Aviva and the spelling bee

Top of the World Elementary fifth-grader Aviva Meyers ascended the “precipice” of spelling greatness last week, when she beat out fellow student Caitlyn Diehl and dozens of other students to become Laguna’s fifth-grade spelling champion.

To clinch her victory at the fifth-grade spelling bee April 24 at Top of the World, Aviva had to spell one more word following “precipice.”

But don’t “mention” it to Caitlyn, who was visibly surprised that such an easy word should guarantee Aviva’s win.

“It’s the luck of the draw,” beekeeper Bill Steel said.

Students mastered words like “savagery” and “acquaintance,” but some were sent out for misspelling “radiance,” “zealous” or “virtual.”

The two final girls duked it out for dozens of words before beekeepers opened a harder box of words, which the kids hadn’t seen before.

Both girls stumbled over the unfamiliar words: “guillotine” became “giatine,” and “charisma” became “currezma.”

Neither girl was able to spell any word from the harder box, so beekeepers switched back to words like “succulent,” “smorgasbord” and “scythe,” which the girls had studied.

They once again began to spell in earnest, going through 30 words before the dreaded “precipice” was called.

“I was amazed at how well prepared they were,” Steel said.

“There were several words that I wouldn’t know,” he said, including “muscly.”

Dino Romeo, the top-spelling El Morro student, said he was a bit nervous before going into the bee, but had studied hard beforehand.

“It was really fun,” Aviva said afterward.

Her best friend, Hana Gallego, was on hand to help her celebrate at the spelling bee’s ice cream social.

Aviva went on to a countywide spelling bee on Sunday. She didn’t become one of the top two finalists, according to the organizer.

“It was a really tough competition,” Parenting OC Magazine publisher Randall Tierney said.

“We had to go many rounds, more than usual, because the kids were all so sharp. I haven’t seen that kind of competition before in a spelling bee.”

CANDICE BAKER can be reached at (949) 494-5480 or at [email protected].