AcadeMirCharter School Middle Grade 8 student John Martinez competed at the Miami Herald Spelling Bee presented by Burger King Corp. The event was held on March 8, starting promptly at 8:00 a.m. at Jungle
Island on Watson Island near downtown Miami.
Unfortunately, he did not win, but he came back with knowledge and experience.

The first thing Martinez needed to complete was a writing exam. At this bee, a competitor must pass this before going up on stage. Once that’s completed, students go up on stage and spell just like in a standard spelling bee.
“It was a little disappointing but being there was a tense exciting feeling,” Martinez said.
While Martinez did not leave with the big prize, he did win some small prizes for being a participating contestant. He won a shirt, two bags, a folder, a pencil and a water bottle.