The Spelling Bee

The very first day back at school from winter break, Hailey's school decided that it was a good time to conduct the all school spelling bee. Grades 3-5, therefore, each held a class spelling bee. 

Now, we did know that the spelling bee was going to be sometime after winter break but we did not know when. I had printed out the words for her prior to the break (never did this for the other two as Hailey is really a stronger speller) and I think she studied them one night and Tom quizzed her. 

So I was surprised when she came home from school the first day back and declared that she got second in her class spelling bee. "What did this mean?" I asked her. "Nothing," she said, "because only the top kid in each class from Grades 3-5 advance." We heard nothing more about it until the day before the spelling bee when I got an email from one of the Chairs of the Spelling Bee asking me to confirm her attendance at the all school spelling bee the next day. Of course our schedule was slammed that evening but I did mention it to her and when she heard the words that she would have to go up on stage she crumpled over terrified saying she couldn't do it. The shy kid who got tested because they thought she couldn't talk at Montessori when she was 2 returned. She clearly was scared. We also hadn't studied at all since we didn't think she was participating so I gave her a pass. 

Little did she know that two girls in her Brownie Troop (different 3rd grade classes) also qualified and were going to do it. "Aren't you scared?" she asked them. "No," they both said. I think that made her rethink being so scared. Actually, it turns out that one of those 3rd graders won the whole school spelling bee and will advance to the district spelling bee. 

"Hailey," I said, "You get a free pass this year but I want you to work toward getting on that stage next year. I understand your terror but sometimes in order to grow, you have to push yourself a little outside of your comfort zone." 

She has a whole year to get there but hopefully by this time next year she will be up on that stage and we'll have a whole cheering section just for her!