Las Cruces Public Schools hosted the 2019 District Practice Spelling Bee on Jan. 18 at the Oñate High School Performing Arts Center. In total, 24 students participated, which included 20 students from elementary schools, one student from the J. Paul Taylor Academy, and three participants from middle schools.
The competition lasted 23 rounds. Kristina Martos of Lynn Middle School spelled the winning word, exordium, correctly.
Lisa Davis, the new district spelling bee coordinator, worked alongside Leonard Gonzalez and content specialist Josie Miller to organize the event. Davis said she felt that this opportunity was an exciting one for the students in the district because it gave them an opportunity to showcase their hard work. She also noted that students were well-prepared and eager to participate.
“This event is important to our students because it provides an authentic practice opportunity for the upcoming regional competition, to be held in El Paso in March,” Miller said.
The 2019 El Paso Regional Spelling Bee will be hosted by the El Paso Independent School District at Bowie High School, 801 S. San Marcial St., El Paso, TX.
“We are very proud of all of the students who participated in this event,” said LCPS Superintendent Greg Ewing. “These students’ success is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of their teachers. We wish all of the participants the best of luck at the regional competition in March.”
The district wishes to congratulate all of the first-place winners from each school. All school-site spelling bee winners are invited to participate in the 2019 El Paso Regional Spelling Bee to represent Las Cruces. Below are the winners from each school:
Alameda Elementary: Isabella Almanza
Booker T. Washington Elementary: Alex Hernandez
Central Elementary: Taylor Madrid
Columbia Elementary: Kyanna Aguirre
Conlee Elementary: Benjamin Salaiz
Desert Hills Elementary: Annie Lee
Doña Ana Elementary: Maya Hernandez
Fairacres Elementary: Eirene Justice
Hermosa Heights Elementary: Lorenzo Mendietta
Highland Elementary: Christopher Benavidez
Hillrise Elementary: Damien Callaway
J. Paul Taylor Academy: Maggie Collins
Jornada Elementary: Aliana Aguirre
Loma Heights Elementary: Arabella Richardson
MacArthur Elementary: Izaiya Soria
Mesilla Elementary: Leo McAteer
Mesilla Park Elementary: Kairyuu Cruz
Sonoma Elementary: Leda Smith
Sunrise Elementary: Kevin Perez
Tombaugh Elementary: Anelise Elmquist
University Hills Elementary: Abraham Gutierrez
White Sands Elementary: Caleb Brown
Camino Real Middle School: Axton Pollard
Lynn Middle School: Kristina Martos
Picacho Middle School: Aubry Helmick
Zia Middle School: Yamile Luna
— Samantha Lewis, LCPS Public Relations Coordinator, 575-527-5946, slewis@lcps.net