Spelling success

Anthony Tassone is anything but lackadaisical.

But the nine-year-old fourth-grader certainly knows how to spell the five-syllable word.

Anthony, a student at Corpus Christi School, is off to Ottawa this weekend for the Canwest Canspell National Spelling Bee, less than a month after capturing a regional crown here in Thunder Bay.

The youngster said he’s been studying hard since correctly spelling the word Rottweiler to win the local title.

"I’m pretty prepared," Anthony said. "We’re studying 30 minutes to an hour a night. We’re picking up some new words from books and dictionaries."

He’s got a little help on his quest, not surprisingly from his father.

"My dad asked some people what were some words in the spelling bee last year, so we made a list on the computer and I’m studying those words, and the words I had to study before," he said.

Anthony will be the youngest competitor at the Ottawa event, a precursor to June’s Scripps Spelling Bee being held in Washington, D.C. By getting started so early, he said that gives him plenty of opportunities to win it all.

"I’m in Grade 4. I have a lot of time. I can do this for four more years," said Anthony, who was introduced to spelling bees by his teacher and hasn’t looked back since.

"It turned out to be fun, so I entered the school spelling bee and then I won (it)."

His principal, Lorella Costanzo, said everyone in the Corpus Christi family is proud of Anthony, who she described as an exceptional student with a remarkable will to succeed.

"It’s a huge accomplishment," Costanzo said. "He’s been preparing all along. He’s very disciplined. He’s a very determined student. And we’re extremely grateful to his family for all of the time that they spent with him, as well as his teacher here, Mrs. Evans.

"She’s been working with him regularly. Even this morning I saw Anthony practicing, so we know he’s working hard and continuing to prepare for Ottawa."

Costanzo said it really came as no surprise that Anthony did so well at the local spelling bee, despite his tender years.

"Even though he is only in Grade 4, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities for Anthony. He’s a very determined and hard-working student."