Can you spell the word i-m-p-r-e-s-s-i-v-e? Now, try doing that in Spanish! That’s exactly what Dual Language students did at the District Spanish Spelling Bee.  

Each student was given a word to spell in Spanish and if they got that word correct, they would move on to the next round. If they got the word incorrect, they were eliminated. This process continued until there was one final student. The top five students and one alternate will all advance to the Regional Spanish Spelling Bee, hosted at Texas Tech in November.  

“We are very proud of our Dual Language students and how they competed.  They were all confident and well prepared,” said Rachel Ramirez, Frenship ESL/Bilingual Specialists. 

Practice is key when it comes to participating in a Spelling Bee. These Dual Language students have spent several hours a week going through various words to help them better remember the correct spelling and punctuation.  

“Students go through an intense preparation process, meeting 3-4 times a week with their coach. Students not only have to spell the words correctly but place accents within the word where needed or else the words are misspelled,” said Ramirez. 

At Willow Bend Elementary there were 20 students who competed. Fourth-grade student, Michael Zelaya took home the trophy for 1st place. This is the first time a fourth grader has won at the district level. His winning word was, “idioma”. 

Willow Bend Spelling Bee Finalists 

• 1st place: Michael Zelaya 
• 2nd place: Sergio Yanez 
• 3rd place: Olinka Barragan 
• 4th place: Guadalupe Reyes  
• 5th place: Melody Rosillo  
• Alternate: Sofia Rodriguez 

Terra Vista Middle School had 16 total participants compete. Out of these students, one student in particular set the record for winning first place at two District Spanish Spelling Bees back-to-back years. After 14 total rounds, sixth-grade student Cesar Guzman is the proud holder of that record. Cesar won first place last year representing Willow Bend Elementary, and now attends Terra Vista Middle School. His winning word was: “penicilina”. 

Terra Vista Spelling Bee Finalists 

• 1st place: Cesar Guzman 
• 2nd place: Arlette Villanueva  
• 3rd place: Hiram Armendariz 
• 4th place: Juan Reyes 
• 5th place: Aldo Loredo 
• Alternate: Alvaro Acuna 

Ramirez believes that participating in the Spanish Spelling Bee is impactful for the students, because it gives them the opportunity to proudly showcase their Hispanic Heritage. 

“The Spanish Spelling Bee competition is important because it's a way students make connections with the outside world based on their native language,” said Ramirez. 

Frenship ISD would like to commend all the students who participated in the Spanish Spelling Bee as well as the community and educators. 

“Our community embraces this competition and looks forward to it every year,” said Ramirez. “Our Dual Language Teachers go above and beyond every year to prepare our students for the Spanish Spelling Bee. Robert Nunez at Willow Bend Elementary and Christina Barela and Cristina Barragan at Terra Vista Middle School all ensure that our students are equipped for the District, Regional, and National competition.”