Editor's Note: Keep reading; we will have updates from more North Okaloosa County schools, leading up to next month's countywide spelling competition.
CRESTVIEW — Walker Elementary School fourth-grader Jaiden Harris and third-grader Griffin Tuttle have something to spell about.
They won a 25-minute battle Nov. 12 to represent the school in next month's county-level Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Griffin, who spelled "hirsute" correctly to win the school championship, showed what perseverance can do, faculty members said.
"While Griffin was not the champion for his grade level, he in fact studied hard and came out on top for the school bee," said Alicia Humphrey, Walker guidance counselor and spelling bee coordinator.
Jaiden, whose last correct word was "dinero," came in second, followed by fifth-grader Noah Meserve.
Walker held spelling bees in each third through fifth-grade classroom Oct. 23-29. Thirty-eight finalists from that event competed Nov. 5. Those winners were third-grader Blake Robbins, who correctly spelled "nourish"; Jaiden, who spelled "emporium" correctly; and fifth-grader Weston Corbin, who correctly spelled "cinnamon." Each grade's top two winners advanced to the Nov. 12 school competition.
Humphrey, who has organized the school spelling bee the past few years, said, "The district allows the top two spellers to compete, which is why I conduct our in-school bees with that same policy.
"It is usually a battle with the final two contestants. They are both worthy to compete at the next level."
She and Lynn Wise, a retired English teacher, judged Walker's competition, and Kimberly Fitzgerald, an eighth-grade teacher at Davidson Middle school, served as pronouncer.
The Okaloosa competition will take place at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 4 in the Fort Walton Beach High School auditorium, 400 Hollywood Blvd. SW.
Okaloosa County contestants could advance to the regional finals in Tallahassee in February 2015, and maybe the state finals. The entire event culminates the week of May 24-29.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is an annual competition where fourth- through eighth-graders compete to be the U.S. spelling champion. Founded in 1879, it is organized by the E.W. Scripps Company and event sponsors.
Email Editorial Assistant Renee Bell, follow her on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Walker Elementary School announces spelling bee finalists