KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Students in one metro school district nearly missed a chance to compete in a Spelling Bee this year. But one metro doctor, with his own Spelling Bee memories, stepped up to make the save.
Peyton Wiewel, 13, attends Lakeview Middle School in Park Hill. She has participated in spelling bees since the fourth grade.
“Being able to do well under pressure and being able to control myself under pressure, I think it was a good learning experience for me, too,” said Peyton, who spends 17-20 hours a week studying.
Last year she even made it all the way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.
“It`s a very intense process,” said Peyton’s mom, Sabrina, who realized the Park Hill School District might not have a spelling bee this year within 24 hours of the deadline to sign up. “There were several parents who realized we had not at this point gotten the Spelling Bee lists; we had not been made aware that there was going to be a spelling bee.”
Newspapers typically sponsor spelling bees, and according to Park Hill School District, their spelling bees are usually sponsored by the St. Joseph`s Press. This year, they lost the sponsorship.
“I had such a good experience last year, and I wanted to be able to do that again, and it was just heartbreaking learning that maybe I wouldn’t have that opportunity again,” said Peyton.
Sabrina went to the school board meeting and says the school district was on board and decided to sign up and worry about the funding later.
The School District needed around $6,000, so several parents reached out to various businesses in the community. Dr. Burleson, who is known for his generous contribution to kids around the metro, was on that list.
“The spelling bee seemed like a good fit for things that could help support kids and encourage them to learn, read, and expand their vocabulary,” Dr. Burleson said.
“He immediately wrote back within about three minutes and said ‘can I please go ahead and cover the entire bee?’” said Sabrina.
Dr. Burleson says Sabrina’s email about the spelling bee hit close to home for him.
“I actually got knocked out of the spelling bee in sixth grade on the word ‘surgery’ and I went on later to get a doctorate in dental surgery, so we always kind of joke about that,’ said Dr. Burleson.
“Some child in Park Hill’s School District is going to have a chance to go,” said Sabrina.
Park Hill will hold its district-wide bee at Park Hill South High School this Saturday, at 2 P.M.
