Apryl Veld
Fraser Lake Secondary student, Kailee Duncan is off to Prince George March 3, for the Prince George Citizen Regional Spelling BEE.
“I’ve been twice before,” says Duncan, “and my sister, Carissa also has been twice.”
The Grade 8 spelling maven said last time competed she tied for third place.
So does experience help at spelling competitions?
“It gets more relaxing and I’m not as nervous,” she said, but when things get tense, “I tell myself to keep calm.”
And yet the stakes are high, as the winner of the regional goes onto the national spelling bee.
Duncan said the bees are entertaining as well as educational.
“It’s really fun and you get to learn new words and meet new people,” she explained.
She said her trick is to break down the words into syllables. Duncan’s coach is Mrs Chmelyk who is the Fraser Lake school’s librarian, who also coaches other spellers thanks in part to Duncan’s efforts to recruit them.
“I encourage lots of my friends,” Duncan notes, “I tell them it’s cool being up on the stage.”