Camille Cosato stood tall and confidently spelled the word P-R-E-V-I-O-U-S to take home the 10th Annual Culver City Unified School District Spelling Bee title on February 2 at Linwood E. Howe Elementary School. The fourth-grader from Farragut Elementary School finished atop 23 other spellers – four students from each of the district’s five elementary schools and Culver City Middle School competed.
There was plenty of drama as the final two spellers – Cosato and El Rincon’s Victor Yamamoto – missed the same word several times. Tough words like “hieroglyphs,” “immobilize” and “forbearing” tripped them both up before Yamamoto missed the word “villain,” and Cosato correctly spelled that word and the word “previous” to take home the title.
Cosato also took home a first-place trophy and a $200 cash prize courtesy of The Fineshriber Family Foundation, which sponsored the event. She will advance to the Los Angeles County Spelling Bee, which will be held at 4 p.m. on March 25 at Almansor Court, 700 S. Almansor St., in Alhambra. The winner of that competition will advance to the statewide spelling bee in Sonoma in May.
Marcia Antopol, executive director of The Fineshriber Family Foundation, also presented a trophy and $150 in cash to second-place finisher Yamamoto; and a trophy and $100 in cash to third-place finisher Clarissa Cheng of Culver City Middle School.
In addition, each participant received a certificate of commendation signed by the District’s superintendent congratulating him or her on reaching the Spelling Bee finals.
The CCUSD Spelling Bee will be broadcast on local television on Channel 35.
Congratulations to all of the Spelling Bee finalists:
Culver City Middle School
Carissa Cheng • Willow Hartman
Sheema Muller • Kieren Walker
El Marino Language School
Diego Brown • William “Liam” Burke
Andrew Fan • Maiya Kuida Osumi
El Rincon Elementary School
Tyson Brazil • Maya Christie
Maher Kabir • Victor Yamamoto
Farragut Elementary School
Sophia Bernard • Camille Cosato
Mina Guirguis • David Lee
La Ballona Elementary School
George Gergis • Toby Heller
Jayden Mapile • Yamaan Shaikh
Linwood E. Howe Elementary School
Sam Allen • Kate Bancroft
Maria Bessolova • Madison Martin del Campo
This year’s Spelling Bee winners celebrate following the event. Pictured are, back row, from left, Dr. Katie Krumpe, CCUSD Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources; Marcia Antopol, executive director of The Fineshriber Family Foundation, which sponsored the event; and Board of Education member Sue Robins. Front row, from left, are, first-place finisher Camille Cosato of Farragut Elementary School; second-place finisher Victor Yamamoto of El Rincon Elementary School; and third-place finisher Clarissa Cheng of Culver City Middle School.
Photo by Geoff Maleman
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