Lions Club Crowns Spelling Bee Champ

For the second year in a row, fifth-grader Alessandro Franco from won the Burlingame Lions Club Citywide Spelling Bee.

The Spelling Bee features three students in the fourth and fifth grades from each of Burlingame’s seven elementary schools.

The Lions Club, a group of involved residents who participate in community service projects and aim for the betterment of Burlingame, has hosted the Spelling Bee for four years.

“[Lions Club] members get together and work side by side in the community,” said host John Coleman. “This is one of the activities the Lions Club does.”

Some tricky words like pseudonym and cholesterol stumped participants. As students misspelled words, they were greeted with a round of applause from the audience and hugs from family members.

As the competition progressed, students breezed through some puzzlers, like synchronize, lieutenant and cudgel.

The final two competitors both come from St. Catherine’s—Alessandro and Jasmine Ang.  But, when Jasmine missed algorithm, the title was Alessandro’s for the taking, which he secure by correctly spelling decaffeinate.

St. Catherine’s will keep the Spelling Bee trophy, which rotates to the home school of the winner each year.

After the Bee, all participants received certificates and were treated to an ice cream social.

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