With shorthand text messages such as TTYL and C U 2morrow, spelling correctly can be challenging for today’s students. Students from Gateway Charter School and Six Mile Charter Academy however, have proven that they can spell along with the best of them and will be competing at the 2009 Charter Schools USA State-wide Spelling Bee which will be held on Saturday, April 25 beginning at 11 a.m. at Gateway Charter School in Fort Myers, just outside Lehigh Acres.

Students in Charter Schools USA-managed schools throughout the state competed in school level spelling bees with first and second place guaranteed advancement and third place placing as an alternate in the event that first or second cannot attend the bee.

This is the first time the regional spelling bee is being held in Lee County. There will be two age categories grades three through five and grades six through eight, said Brooke Kaufman, assistant principal and spelling bee coordinator.

The winners from Gateway Charter School and Six Mile Charter School are as follows:

Grades 3-5

Gateway Charter School:

Jenna Zaleski (Fort Myers) – grade 4

Gabby Rodriguez (Fort Myers) grade 4

Ryan Crider Alternate (Lehigh Acres) grade 3

Six Mile Charter Academy:

Julia Biasella (Fort Myers) grade 3

Max Perez (Fort Myers) grade 5

Grades 6-8

Heather Bryan (Lehigh Acres) grade 7

Ben Gomez (Lehigh Acres) grade 6

Amy Wang Alternate (Fort Myers) grade 7

Six Mile Charter Academy:

Marcos Martin (N. Fort Myers) grade 6

Hailey Queen (S. Fort Myers) grade 7

Students showed great effort this year, Kaufman said.

“Coordinating this entire bee has been very rewarding,” kaufman said. Seeing how hard our students worked at all of our schools shows determination and commitment that is truly inspiring.”

The elementary school competition will begin at 11 a.m. and the middle school competition will begin at 1 p.m. in the Gateway Charter School cafeteria.

A total of 22 elementary school students from 11 different schools and 24 middle school students from 12 different schools will compete, Kaufman said.

Gateway Charter School and Six Mile Charter Academy are part of the Charter Schools USA Inc. (CSUSA) family of schools. CSUSA is one of the nation’s leading charter school management companies, serving kindergarten through 12th grade.

Enrollment for both schools is underway; interested parents can register their child online at www.gatewaycharterschool.org or www.sixmilecharter.org. For additional information, contact Charter Schools USA at 1-866-KIDSUSA or visit the corporate Web site at www.charterschoolsusa.com .

Media contacts:

Brooke Kaufman assistant principal and spelling bee coordinator