Spellcheck? Who needs that?

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

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School district winners move on to the 2004 State Spelling Bee CENTRAL O'AHU Wes Redekop, Wheeler Middle School, son of Army Staff Sgt. Mike Slattery and Nicole Redekop-Slattery. Lucia Mocz, Mililani Middle School, daughter of Eva and Gabor Mocz. HONOLULU Radiant Cordero, St. Patrick School, daughter of David and Mary Cordero. Irwin Jiang, Cathedral School, son of Yi Jiang and Ming Yu You. LEEWARD O'AHU Jade Kealani Licudine, Highlands Intermediate, daughter of Danny and Joyce Licudine. Christian Tomas, Highlands Intermediate, son of Wilma Lactaoen. WINDWARD O'AHU Eliot St. John, Le Jardin Academy, son of Robert and Susan St. John. Kainoa Vigil, St. Mark Lutheran, son of Leon and Margaret Pereira. BIG ISLAND Hannah Katibah, St. Joseph Junior-Senior High, daughter of Ty Katibah and Lisa Johnston. Lacey Honda, Hawaii Preparatory Academy, daughter of Jay and Julie Honda. MAUI Joni Celiz, Lahaina Intermediate, daughter of Pablo and Leandra Celiz. Jasmine Siefman, Kalama Intermediate, daughter of Robert and Mary Siefman. KAUA'I Stephen Valenciano, Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, son of Placido and Michelle Valenciano. Lauren Esaki, Kapa'a Middle School, daughter of Clement and Amy Esaki.

Unfortunately, it's not on this year's State Spelling Bee list of 3,000 words. But the word has special meaning in the family of the 13-year-old eighth-grader from Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School.

Stephen's mother, the former Michelle Kimura, misspelled "accrue" and was the third person eliminated from the 1972 State Spelling Bee.

"I spelled it with one 'c'," Michelle Valenciano said. "I was so terrified that I actually felt relieved when I went out."

Unlike her, Stephen is not shy, said his mother, who is the librarian at King Kaumuali'i School in Hanama'ulu. "My only advice to him is to relax and have a good time," she said.

Stephen is one of 14 qualifiers who will compete Sunday for The Honolulu Advertiser State Spelling Bee title at Windward Community College's Paliku Theatre.

Also competing will be four qualifiers back for a second shot at the state title and one student whose father is serving in Iraq.

Lyla Berg, president and CEO of Kids Voting, and Stephanie Lum of KHNL News 8 will serve as pronouncer and host, respectively.

The State Spelling Bee champion wins a trip for two to Washington, D.C., to compete in the 77th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, set for May 30-June 4.

Stephen is the first champion from Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, which opened four years ago. Teacher-sponsor Kris Fujita and Stephen's parents, Michelle and Placido Valenciano, have been helping prepare him for the state bee.

Stephen's strategy revolves around asking questions about each word, even if he knows how to spell it. "It's all about rhythm," Fujita said. Asking questions creates a space for him to think about the word before answering.

The four second-year qualifiers are Big Island champion Hannah Katibah, 14, of St. Joseph Junior-Senior High in Hilo, and three district runner-ups: Christian Tomas, 14, of Highlands Intermediate School in the Leeward O'ahu District; Kainoa Vigil, 13, St. Mark Lutheran School, Windward O'ahu District; and Jasmine Siefman, 13, Kalama Intermediate, Maui District.

"I'm more committed this year because there's a lot of people expecting me to do better," said Christian Tomas, who has been studying with his teacher-sponsor, Pat Shiraki, and his older brother and former district qualifier, Chad Tomas, to improve on his seventh-round elimination last year when he misspelled "obstetrician."

Several other competitors in the field have extra incentive to do well.

O'ahu Central District champion Wes Redekop, 14, of Wheeler Middle School, would like to win for his father, Army Staff Sgt. Mike Slattery, who is serving in Iraq. "His father knows Wes is competing Sunday and I know he'll be rooting for him," said Wes' mother, Nicole Redekop-Slattery.

For Honolulu District runner-up Irwin Jiang, 12, of Cathedral School, there's a chance that his parents, Yi Jiang and Ming Yu You, may be in the audience. So far, they have been too nervous to watch him compete.

Irwin, also a talented pianist, was academically qualified to skip the second grade at Cathedral. His parents immigrated from Shanghai, China, about 12 years ago. Irwin speaks his family's native Chinese dialect at home, so his grasp of English language and spelling is a remarkable achievement in his mother's eyes.

"We very proud of him," Ming Yu You said of Irwin, the first of her two children.

Reach Rod Ohira at 535-8181 or rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.