Evergreen Elementary spelling champion, Thordar Han, will now concentrate of preparing for the regional contest. (Photo Courtesy: Kelli Gile)
BY KELLI GILE
Diamond Bar— Thordar Han, a 5th Grade student, is Evergreen Elementary’s Spelling Champion! Jason Chen took Second Place honors, and Jason Kim earned Third Place during the school’s Spelling Bee, held on January 10.
All 4th and 5th Grade students participated in classroom competitions that narrowed the field of 200 students down to 18 finalists, who competed in front of their peers on the Multipurpose Room stage.
In the final round, Han won the school championship when she correctly spelled, “Monochrome.”
“When I heard the word, I knew how to spell it,” the 10-year-old said.
Han said she has always liked spelling and practiced with online tests for the competition. She is also an avid reader and likes to play the drums in the school band.
“It felt good,” she said about winning the Spelling Bee. The soft-spoken Diamond Bar student said she kept her excitement on the inside and shared the good news with her family when she got home from school.
Han will now represent Evergreen and compete in the 2014 Inland Valley Regional Competition that could lead to the ultimate competition at the nationwide contest in Washington, D.C.
4th and 5th Grade teachers, Lily Chang, Sally Choi, Shelby Coomber, Cathy Patterson, Lynn Otsu and Kris Kobzeff, coordinated this exciting activity for their students with help from volunteer, Bernice Bromberg, and support from the Evergreen Community Club.
“This is another great example of our dedicated staff and fabulous volunteers working together to create wonderful opportunities for our talented students,” said Principal, Carolyn Wills.
“Evergreen is rooting for Thordar in the next round of competition. Congratulations to Thordar, Jason Chen and Jason Kim! Great job,” she said.
