Eighth-grader Daniel Stewart of Harry M. Bailey Middle School won the 44th Annual West Haven Public School District Spelling Bee on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, in the West Haven High School Auditorium. Daniel defeated nine other competitors, from grades 5-8, as he was crowned the West Haven District Champion after correctly spelling S-A-C-R-E-D in the final round.
By winning the district-wide spelling bee, Daniel has advanced to the Connecticut statewide competition, which will be held at St. Joseph’s College in West Hartford this March. He will be joined by sixth-grader Etoornam Adukpo, the May V. Carrigan Intermediate School Champion, who finished second overall. This year’s spelling bee sponsor is the Noah Webster House Historical Society in West Hartford.
The final results from Wednesday’s competition are the following: 1st-place Bailey, Daniel Stewart (District Champion); 1st-place Carrigan, Etoornam Adukpo (District Runner-Up); 2nd-place Bailey, Destiny Crisco; 2nd-place Carrigan, Justin Perez; and 3rd-place Carrigan, Cayden Joseph.
The Superintendent of Schools, Neil C. Cavallaro, moderated the event by carefully reading out each of the 52 words used from the 2024 Scripps Spelling Competition List.
Judging the event were veteran spelling bee coordinators Jamey Sitro from Carrigan, along with teachers Jennifer Raba and Shayna Zyskowski from Bailey. Assistant Superintendent Judith Drenzek also judged the 45-minute competition before a small supportive audience of parents and board of education members.
The individual school PTA’s awarded $50, $25, and $15 Barnes and Noble gift certificates to their school winners. This year’s event was dedicated to the memory of Ralph Eberle, former PTA Chairperson for West Haven Public Schools.
