BY MEGAN ERBACHER
THE MESSAGE EDITOR
On Feb. 6, the Diocese of Evansville Catholic Schools Office hosted the inaugural Diocesan Spelling Bee at the Catholic Center in Evansville.
Earlier in the school year, diocesan schools hosted school-wide spelling bees, and then the winners from each school competed in the diocesan bee. On Feb. 6, there were two spelling bees: the elementary bee in the morning for student winners in grades five or below, and the middle school bee in the afternoon for student winners in grades 6-8.
Diocesan Schools Superintendent Michelle Priar welcomed everyone and thanked them for being present.
“Congratulations to all of our students for making it this far,” Priar said. “This is wonderful. Great job, everybody! This is the first time we’ve done a Diocesan Spelling Bee, so this is new for us. We’re excited to have everybody here at the Catholic Center. It’s not all that often that we get to have students in this building, so for us it’s great to have some energy and student presence.”
Evansville’s Good Shepherd School Principal Kristen Girten served as pronouncer for the primary spelling bee and Andrea Lodato-Dickel, principal for Holy Redeemer School in Evansville, served as pronouncer for the middle school bee.
Judges for the elementary bee were Andrea Greaney, principal of Corpus Christi School in Evansville; Kelsey Meier, principal of St. Joseph School in the County; Megan Howington, principal of Sts. Peter and Paul School in Haubstadt; and Nathan Winstead, principal of Holy Cross School in Fort Branch.
Judges for the middle school bee were Elizabeth Flatt, principal of St. John the Baptist School in Newburgh; Ryan Nowak, principal of St. Bernard School in Rockport; Kari Ford, Diocesan Associate Superintendent, and Lynde Anquillare, Diocesan School Support Administrator.
Priar thanked Ford for working with school principals and organizing the Diocesan Spelling Bee.
Ford said administrators wanted an additional opportunity to bring students together.
“This is a great occasion for our students to unite at the Catholic Center following Catholic Schools Week,” she said. “Thank you to our school principals, teachers, and parents for helping prepare our students who participated in the bee. They did a wonderful job!”
Priar encouraged students to “take a deep breath.”
“You’re going to be fine,” she said. “Remember to do your best. You’ve made it this far, and that’s an accomplishment, so be proud of what you’ve done to make it here. Thanks again to all of the parents and family members who are here to support our students.”
Caroline Gayhart, fifth-grader at St. John in Newburgh, won the elementary spelling bee. Harper Keown, fifth-grader at Holy Rosary School in Evansville, was runner-up.
Ben Hochmeister, of St. John in Newburgh, won the middle school spelling bee. Geovanni Ralston, of Rivet Middle School in Vincennes, was runner-up.
St. Bernard Principal Ryan Nowak expressed excitement for the opportunity to offer a Diocesan Spelling Bee to students.
“I would like to thank all of our students, families, principals and teachers who have helped prepare our young spellers for today’s spelling bee,” he said. “At this time, let us open our minds and prepare our hearts for our prayer.”
Nowak then offered a prayer before the bee started.
“Dear Lord, as we gather before you to participate in this spelling bee, make us aware that we do this competition not for our own glory but to glorify your name. … Each of these students are already winners because of their willingness to share their talents. Let our overall winner learn that he or she succeeded because of your blessing and guiding presence.
“Bestow your generosity and love to all of us present today. Let this competition serve as a way to praise your name and spread your good news.”
Twenty students competed in the elementary bee. They were Liddy McGregor, Holy Cross in Fort Branch; Addison Hudson, St. Joseph in Princeton; Charlie Mora, Holy Trinity in Jasper; Olivia Bryan, Corpus Christi in Evansville; Sophia Anderson, St. Philip in Posey County; Jenna Happe, St. Wendel in St. Wendel; Jackie Aldridge, Resurrection in Evansville; winner Caroline Gayhart; Ethan Conklin, Sts. Peter and Paul in Haubstadt; Elena Faraone, St. James in Haubstadt; Leona Moreau, St. Benedict in Evansville; Jackson Maynard, Good Shepherd in Evansville; Luke Konrath, St. Matthew in Mt. Vernon; Cooper Sills, Annunciation – Christ the King in Evansville; runner-up Harper Keown; Penny Scherrer, Holy Redeemer in Evansville; Shepard Dickason, St. Joseph in the County; Logan Engler, Westside Catholic in Evansville; Bentley Helms, St. Bernard in Rockport; and Liam Middlecoat, Flaget in Vincennes.
Sixteen students competed in the middle school bee. They were: Eli Hartings, Holy Trinity in Jasper; Andrew Ulrich, Corpus Christi in Evansville; Rhea Singh, St. Philip in Posey County; Eva Bender, St. Wendel in St. Wendel; Matthew Schimmell, Resurrection in Evansville; winner Ben Hochmeister; Walt Collins, St. Benedict in Evansville; Gabriel Faraone, St. James in Haubstadt; Elijah Barchet, Good Shepherd in Evansville; Chloe Groninger, Holy Rosary in Evansville; Colby Schaefer, Annunciation – Christ the King in Evansville; Claire Schmitt, Holy Redeemer in Evansville; Bailey King, St. Joseph in the County; Baylee Hoon, Westside Catholic in Evansville; runner-up Geovanni Ralston; Ruth Nugent, St. Bernard in Rockport.
