LAKE OCONEE ACADEMY SEVENTH GRADER HAILEY HEINEN TO COMPETE IN SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE

Greensboro, Ga. (May 14, 2018) – Hailey Heinen, a seventh grade Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) student, is heading to the 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. from May 29-31, 2018. She will join spellers from all over the world as they compete during “Bee Week,” with portions of the Bee to be televised on ESPN.

Hailey has won every class spelling bee since first grade, and she has been the winner of every schoolwide spelling bee since fourth grade. She has moved on to win the Greene County spelling bee three times and has also competed in the Georgia Regional Spelling Bee three times.

Hailey is a high honors student in school. She enjoys piano, musical theater, reading, serving as a student government representative, and competition cheerleading. Finding time to study for the Bee can be challenging, especially when spellers are told that the most inclusive study tool for the National Bee is the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Champion spellers also study etymology (the history of words and their origins) to give them the best chance of spelling difficult words that are unfamiliar to most people.

“Going to the National Spelling Bee has been a goal of mine since 1st grade,” said Hailey. “I love the competitive atmosphere, and I am excited to meet new friends from around the world.” Hailey would like to thank LOA faculty Lindsay Lipscomb, Caroline St. John, and Katie Cobb who continue to help her study in the early mornings before and after school, and Greene County teacher Tara Burdette who helped her prepare for the Greene County Bee and Regional Bee.

Photo: LOA seventh grader Hailey Heinen will compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. May 29-31, 2018.

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