It’s a group of islands off Scotland — the word that won Miami spelling bee for 7th grader
Juan Cristóbal Rondeau didn’t know what to expect when he showed up Thursday morning for the Miami Herald Spelling Bee.
The 13-year-old competed last year and won, but the Bee looked a lot different — it was virtual.
Last year, the Westminster Christian School seventh-grader was in his bedroom, in front of his computer screen. His parents cheered him on behind him. His little brother was at school.
“This is a lot better,” said Juan, who took first place again this year. “At home, you kind of just feel stuck.”
Juan and 23 other spellers from Miami-Dade and Monroe elementary and middle schools gathered at the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines for the Miami Herald Spelling Bee, in its 82nd year. The students came from 23 schools; one student was home-schooled. The Bee includes students from public schools, charter schools, private schools and students who are home schooled.
The Broward Bee was held Thursday afternoon.
Juan and the winner of the Broward Spelling Bee will represent their schools at the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee. The national bee will take place the week of Memorial Day at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. The finals will be broadcast live on ION on June 2.
At Thursday’s Bee, Isabella Velasquez, 11, a South Pointe Elementary School fifth-grader — who won third place last year — came in second. Aventura City of Excellence School sixth-grader James Reese, 11, came in third place.
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Juan’s championship word: Hebrides, which, according to Merriam-Webster, are the the islands off western Scotland in the Atlantic.
He said he knew it right away.
“I studied that word yesterday,” he said, as he clutched his trophy after getting hugs and kisses from his parents and grandparents. “I thought it was going to be harder.”
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He won in the 10th round.
The road to the Bee
First, spellers must win their school competition.
This year, the first round of the competition was held Feb. 25, virtually.
In Miami-Dade and Monroe, 65 students participated in the first round, said Juliana Echavarria, operations and special projects manager of the Miami Herald.
That list was narrowed down to the top 25. Spellers were given a list of 4,000 words to study.
One student did not show up for the competition, so 24 competed in the final oral round.
Of the 24 spellers, Judie ElAttar was the only 7-year-old. The first-grader at David Fairchild Elementary who bested fourth- and fifth-graders to win the Bee at her school made it to the third round. She lost on the word, collegiality.
In Thursday’s Bee, there were three 10-year-olds; the rest of the students were from 11 to 14.
Mark Schermeister, who has been involved in spelling bees for years, said it was great to be back in person.
“The virtual bee worked for what it was,” said Schermeister. “But it feels good to be back.”
The competition
Monica Richardson, executive editor of the Miami Herald, el Nuevo Herald and the Bradenton Herald, kicked off the Bee with a breathing exercise.
“It’s so tense in here,” she said, adding some words of encouragement. “No matter what the results are here today, you are all champions.”
Many of the spellers sailed through the first few rounds with words like butterscotch, quart, lactose and neigh.
Isabella, who came in second, studied for three months every day.
“I like the nerves, the adrenaline you get,” she said. “I am proud of myself.”
Juan, who went to the national Bee last year but did not make it to the finals, said he’s always loved words. When he was younger, he competed in a spelling competition for Christian schools.
His father, Juan Rondeau Sr., said he is impressed with his son’s ability to spell.
“He’s naturally a good speller,” he said.
Christal Schermeister, who pronounced the words, said the Bee is about learning and growing.
“Anybody can miss any word,” she said. “It’s the love of language that fuels it.”
This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 3:58 PM.
