Elisabeth Chu stood tall and confidently spelled the word T-H-R-O-M-B-O-S-I-S to take home the 12th Annual Culver City Unified School District Spelling Bee title on January 30 at Linwood E. Howe Elementary School. The fourth-grader from Farragut Elementary School finished atop 23 other spellers – four students from each of the district’s five elementary schools and Culver City Middle School competed.

Chu also took home a first-place trophy and a $200 cash prize courtesy of The Fineshriber Family Foundation, which sponsored the event. She will advance to the Los Angeles County Spelling Bee, which will be held on March 29 at Almansor Court, 700 S. Almansor St., in Alhambra. The winner of that competition will advance to the statewide spelling bee in Sonoma in May.

Wendy Hamill, President of the Culver City Education Foundation, on behalf of The Fineshriber Family Foundation, also presented a trophy and $150 in cash to second-place finisher Joshua Lea, a fifth-grader from Farragut; and a trophy and $100 in cash to third-place finisher Hayley Dowdell, a sixth-grader from Culver City Middle School.

In addition, each participant received a certificate of commendation signed by the District’s superintendent congratulating him or her on reaching the Spelling Bee finals.

For a video of the Chu spelling the winning word, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xyYvberigU&feature=youtu.be

Congratulations to all of the Spelling Bee finalists:

Culver City Middle School

Hayley Dowdell  •  Samuel Gerstmann

Zachary Kronlage  •  Lily Tun-Brown

El Marino Language School

Elijah Gelin  •  Julia Marcus

Daphne Munger  •  Jasmin Pablo

El Rincon Elementary School

Logan Ball  •  Harper Mehl

Nazira Paul  •  Jade Tanchauco

Farragut Elementary School

Elisabeth Chu  •  Tessa Farrell

Kayden LaPalm  • Joshua Lea

La Ballona Elementary School

Sarah Abobaker  •  Shawn-J’Nee Hemphill

Sebastian Lott  •  Wyatt Stoner

Linwood E. Howe Elementary School

Tristan Contaoi  •  Miles Facher

Salma Ibrahim  •  Lily Maxson