Countdown To The 2013 Regional Spelling Bee
Posted: February 26, 2013
Madeline Hall
Willow McMichael
Madeline Hall
School: Wilbur S. Pence Middle
Grade: Seventh
Age: 12
Born in: Henderson, Nev.
Currently lives in: Harrisonburg
Parents: Dara and Michael Hall
Favorite subject: Writing and spelling. “Because words allow me to express myself.”
Career goals: “I’d like to be either a broadcast journalist or a lawyer. I enjoy public speaking, and the issues of today are very important to me [because] they will impact our future greatly.”
Hobbies: Dancing en pointe, writing stories and poems, playing the clarinet and choreographing dances.
Favorite book or author: “Picking a favorite book is hard but it must be a three-way tie between ‘The Witch of Blackbird Pond,’ by Elizabeth George Speare, ‘Tuck Everlasting,’ by Natalie Babbit, and ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower,’ by Stephen Chbosky.”
Spelling secrets: “I’ve been participating in the spelling bees since fourth grade and I really love seeing the improvement I make year to year. When spelling, I tend to visualize the word and then say what I’m picturing — if it looks correct. I learn best from spelling words and, when I do make mistakes, correcting them and repeating the correct version a few times before moving on to the next word. I tend to spell very quickly.”
Interesting facts: “Since I’m turning 13 this year, I will [have my] Bat Mitzhah in March, which means I will get to conduct a service and read from the Torah in Hebrew.”
Anything else you’d like to say to DN-R readers: “I owe a humungous thank you to all of my friends, family and teachers. Good luck to all the spellers!”
Willow McMichael
School: John C. Myers Elementary
Grade: Fifth
Age: 11
Born in: Broadway
Currently lives in: Broadway
Parents: Laura Henigman and Bill Lawton
Winning or, if runner-up, misspelled word in district bee: Deodorant (spelled correctly.)
Favorite Subject: Writing. “I can express myself with stories and also be creative.”
Career Goals: “When I grow up I want to be a nurse practitioner because I love helping people and I think studying the body is interesting.”
Hobbies: Swimming, writing, art and studying.
Favorite book or author: “Island of the Blue Dolphins,” by Scott O’Dell.
Spelling Secrets: “I like to visualize the word. Slowing down is important. And if [you get] stuck, stall by asking for the definition, a sentence [with the word in it] or to repeat the word.”
Interesting Facts: “I have a sister named Lily in ninth grade, which has helped a lot with spelling. Every summer, I participate in a competition swim team.”
Anything else you’d like to say to DN-R readers: “My favorite saying is ‘nothing is impossible.’ The word itself says, ‘I’m-possible,’ which comes in handy in this spelling bee.”