Great Student Turnout for Prelacy’s Armenian Spelling Bee

 

Close to 125 Sourp Hagop Armenian School students participated in the first Armenian spelling bee, organized by the Armenian Prelacy of Canada’s Armenian National Education Council, at the school’s auditorium on the afternoon of March 18, 2007.

 

Long queues of students donning official spelling bee t-shirts, donated by Gaby and Sossi Naim of A&G productions, waited their turn as participants in teams of five took the stage and were each presented a randomly chosen word by Sonia Kiledjian Ajemian, who was assisted by a panel of judges, Raffi Ajemian, Lalai Manjikian and Eliza Tchakmakjian.

 

The winners of the fourth to sixth grade level are Alina Israelian, George Kalloghlian and Ari Varjabedian, and for the high school level, Taline Ekmekjian, Laura Patakfalvi and Garo-Shant Topouzian.

 

In a surprising turn of events, eight junior high students made it to the final round and will continue the contest on Thursday, March 22nd to determine the final winners. The students are Silva Agopian, Karine Kedikian, Mashdots Koyounian, Karine Palisance, Tamar Patakfalvi, Sarine Poladian, Sevana Poladian and Nora Zoboyan.

 

The awards, which were donated by the Regional Executive of the Hamazkayin Cultural Association, will be given to the top three students of each level by their Armenian teachers during the school week.

 

Prior to the commencement of this special event, prepared in accordance with standard spelling bee regulations, elementary students were given 100 words to study, whereas junior high participants were given 150 words and 200 to those in high school.

 

Rev. Fr. Karnig Koyounian represented His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate, who is currently attending meetings at the Armenian Catholicosate in Antelias, Lebanon.