CALGARY’S SPANISH BILINGUAL STUDENTS
SHOWCASE THEIR SPELLING SKILLS

CALGARY – Spelling Bees are tough at the best of times, but how about having to do one in Spanish? Spanish Bilingual students are seizing the opportunity to test their Spanish vocabulary and spelling skills in the first-ever Spanish Spelling Bee in Calgary on March 10, 2010, at 6:30 PM at Senator Patrick Burns School (SPB).

Erik Stevenson, a Grade 6 teacher at SPB came up with the idea after a conversation with Andres Sanchez, Consultant from the Government of Spain, about ways to promote and support the Spanish Bilingual Program particularly at the middle school level.

“The purpose is to not only promote the Spanish program, but also to help students improve their spelling, increase vocabulary, and develop correct Spanish usage that will help them throughout their lives,” says Stevenson.

Students in Grades 4-7 from six different schools, Dalhousie, Collingwood, Westgate, Sir Robert Warren, Senator Patrick Burns and Canyon Meadows were eligible to participate in this contest. Over the past few months, students from these six schools conducted spelling bees at the classroom, grade, and/or school level. Their five spelling champs will then compete at the City-Wide championships at Senator Patrick Burns on March 10th. 

To cater to the Grade 8-10 students, a speech competition was proposed.  Participants will prepare a three to five minute Spanish speech on the topic of their choice.  They will compete at a school level first and a winner and two runners-up will be invited to attend the city-wide competition at Senator Patrick Burns on March 17th, 2010 at 6:30 PM.   

Media are invited to join the students of the Spanish Bilingual program for the first-ever Calgary Spanish Spelling Bee and Speech Competition Championships at Senator Patrick Burns School located at 2155 Chilcotin Road N.W.. The spelling championship will take place on March 10th at 6:30 PM and the speech competition will take place on March 17th at 6:30 PM. For more information please contact Erik Stevenson at 403-777–7400.

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