Lido School Students Win District Spanish Spelling Bee

Competing against students in grades four and five, Sabrina Eager, a fifth grader at Lido Elementary School, finished in first place in the Long Beach School District’s Spanish Spelling Bee. Finishing in second place was Hannah Zelinger, also from Lido School.

In the middle school competition, eighth grader Karla Umanzor was crowned the winner, with sixth grader Paulina Cardona earning a second-place trophy. The girls were comfortable sharing the spotlight and the winner’s circle. Last year, Paulina, who was the reigning 2010 state champion, finished first, with Karla right behind her in second place.

Betsabe Montoya, a language teacher from the middle school, was the moderator. Three language teachers, Anna Carfagno, Aime Rivero and Sandra Yanowitch, served as the judges. The event was organized by District Director of World Languages and ELL Programs Vivian Fiallo.

“We are very proud of the accomplishments of all of our students,” Fiallo said. “This annual Spanish Spelling Bee gives both our native speakers and non-native speakers an opportunity to showcase their knowledge of the Spanish language. My thanks to all of their teachers and parents for helping our students prepare for this event.”