West Hartford Spellers Advance To Connecticut Spelling Bee

WEST HARTFORD, CT — (Contributed press release): The Noah Webster House and West Hartford Historical Society sponsored the West Hartford Town-Wide Spelling Bee on Jan. 16 at the West Hartford Town Hall. Spellers hailed from King Philip, Sedgwick, and Bristow middle schools. Each school is sending their spelling champion to The Connecticut Spelling Bee, co-presented by the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society and The Hartford Courant. The West Hartford spellers will compete against students between grades 4 and 8 from around the state of Connecticut.

The museum proudly presents Sophie Kudler, an eighth-grader from King Philip Middle School as the spelling champion from West Hartford. Sophie out-spelled 22 competitors in 21 rounds of grueling vocabulary words. The last 13 rounds amounted to a stand-off between Sophie and fellow King Philip Middle School student Sal Katz. Sophie was named the champion after correctly spelling the word “prominent” in Round 21.

Along the way, Sophie and Sal delighted the audience by correctly spelling such words as: “gauss,” “caravel,” “expatiated,” “formaldehyde,” “vicissitudes,” and “coquelicot.”

Sophie’s interests go beyond spelling. She has been a competitive swimmer since the age of 6. She loves making pottery, her favorite subject is math, and she enjoys reading. Sophie aspires to be a physician when she grows up. She will represent King Philip Middle School in The Connecticut Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 10, at the University of Saint Joseph. Joining her will be Allyson Morozuk from Sedgwick Middle School and Quinn Moynihan from Bristow Middle School.

This is the second year the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society will co-sponsor The Connecticut Spelling Bee with The Hartford Courant. Noah Webster, the original American lexicographer responsible for publishing the 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language was born in West Hartford. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, descendant of Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, is the final authority and source for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is over 90 years old. Peter Sokolowski, editor of Merriam-Webster, dubbed spelling bees “the purest use of the dictionary.” The dictionary is a living document with new words being added annually to reflect our ever-changing language. Spellers engaging in the Spelling Bee tradition are intimately familiar with language trends, etymology, and how in the world to use pronunciation guides.

We invite the public to join in the fun. Space in the Bruyette Athenaeum’s Hoffman Auditorium on the University of Saint Joseph campus is limited, and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. This event is free to the public.

Pictured: Sophie Kudler, 2018 West Hartford Spelling Champion / Contributed photo

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is a cultural destination where citizens can learn to understand and appreciate the past. The museum preserves the birthplace of Noah Webster, the founding father, educator, author, and lexicographer who taught generations of Americans what it means to be American. This National Historic Landmark is also a repository for West Hartford history, the community that molded Noah Webster’s future and is still thriving over 250 years later. The historic house and exhibit spaces are open daily 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. For information on the museum’s extensive school and public programs, please visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call (860) 521-5362.