Interaction spells success for students and seniors

So much for the generation gap.

Local teens and senior citizens were on the same page, literally speaking the same language and spelling the same words, when they met Monday at La Conner Retirement Inn.

La Conner Middle and High School students joined with Retirement Inn residents that morning for their second annual Spelling Bee, a friendly competition if there ever was one, and a contest in which both sides came away winners.

“The interaction of our students with the residents is wonderful,” La Conner Middle and High School counselor Lori Buher said afterward. “I love seeing that.”

When the final tally was complete, the residents had eked out a 30-27 win, but praise and compliments were extended on an equal basis.

“Now,” resident speller Jacqueline Engebretson told the students, “you get the rest of the day off.”

Though classes did await, students made time before leaving to visit with and congratulate the five-member resident team.

Sophomore Domenic Wilbur walked across the room to chat with Elaine Schneidmiller, a retired school secretary who spelled “accommodate” so quickly that moderator Monte Lewis had to ask her to repeat herself.

In addition to Engebretson and Schneidmiller, the resident lineup included Edie Linder, Beverly Haywood and 101-year-old Trudy Newton.

Retirement Inn Activity Director B.J. Johnson had recognized the spelling skills of residents while working on a newsletter project.

“I’d ask how to spell certain words,” she recalled, “and they could always spell them correctly. I thought that it was pretty amazing so last year I called the school and talked to Lori about doing a Spelling Bee because they’re so good.”

Buher agreed.

“They’re all such good spellers,” said Buher, “and like someone mentioned, they grew up reading a lot and didn’t have Spell Check.”

In fact, Newton, who turns 102 in November, opened a thick hardbound book within minutes of wrapping up the Bee.

The students were pretty good, too, as the final score indicates.

“I asked for recommendations from the English/Language Arts teachers,” Buher said, “and then we figured out who would be able to get out of class this morning.”

Fortunately for the school team, one of those was eighth grader Charity Jordan, a three-time National Spelling Bee qualifier who was flawless on each of her attempts Monday, showing no hesitation when it came to spelling “chameleon” and “paraffin.”

Though an event that’s all in good fun, there was some anxiety on the part of students beforehand.

“As we walked down here,” Buher said, “some of the kids were worried that they might not do well.”

Turns out, there was no reason to fret, partly because Johnson had recruited Lewis to moderate. He clearly relished the role, engaging in well-humored banter and assigning students catchy nicknames throughout.

When one student misspelled a word, Lewis came to his defense.

“That’s the way I’d spell it,” said Lewis, seeming to question the version printed on his word list.

“The internet’s never wrong,” quipped Johnson.

There were a couple words on Lewis’ list that stumped both sides, “diphtheria” among them.

“We might end up being here forever,” Haywood said as the two teams struggled over a word late in the match.

Yet when all was said and done – and spelled – there was the feeling no one would have minded staying a while longer.