The 2024 Pima County Spelling Bee is scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Canyon del Oro High School auditorium, 25 Concordia Street, Oro Valley.
Speller check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. that morning.
Nathan Merrill poses with his father and new hardware after winning the 2023 Pima County Spelling Bee, which lasted 12 rounds. 2.5 hours.
Matthew Stamp, Pima County Supervisor's Office
Forty of Pima County's best student spellers will compete to be crowned county champion. First and second place will advance to the Arizona Spelling Bee on March 16th.
District, charter, private, and homeschool students compete. Sponsored by Team Volpe — Nova Home Loans.
Free parking is available on the west and north sides of the auditorium. The auditorium is located on the west end of campus.
“Brusque” was the winning word at last year’s Pima County Spelling Bee. Nathan Merrill, his eighth-grader at Legacy Traditional School Northwest in Tucson, bested 33 other spellers to win the 2023 Pima County Champion Speller of the Year.
Others are also reading…
Runner-up Karen Opoku-Apoh, an eighth-grader from Marana Middle School, also advanced to the state tournament against Merrill. Opoku-Appoh won the 2023 Arizona Spelling Bee by spelling the word “passage” correctly.
TUSD celebrates Black History Month
Tucson Unified School District's Black History Month celebrations included the launch of a new website on February 1st. tusd1.org/black historyas a resource for teachers, parents, students, and the community.
Led by Tonya R. Strozier, TUSD's Director of African American Student Services, events and activities for the celebration include:
TUSD students will participate in field trips to the African American Museum of Southern Arizona in February and March.
African American Readings will be held from February 12th to 29th, during which AASSD staff and community members will read books by African American authors to TUSD elementary classes.
On February 8, 11 new members of the Innovation Tech High School Student Advisory Board were inducted at the Black History Makers Breakfast.
African American Youth Heritage Day is Friday, February 16th. Students celebrate the achievements of young African Americans and inspire the next generation.
The district will also be hosting Black Parent Involvement Week from February 26 to March 1. The initiative aims to encourage parents' active participation in their children's education, while building connections with educators and other parents.
The 10th Annual Black History Month Brain Bowl will be held on Thursday, February 29th. The district says it's a fun and competitive trivia event that tests students' knowledge of Black history and culture.
Committee appoints director
The Metropolitan Board of Education has selected Rock Perez as executive director, and he is scheduled to begin his role on March 4th.
Mr. Perez describes himself as a proud product of Tucson, public education and the contributions of the Metropolitan Board of Education.
Mr. Rock Perez, incoming Executive Director of the National Capital Region Board of Education.
Perez, a Tucson resident, joins the committee from Arizona State University, where she served as manager of outreach and communications in the university's Office of the President. Previously, he served in various roles at the University of Arizona, contributing through communications, fundraising, and organizing in the areas of research and innovation, multicultural advancement, and government and community relations.
He credits the Metropolitan Board of Education with sparking his interest in serving southern Arizona.
According to the commission, his expertise lies in developing and implementing award-winning strategies that drive outcomes in areas such as admissions, student and employee success, professional development, and academic discovery and innovation. That's what it means.
Perez can be reached at admin@metedu.org.
scholarships announced
Hughes Federal Credit Union is accepting applications for the Roberta Reeves Memorial Scholarship, which will provide a total of $14,000 in educational funding to local high school students.
Now in its 19th year, the scholarship program will award $2,000 each to seven students to support their higher education endeavors.
The scholarship was renamed last year in memory of Roberta Reeves, a longtime Hughes Federal Credit Union board member. This scholarship recognizes her accomplishments in the Tucson community.
High school seniors entering a college, technical school, or certificate program in the fall of 2024 who are principal members of Hughes Federal Credit Union are eligible to apply. The application process includes submitting an online form, essay, or 1-2 minute video.
The application deadline is March 15th. Click here for details and to apply. HughesFCU.org/Scholarships. Winners will be announced in May.
Since its inception in 2005, the scholarship program has awarded more than $100,000.
Whether it's dribbling a basketball or identifying obscure Latin or Greek roots, Zaira Avant-Garde doesn't stress too much. She is now the first African-American winner in the 96-year history of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
