Orthographize.

Six of my students in the 7th and 8th grade have spent several weeks practicing for the national spelling bee in Palau. We had nightly sessions at my house in Angaur where we studied practice words from different origins. English words that have been adapted from other languages such as French, Spanish, Japanese, Slavic languages, German, and even some eponyms were all included in the practice lists. My students worked extremely hard and we were able to make it to Koror to compete.

While we were in Koror, we took advantage of our time there and did a few field trips. We went to Dolphin Pacific which is a non-profit, eco-tourism organization in Palau that gave us a tour of their facility and took the time to show us some of the feats their dolphins are trained to do. Also, we went to the Coral Reef Center and had a tour that showed the kids all of the species and varied habitats in Palau. Lastly, we went to the Belau National Museum. There we had a guide show us around the museum and walk us through Palau’s history- and the effects from the Spanish, German, Japanese, and Americans who have influenced this island over the years. Of course, while in Koror we took advantage of a few other treats we don’t usually get on Angaur: pizza, burgers, and ice cream!

The spelling bee was a success. My students did phenomenally well. Angaur has not participated for some time in this competition, at least a few years. Our geographic location and small enrollment has proven to be a hindrance in the past. Luckily our team had great support from the principal, teachers, and parents- as well as some of the state government officials. Without that support, I doubt that we would have been as successful as we were.

My sole 8th grade student, Tsun (I call him “Tsunami”- because he’s a force to be reckoned with) got first place. He spelled word after word correctly, and was up against one another one of the smartest students I’ve ever seen, a student from Koror (she was the returning champ). I was sitting on the edge of my seat watching these two students battle it out for the first place title. Then it happened, Tsun was to be given a word- and if spelled correctly, he’d win. The word: “Orthographize”. When I heard that, my heart sank- it was not a word we’ve studied. Frankly, it was not a word I even knew existed. But Tsun, like a pro, nailed it. Cheers and applause filled the room and his father rushed up and gave his son a huge hug.

Now- it gets even better. Because Tsun won the spelling bee, he gets to compete in the next stage of the bee. Tsun won an all expense paid trip to Guam for him and me, this coming weekend where we’ll compete Saturday night. Tsun has never been out of Palau, so he is very excited (and a little apprehensive) for trip. So, wish us luck this weekend, and I’ll update my blog with details from the spelling bee.

AND- for those of you, like me, who didn’t know what “Orthrographize” means “to spell correctly or according to usage; to correct in regard to spelling.”

When we arrived back in Angaur, everyone was there waiting for us. They gave a hero’s welcome to the students when they arrived.

The team.

My winning team and the trophy.

The top three winners, and their coaches (all Peace Corps Volunteers).

Our Champ and his family.

“Can you repeat the word please?” – Student
“Yes, your word is ‘thespian’” – Announcer

My team.

Our pre-Spelling Bee snack. Bem Armii- burgers and fries.

A special dinner put on by Angaur government officials to show their support for the students before the spelling bee.

My mama and me.

My 7th grader very excited to be learning about Palau’s history at the National Museum. I tried match his enthusiasm.

Watching a turtle at the Coral Reef Center.

At Dolphin Pacific, the kids got to be really close to the action.