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TARRYTOWN, N.Y. The winning word was thermostat.
Washington Irving Intermediate student Eliza Mastropieri took home first prize and a brand new Nook e-reader Thursday night during the first annual Junior League of Westchester-on-Hudson's spelling bee at Warner Library in Tarrytown.
This is our first Junior League spelling bee, Project Leader Carmela Greco told the packed room, adding that the League provides several programs in various issues throughout the year. This one is focusing on reading, writing and literacy.
Approximately 30 students in grades three through five from the Tarrytown and Ossining school districts competed in the bee, which lasted for an hour and a half before Mastropieri took home victory.
The second-place winner, Sarah Clayton, and third-place winner, Isabella Meyer, also took home brand new Nooks. Both Clayton and Meyer also attend Washington Irving Intermediate School within the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns.
Clayton's second-place award came after a trip-up on the word vegetarian. Mastropieri took home first place after correctly spelling that misspelled word and then taking on thermostat.
Throughout the bee, participants had 30 seconds to spell words. Allowances were made for spellers to hear the word's pronunciation and correct themselves while spelling.
In addition to competing on their own, the student spellers cheered on their fellow participants by high-fiving them as they returned after a correctly-spelled word or a good job when they were eliminated from the competition.
All the spellers gathered after the competition for a group photo. Each speller earned a green ribbon for their participation.
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