MILWAUKEE — Two students at Lowell International Elementary School took home the gold after winning spelling bee championship titles for their grade levels.
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) hosted it's elementary district spelling bee for students to compete on Saturday.
Among the many bees, third grader Aiden Polivka and fifth grader Naychi Moe both took home first place trophies, representing Lowell International Elementary.
"It was very nerve wracking, I guess I could say," said Polivka.
"I worked really hard," said Moe.
They didn't accomplish it alone. Janet Key played a huge role in helping students at Lowell prepare. Key has been an educator with MPS for 38 years and for her, the spelling bee was more than just a trophy and bragging rights.
"The sense of confidence, the social emotional learning of supporting one another. They were giving high fives to each other Saturday morning to kids they didn't know, encouraging them that everybody could be a winner. As a teacher, that's what you want," Key said. "I want them to be good readers when they grow up, but I want them to be healthy and happy human beings first."
