BEN Barlow proved he knows his ABC’s when he came top of the competition at a recent regional schools spelling bee and was selected for the state finals.
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The 10-year-old Calare Public School year 4 student was selected to compete in the years 3 and 4 section after coming first at the regional finals of the Premier’s Spelling Bee held at the school on September 13.
It was his second year at regional finals where he came fourth last year, but it will be his first time competing at state level.
Calare Public School principal Colleen Alchin said Ben completed all rounds in the competition and made it to the unseen rounds.
The unseen round involved words not included in a set list.
“It’s the second year we’ve hosted it, it moves from school to school, it’s a wonderful opportunity to highlight the spelling prowess of the students,” Mrs Alchin said.
Ben competed against 42 other public school students from Holmwood, Trunkey, Millthorpe, Canobolas, Black Springs, Orange, Oberon, Nashdale, Molong, Orange East, Kandos, Mulyan, Eglinton, Cowra, Spring Hill, Gooloogong, Blayney, Bletchington, Grenfell, Clergate and Forbes.
To be eligible for the regional finals Mrs Alchin said students had to come first or second in competitions at their own school.
Ben said he prepared for the regional finals by writing words on the whiteboard in class and also did a little bit at home.
“I got all the words right except one but I don’t know the word,” Ben said.
“I know all the words on the junior list but I’m still doing the senior list.”
As well as being selected for the state finals he won a dictionary and a book about a spelling bee.
He said he has been doing lots of practice for the state competition and he has a list of words to learn for the state finals at the ABC Centre in Sydney on November 9.