Charlie Breitrose
A team of second graders work on a word during the sixth annual Town-wide Spelling Bee.
The sixth annual Town-wide Spelling Bee on Sunday was a big success, drawing dozens of children and raising thousands of dollars for the Watertown Education Foundation.
Watertown’s spelling bee is unlike others, where individual students compete to see who is the best speller. In the Town-wide Spelling Bee three-person teams from Watertown’s three elementary schools showed off their spelling skills.
The teams could be made up of students from different schools, but they had to be from the same grade.
All teams received a prize, and the winner at each grade level got a special prize.
The fifth-grade winning team got an extra special prize, said Elaina Griffith, co-president of the Watertown Education Foundation.
“The members of the fifth-grade winning team each get $50 from Belmont Savings,” Griffith said.
This year’s winner was The Terriers – Lucas, Koji and Esmerelda.
The Terriers were the fifth grade winning team in the Town-wide Spelling Bee.
The Spelling Bee is a fund raiser for the Watertown Education Foundation. This year, Griffith said the event raised more than $10,000. In a bit of a change this year, instead of asking for grants, the money will be divided equally between the elementary schools, Griffith said.
Money came from the team entry fees, donations from local groups and businesses and sales of the Spelling Bee T-shirt. This year’s winning design was made by Darragh O’Mahoney, a fourth grader from Hosmer School, which had a Star Wars theme, saying “May the Force Bee With You” and had a bee holding a light saber.
The fund-raising got a boost from Belmont Savings, which gave $3,250 which was raised from the Watertown Education Rewards checking account, which gives $50 to the customer and $50 to the Watertown Education Foundation whenever a new account is opened.
Next year, there will be a passing of the torch for running the spelling bee, Griffith said. The Watertown PTOs will take over from the Watertown Education Foundation, which has run it since it started six years ago.
Belmont Savings presented a $3,250 check to the Watertown Education Foundation during the spelling bee. Pictured, from left, Kimo Carter, Watertown Middle School Principal; Elaina Griffin, Co-President of Watertown Education Foundation; Candace Miller, School Committee Member ; Lisa Morrissey, Belmont Savings Banker in Watertown; Tyler Britland, Belmont Savings Branch Manager in Watertown; Amy Donahue, Co-President of Watertown Education Foundation.