The word “amendment” is commonly misspelled, but Sydney Deaton, a seventh-grader at Cathedral High School, got through it with ease.
She spelled the word correctly to win the Catholic Community Schools Spelling Bee held at the school Jan. 20.
“I’m amazed I got first place because I wasn’t ever expecting it,” said Deaton, who outlasted the other 44 students that started the competition from eight schools.
The event, which was part of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, was for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders from the Catholic Community Schools, a new system of St. Cloud metro area schools.
The event was another step toward unity for the Catholic Community Schools, said Lynn Grewing, Cathedral’s principal and organizer of the event.
“It was another opportunity for us all to get together,” she said.
Second place went to Maggie Robole and third place to Brianna Brekken, both eighth-graders at Cathedral. Grewing said she’s proud of her students, but can’t take all the credit for their outstanding performance.
“They all came through our Catholic schools,” she said. “I think those grade schools can take the credit.”
Sixth-grader Lanie Laudenbach from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in St. Cloud came in fourth and will serve as an alternate if one of the winners can’t make it to the regional competition.
The regional bee will be held on Feb. 8 at Resource Training and Solutions in St. Cloud.