By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -

Photography: CRISTINA CABRERA | FC

MIAMI SPRINGS | Though they may speak it at home with their grandparents, Spanish is not the dominant language of most of the young people in South Florida. Writing it? Even tougher.

But Blessed Trinity’s principal and one of her teachers devised a fun way for local Catholic school students to feel more comfortable with the language of Cervantes (Spain’s Shakespeare): Organize a competition.

Now in its second year, the Archdiocesan Spanish Spelling Bee for middle school students brought 199 fifth through eighth graders from 20 parochial schools to Blessed Trinity Feb. 6.

Among them was last year’s local runner up, Ashley Zelaya, now an eighth-grader at Sts. Peter and Paul School in Miami. In July 2014, Ashley represented the archdiocese at the national competition (Competencia Nacional de Deletreo en Español) held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Like her fellow competitors, Ashley was ready for any word that was thrown at her.

“She has had a taste for nationals. She is very ready,” said Carlota Morales, Sts. Peter and Paul’s principal.

“People think that these students will be spelling simple words, like ‘gato’ or ‘perro’,” said Maria Teresa Perez, principal at Blessed Trinity School. “It is far from that. They come very well prepared after studying for months, and very excited.”

Words like ‘jefatura,’ ‘quinceañera,’ ‘reencuentro,’ and ‘hallazgo,’ silent h’s, hidden accents, and the Spanish ‘ñ’ can be tricky spelling words for Hispanics born in the United States, where Spanish is taught as a second language, with few hours of class time.  

“Mrs. Perez and I wanted to bring recognition to the language,” said Ivannia Van Arman, former Spanish teacher at the school and director of the Spanish spelling bee event. “The language is just as important as the subject. We want them to embrace it and learn it.”

Van Arman and Perez had been brainstorming ways of getting students excited about Spanish, especially since young people often shy away from speaking it outside of their homes. The idea of a spelling competition instantly sparked interest among Blessed Trinity’s students, and when Van Arman and Perez shared their idea with other archdiocesan schools, the turnout was better than they hoped.

Standing next to a backdrop that read “La tierra nos separa, un idioma nos une” — the land separates us, but a language unites us — Univision 23 weekend reporter Gloria Ordaz welcomed the students to the competition, taking the opportunity to encourage them to embrace their parents’ or grandparents’ native tongue, as well as their respective national heritages.

“Learn in Spanish, and read in Spanish. You will be able to converse with those here and those abroad that speak Spanish,” Ordaz said.

During the first half of the competition, all the students listened intently as a word was read aloud and repeated. They had been given a notepad so, if they needed to, they could write out the letters before selecting the correct spelling of the word from a multiple choice list. After the 20th word was read, the sound of 199 pencils bubbling in the final word ceased.

“Now comes the moment of truth,” joked Marina Brime, a fifth grader at St. Agatha School, speaking with Alexa Bravo, a seventh grader from St. Timothy School.

Participants had been seated in alphabetical order, regardless of their school. Despite the spirit of competition, respect and diplomacy also reigned, as participants often encouraged one another with a whispered “Good luck.”

“It’s a tournament, but it’s also about learning,” said Father Jose Alfaro, pastor of Blessed Trinity.

Joy, anger, disappointment and relief were palpable as the students who moved on to the oral round were announced. Alan Raven, a sixth grader from St. Theresa School in Coral Gables, gave a celebratory “Yes!” and fist pump that had the audience laughing and celebrating with him.

Over 35 students moved on to the oral competition. That’s when the uniqueness of each one’s ancestral nationality was displayed: the melodiousness of their Spanish accents recalled Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Honduras, Nicaragua, and even Spain.

The competition was fierce as students spelled words that left parents in the audience scratching their heads. Cervantes would have been proud of these word warriors.

“Some of the Castilian rules of pronunciation created by the Real Academia are confusing,” said Jorge Tong, father of Erica Tong, a fifth grader at St. Bonaventure School in Davie, who made it to the fifth round of the spelling bee.

Even so, Tong, who has an older daughter at Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, said he supports adding more Spanish activities to the elementary school curriculum.

“My eldest daughter is reading Don Quixote in her Spanish literature course. The younger ones should have more time for Spanish in school,” he said.

In the eighth round of the spelling bee, one word stumped student after student.

Sts. Peter and Paul’s Ashley, who because of her last name — Zelaya — was competing in the 199th slot and therefore last, stepped up to the microphone and spelled clearly and slowly: “i-r-a-s-c-i-b-l-e.”

There was absolutely nothing irascible about her demeanor, just pure bliss as she claimed the title of 2015 Spanish Spelling Bee champ.

As Ashley caught her breath, second and third place were awarded, respectively, to Emily Diaz, a seventh grader from Mother of Christ School in Miami, and Jaime Diez, an eighth grader from St. Theresa School in Coral Gables.

As for Ashley, she will once again represent the Archdiocese of Miami at the National Spanish Spelling Bee. With a medal around her neck, a trophy in hand, and a “Roundtrip to Albuquerque” sign, she smiled and said: “I’m looking forward to winning.”       

COMPETING SCHOOLS 

 Students in fifth through eighth grade from the following schools competed in the 2015 Archdiocesan Spanish Spelling Bee:           

• All Saints, Sunrise

• Annunciation, Hollywood               

• Blessed Trinity, Miami Springs              

• Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, Coconut Grove              

• Epiphany, South Miami                

• Immaculate Conception, Hialeah       

• Mary Help of Christians, Miami             

• Mother of Christ, Miami             

• Mother of Our Redeemer, Miami             

• Our Lady of the Lakes, Miami Lakes            

• St. Agatha, Miami          

• St. Agnes, Key Biscayne          

• St. Bonaventure, Davie          

• St. Hugh, Coconut Grove             

• St. Louis Covenant, Pinecrest         

• St. Theresa, Coral Gables         

• St. Thomas the Apostle, Miami          

• St. Timothy, Miami         

• Sts. Peter and Paul, Miami.