the program, while Elementary Counselor Kim Davidson served as the moderator.

Among the competition was veteran spelling bee participant Ian Mullaney, who won the district bee last year and went on to regionals.

Round 1 saw about half of the nearly 30 sixth through eighth graders eliminated. Some of the tough words students faced included “aspersions,” “therapeutic,” and “misdemeanor.” Round 2 challenged spellers with tricky words like “guanine” and “McIntosh.” There were eight students left for Round 3, which was narrowed down to five contenders in the final round.

Fisher said, “I was really impressed with the competitors this year. They took it very seriously. They all showed up as serious competitors and were dealt some really difficult words. In fact, we almost ran out of words this year, which is unusual.”

The popularity of the spelling bee surged when the documentary “Spellbound” was released to critical acclaim in 2002. The movie follows eight competitors who travel with their families to Washington, D.C., to compete in the 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary, “Spellbound” inspired a new generation of spellers and put the event in the national spotlight. Today the bee is broadcast on ESPN, and spelling enthusiasts can expect to watch the 2020 national finals on TV toward the end of May.

In the end, sixth-grader Langley Stroble was the first place winner, while eighth-grader Braeden LaRoche took second place, followed by eighth-grader Matthew Young in third, and sixth-grader Mia Bornstein as the alternate.

Since the school is officially enrolled in the Scripps National Spelling Bee 2020, the first, second, and third place winners will go to the Berkeley District Spelling Bee on Jan. 23 at 6 p.m., Fisher said. The winner from that will go to the regional spelling bee to compete against other local counties.

For more information, visit spellingbee.com.