By Wendy Souza
Special to the Herald
“Have you heard the BUZZZ?”
A beautiful morning dawned Dec. 11 as a group of 17 dedicated spellers gathered on the St. Theresa School campus in Kekaha, Kauai. This was the big day… They had been practicing for weeks! Families and classmates were in attendance and ready to witness H-I-S-T-O-R-Y in the making.
One by one, learners from kindergarten through eighth grade took the microphone to move through St. Theresa’s schoolwide Spelling Bee. Fred Styer, environmental specialist at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (and lifelong speller!) served as pronouncer, while Cassie Miyashiro, school office assistant, served as the spelling judge.
While only learners from grades 4-8 could qualify for the district Spelling Bee, the experience of entering bees is valuable to our little ones! St. Theresa School commends kindergartners Hana Christian and Adrienne Gilliam, first graders Evelyn and Eleanor Silva, second graders Romina Martinez and Rhyese Badua, and third graders Kamahina Wilson and Lucia Silva for their participation and success in the bee.
The rounds progressed and the competition — and pressure — intensified. Fourth graders Nyjah Moreno Woolsey and Lilliana Gilliam tried their best at “minnows” and “incredible.” “Vacuum,” “spectators” and “heron” took out sixth grader Kaitlin Prince, fifth grader Avery Robinson and seventh grader Jordyn Moreno Woolsey.
By round nine, only nine spellers remained. Seventh grader Kekai Miyashiro rallied on until “gleaned” proved too challenging. The top three spellers continued, with eighth graders Sophia San Agustin and Irie Abalos, and sixth grader Anthony Riola all vying for the top spot!
In the end, during round 14, Anthony prevailed as the STS spelling champion. Congratulations, Anthony! His winning word? “Et cetera.”
Anthony, along with runner-up Irie, will represent St. Theresa School at the Kauai District Spelling Bee in February.
Congratulations to all the STS spellers! Their remarkable display of poise, sportsmanship and intelligence was a joy to behold. Faith, ohana and academic excellence are the mission of St. Theresa School, and we couldn’t be prouder of the learners who represent us!
Many thanks to Fred Styer, Cassie Miyashiro, Father Edwin Conselva, St. Theresa School learners and their families for making this morning so special.
Registration for the 2026-27 academic year opens Jan. 5. Visit sttheresakauai.com for more information.
Wendy Souza is the principal of St. Theresa School.
Above: The participants in St. Theresa School’s Spelling Bee each received a certificate commending their hard work. (Courtesy Wendy Souza)