GARDEN GROVE : 6th-Grader Is King Bee in Spelling Contest
When it comes to spelling well, Eric Hambey is one in a million.
Or at least one in 10,000. After all, that’s how many students he beat in a spelling bee held by the Garden Grove Unified School District last week.
Eric, a sixth-grader at Faylane Elementary School, took first place after correctly spelling the word carbohydrates during the final round of the competition. All 40 student contestants who advanced to the final round March 15 had previously won spelling competitions at their local schools, district spokesman Alan Trudell said. The contests involved a total of about 10,000 students.
For his efforts, Eric, 11, received a trophy and plaque from Ken Slimmer, president of the Board of Education. The trophy will be kept on display at his school, Trudell said.
During the contest, which included fourth- through sixth-grade students, children were required to pronounce the words and print them on chalkboards. The bee included words such as protuberance, aborigines and oligarchy, Trudell said.
The three other finalists were Duc Tran of Mitchell Elementary, Trang Le of Dr. Merton E. Hill Elementary and Tuka Farzadnia of Ethel M. Evans Elementary.
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