The K.K. Nagar premises of Orchard Matriculation Higher Secondary School was a hive of activity as over 1,000 students from 19 schools in and around Tiruchi participated in the State-level English spelling contest on Saturday.
Organised by Wiz National Spell Bee, the local branch of the Kolkata-based English Wizard Foundation, the event saw the launch of an online tutorial service called Spellzone.
The contest, which included written and oral exams, was open to students of Classes 1 to 12, who were tested from the age-appropriate preparatory word list booklets given at the time of registration.
According to the organiser’s records, 1,015 students had registered to attend the mega event.
In the exams that started at 8.30 a.m. and went on until 5 p.m., besides dictation, students had to correct spellings, identify homophones, rhyme words, and name synonyms and antonyms, and attempt to give the apt word in a sentence.
Cash prizes were given to the first four rank holders in each of the six categories.
In order to be eligible for yesterday’s event, the participants had to pass qualifying tests at the school and inter-school levels.
Students from the following schools took part at the district-level test this year: Campion Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Orchard Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Amrita Vidyalayam, Kamala Niketan Montessori School, Cauvery Global School, St. Joan of Arc International School, Sri Vignesh Vidyalaya, Koothur, Sree Vageesha Vidyashram, Sowma Public School, Manapparai, Sri Guru Matriculation School, Manapparai, Sri Guru Vidhyalaya (CBSE), Manapparai, Lakshmi Matriculation School, Manapparai, Alpha Wisdom Vidhyasharam, Sri Sivananda Balalaya, SBIOA Matriculation Higher Secondary School, SBIOA CBSE School, Aurobindo International Senior Secondary School, Holy Cross Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Somarasanpettai, and Samadh Senior Secondary School.
Spellzone, a subscription-based online resource, was launched at mid-day by the chief guest Ms. R. Jayalakshmi, Assistant Elementary Educational Officer – Nursery, in the presence of officials of the host school.
