CREATIVE STUDIO
Bring your ideas to life
Pablo Herrera always knew he was good at math but the 11-year-old from Brentwood recently discovered a new talent: spelling words in Español. Just three months ago, Pablo, a fifth-grader at Twin Pines Elementary School, had never participated in a spelling bee. Now, he's one of nine students who in mid-July shared the top spot at the ninth annual National Spanish Spelling Bee in Colorado. To qualify for the event, Colombian-born Pablo first won the districtwide New York State Spanish Spelling Bee — beating 73 of his peers in grades four to eight — in June. Pablo Herrera of Brentwood, right, celebrates his winning Pablo Herrera of Brentwood, right, celebrates his winning of a National Spanish Spelling Bee in Colorado, with Billy Moss III, New York State director of New York Spanish Spelling Bee. Photo Credit: Yeong-Ung Yang The event is open solely to students who attend elementary and middle schools in the Brentwood school district. Students in 13 schools, all part of the district's bilingual education program, are eligible to participate though organizers said they plan to one day expand the competition to include schools throughout the state. "It was amazing to see Pablo spelling so many difficult Spanish words correctly and coming out on top even while competing with kids much older than him," said Wanda Ortiz-Rivera, the district's assistant superintendent of bilingual programs and student intake. "But for me, the best part of it all was when I handed Pablito his first-place trophy and he excitedly asked me, 'Maestra, When is the next competition?' " His wait was short. A month later, Pablo, his father, Jair, his mother, Silvia Echeverria, and his little brother, Julian, 8, were going to the National Spanish Spelling Bee in Denver. His airfare, hotel stay and contest entry fee were paid by the Brentwood Alumni Student Association, a nonprofit that co-sponsors the New York spelling bee. Billy Moss, co-founder of the Brentwood alumni group and state director of the New York Spanish Spelling Bee, accompanied the family to Colorado, where Pablo was one of 40 students from 15 states battling for first place. "To have all eyes on me when I'm on stage, that's the hardest part of it," Pablo said in Spanish. "My hands start to sweat … When I study, I feel confident." And study he did. continue reading in Newsday!
The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.
Pablo Herrera always knew he was good at math but the 11-year-old from Brentwood recently discovered a new talent: spelling words in Español. Just three months ago, Pablo, a fifth-grader at Twin Pines Elementary School, had never participated in a spelling bee. Now, he's one of nine students who in mid-July shared the top spot at the ninth annual National Spanish Spelling Bee in Colorado. To qualify for the event, Colombian-born Pablo first won the districtwide New York State Spanish Spelling Bee — beating 73 of his peers in grades four to eight — in June. Pablo Herrera of Brentwood, right, celebrates his winning Pablo Herrera of Brentwood, right, celebrates his winning of a National Spanish Spelling Bee in Colorado, with Billy Moss III, New York State director of New York Spanish Spelling Bee. Photo Credit: Yeong-Ung Yang The event is open solely to students who attend elementary and middle schools in the Brentwood school district. Students in 13 schools, all part of the district's bilingual education program, are eligible to participate though organizers said they plan to one day expand the competition to include schools throughout the state. "It was amazing to see Pablo spelling so many difficult Spanish words correctly and coming out on top even while competing with kids much older than him," said Wanda Ortiz-Rivera, the district's assistant superintendent of bilingual programs and student intake. "But for me, the best part of it all was when I handed Pablito his first-place trophy and he excitedly asked me, 'Maestra, When is the next competition?' " His wait was short. A month later, Pablo, his father, Jair, his mother, Silvia Echeverria, and his little brother, Julian, 8, were going to the National Spanish Spelling Bee in Denver. His airfare, hotel stay and contest entry fee were paid by the Brentwood Alumni Student Association, a nonprofit that co-sponsors the New York spelling bee. Billy Moss, co-founder of the Brentwood alumni group and state director of the New York Spanish Spelling Bee, accompanied the family to Colorado, where Pablo was one of 40 students from 15 states battling for first place. "To have all eyes on me when I'm on stage, that's the hardest part of it," Pablo said in Spanish. "My hands start to sweat … When I study, I feel confident." And study he did. continue reading in Newsday!
The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.