OCDE Newsroom

Virtual Orange County Spelling Bee ends in a T-I-E; classmates named co-champions

Nichole Pichardo March 9, 2021

What first ended in a T-I-E has culminated in V-I-C-T-O-R-Y for two local students. And, for the first time in...

2019 runner-up wins 2020 OC Spelling Bee championship

Fermin Leal February 29, 2020

It took 24 rounds spread over five nerve-wracking hours to decide the 57th annual Orange County Spelling Bee champion on...

OC Bee champ’s passion for spelling developed early on

Fermin Leal July 9, 2019

In the first grade, Nicholas D’Sa told his teacher that one of his goals in life was to become a...

Update: OC champ places 12th overall in 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee

Fermin Leal May 30, 2019

Updated at 9 a.m. on May 31 Nicholas D’Sa eliminated in 12th round Nicholas D’Sa finished in 12th place after...

Eighth-grader Nicholas D’Sa holds trophy

After 24 rounds, the 2019 Orange County Spelling Bee champion is crowned

Ian Hanigan March 2, 2019

The word was “rhesus.” Only Nicholas D’Sa of St. Cecilia Catholic School in Tustin didn’t have the luxury of reading...

Teacher receives award from county superintendent

Yearly roundup: 10 of our top stories for 2018

Fermin Leal December 28, 2018

Now that it’s the end of the year, we wanted to revisit some of our highest read and most notable...

Weekly roundup: OC student competes in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, school makeovers in Tustin and more

Ian Hanigan June 2, 2017

He spelled “tendresse” right. And “tibia.” Nevertheless, Winston Zuo’s run at the 90th Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor,...

Orange County Spelling Bee winner Winston Zuo

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y: County spelling champ is headed to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington

Ian Hanigan February 25, 2017

We probably don’t have to tell you that “terete” means cylindrical and smooth, often with ends that taper. But you might...

An image of the 2015 Orange County Spelling Bee winners

OC’s champion speller headed to Washington D.C. to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee

Staff reports March 2, 2015

“Foreordained” – meaning to dispose or appoint in advance – was the final word that officially clinched the title of Orange County Spelling Bee champion for 12-year-old Sarika Rau, a seventh-grade student from Sierra Vista Middle School in the Irvine Unified School District. After four hours and 18 rounds of intense competition on Saturday, Rau walked away with a large trophy and a copy of Webster’s Third New International Dictionary. She also earned a bid to compete in the 88th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, which will take place in Washington, D.C. in May. [...]

OC spelling bee