With 800 children from Stds I to XII packed in a hall, the MCC High School campus was buzzing with excitement on a Sunday afternoon.
Anxious parents stood outside waiting to see how their children would perform. It was the annual Spartan Spelling Bee Zonal Level Competition.
The first session for this event began as early as June 2010. After elimination, the second session had three rounds in the morning and participants had to qualify for the afternoon.
There were six main categories with two classes in each. Category one was for students of Stds 1 and II. Category two was students from Stds III and IV. Category three for Stds V and IV. Category four is for Stds VII and VIII and category five students Stds IX and X. Category six has students of Std XI and XII.
Each category had a total of six rounds. The morning rounds included dictation which was common to all categories.
Other rounds including jumbled words for categories two to six and identify the correct word for category one. About 45 per cent of them made it.
The afternoon saw children competing in three rounds — word hunt, word search, complete the sentence and spot the error. With just 20 minutes on hand they had their work cut out.
The final was an oral round, held on stage. Ten cards were spread out on a table and each student was allowed to pick one and hand it to over to the judge. Each of them, needed to spell out the five words on the card and give its meaning. The top three winners from each category qualified as zonal winners. Students who made it to the afternoon rounds are now eligible to take part in the State level competition that will be held in April.
Prizes
Category 1, Std II: Abhisheka Muthusamy (Maharishi Vidya Mandir), G. Anushre (Vani Vidyalaya) and Shiv Kailash of Pon Vidyashram. S.S. Shiva Bharathwaj, Shruthi. V and Pranav In,
Category 2, Std IV: Pon Vidyashram won the first, second and third prizes.
Category 3, Std. V: G. Mallika, Bhaktavatsalam Vidyashram, Hamshini S. Pratapa, Vidhya Mandirand Anurag Kumar, G.T. Aloha Devi Academy S.S.S.
Category 4, Std VIII: Aparna Venkatesan, G.T. Aloha Vidhya Mandir, E. Daffina Blessline, St. Dominic's A.I. H.S.S and Priya Anna Christal, Bhaktavatsalam Vidyashram.
Category 5: Venkata Krishna R., Kendriya Vidyalaya, H.V.F., Avadi , Annapoorani Barani, Vidyodaya M.H.S. Academy and P.C. Gaja Priya, Pon Vidyashram.
Category 6, Std XI: Suchitra. A. Devi Academy S.S.S. and SRI Ram S., M.C.C. H.S.S.
