Participants announced for 2018 North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee

COEUR D’ALENE — A total of 42 fourth- through eighth-graders from the five northern counties of Idaho will participate in the 15th annual North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee Saturday, Mar. 17 at North Idaho College. The winner will receive an all expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee the end of May.

Each contestant was the winner of his or her respective grade level in district qualifying bees held in public school districts as well as a home school and private school districts throughout North Idaho.

“A total of 40 schools are involved in this year’s spelling bee from nine districts across North Idaho, including home school associations and private schools,” said North Idaho Regional Spelling Bee Coordinator Mindy Patterson. “Congratulations to those who qualified for the regional bee this year—it’s an amazing accomplishment.”

The spellers will compete against each other, regardless of grade level, beginning at 9 a.m. in Boswell Hall Schuler Performing Arts Center on NIC’s main campus. Registration for participants will begin at 8:30 a.m.

The event is sponsored by Hagadone Newspapers and hosted by NIC.

Participants from Silver Valley schools include-

Kellogg School District #391:

•Preston Graaskamp, Fourth Grade, Pinehurst Elementary School

•Leevy Bush, Fifth Grade, Pinehurst Elementary School

•Serenity Delgado, Seventh Grade, Kellogg Middle School

•Marcus Parkins-Pugh, Eighth Grade, Kellogg Middle School

Wallace School District #393:

•Aubrey Birdsell, Fourth Grade, Silver Hills Elementary School

•Madalee Phillips, Fifth Grade, Silver Hills Elementary School

•Bradley Stutzke, Sixth Grade, Silver Hills Elementary School

•Layla Burmeister, Seventh Grade,Wallace Jr./Sr. High School

•Mason Chaffee, Eighth Grade,Wallace Jr./Sr. High School