Best Spanish spellers in Grants

By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — The grueling three-hour event at the Cibola Convention Center ended with three spelling champions, representing two Grants schools.

First place winner, Kyra Lopez, from Los Alamitos, took the district title in the first Spanish Spelling Bee to be held in the convention center. Lopez topped challengers by correctly spelling “panecillo,” which means “bread” in English.

Danielle Rael from Mesa View won the second place spot, with Jami Stverak, also from Mesa View, proved to be the third best Spanish speller in the district.

As top speller, Lopez will go on to the state level competition in Albuquerque on April 12. Rael is the district’s alternative and will go if Lopez cannot make the event.
Lopez, Rael and Stveral were awarded district winner plaques; the top three spellers from each school won plaques for their skill, as well.

Bilingual Education Director Rosemary Calvert said the bee is part of the bilingual education program. The bilingual program is mandated by the state and began in the late 1990’s to help regain cultural languages. Other languages in the bilingual program are Keres, offered to pueblo students in Laguna and Cubero, and Navajo, offered at Grants High School and Mount Taylor Elementary.