State Speller

First off, good news! Our HHS student 2nd in AA State UIL Spelling. She scored 94 and improved her finish from 6th last year to 2nd this year.

We had a good time and enjoyed the state meet. We let her choose where to eat and exactly what activities she wanted to do. That's her reward for working so hard. So, we ate at Joe's Crab Shack on Town Lake. That's her favorite.

We went back to verify and await results. She was nervous. When she got her paper, she saw her score - 94. She didn't know what to make of it. It was higher than last year's score, but was it enough to place this year? An acquaintance, also from a 2-A school, said she had seen another 94 and a 97. So, we were understandably optimistic, yet concerned.

As the director began calling out the places, we knew that she'd placed fourth or higher, then, when she wasn't third, we knew she must have placed 2nd. What a wonderful surge of pride came over us all!

As always, the state meet was congested, but that’s its nature. It's good practice for the actual college experience--no parking, no place to sit, walking long distances, curt people. After having conquered this, I think she'll do fine.

She was given a super send-off on Friday. It bolstered her confidence. What a testament she is to goal-setting! I am hoping to have a Spelling team there next year because I know she’ll be going back and we might as well take others with her.