This is a printer friendly version of an article from the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. Posted with the permission.
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Posted February 16, 2008

OLQH holds school spelling bee
For the Daily Tribune
WISCONSIN RAPIDS -- Our Lady Queen of Heaven School is a first- through third-grade school within the Wisconsin Rapids Area Catholic Schools system.

Peg Wasshausen, first-grade teacher, inquired as to what was available for our grade levels concerning spelling bees. Most of the competitions in the area are for grades four and up. So we gathered our teachers and put a on a school-wide spelling bee with our first- through third-graders.

They first took a written test and those who advanced had received 77 percent or better. Our next step was to have our oral spelling bee.

The ribbons were collected. The trophy was shined. The parents were in attendance. And finally the participants paraded into the newly built OLQH cafeteria.

The excitement in the air was apparent. The group that was 52 was eventually a group of three.

Our third-place speller is third-grader Taylor Nelson from Mrs. Mazoch's class. Our second-place winner is third-grader Cora Eithun from Mrs. Mazoch's class. Our first-place winner of the Our Lady Queen of Heaven Spelling Bee 2008 is Will Gutsch, a first-grader from Mrs. Wasshausen's class.

The spelling bee was emceed by a former winner of local spelling bees who placed 15th in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in 2002. He is now a student at University of Wisconsin-Madison studying to be an actuary. Trevor Mahoney described the events that gave him the opportunity to climb to the top of the spelling bee ladder. The children were in awe.

We congratulate all those who participated.

Contributed by Pam Fochs, principal, Our Lady Queen of Heaven School.

Cora Eithun, Will Gutsch and Taylor Nelson were the top spellers in the Our Lady Queen of Heaven bee. Contributed photo