Tazewell County Reading Bee at Tazewell Middle School

Mar. 27—By GREG JORDAN

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

TAZEWELL, Va. — Tazewell County's fourth and fifth graders proved their spelling, comprehensive and impromptu skills Tuesday when they met several academic challenges at the 22nd Annual Tom Colley Reading Bee.

Formerly known as the Tazewell County Reading Bee, the academic competition was renamed the Tom Colley Reading Bee in honor of the late executive editor of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Colley, who was chairman of the Literacy Committee of what is now the Chamber of Commerce of the Two Virginias, created the reading bee concept as a way to help children develop a love of reading, Superintendent Chris Stacy told the audience at Tazewell Middle School's auditorium.

Fourth and fifth grade teams from Abbs Valley Boissevain Elementary School, Cedar Bluff Elementary School, Graham Intermediate School, Richlands Elementary School and Tazewell Intermediate School tested their literary skills in contests ranging from vocabulary, spelling, comprehension, editing and impromptu, a challenge in which the teams acted out scenes from books they had read.

When the scores — which included several ties for first and second place in each competition — were finalized the fourth grade overall winner was Cedar Bluff Elementary School and the fourth grade runner up was Tazewell Intermediate School.

Cedar Bluff's fourth grade team included students Trynton Cruey, Adam Gilbert, Aubree Gilbert and Mariail Hyatt. Their coach was Dana Smith. Tazewell Intermediate's runner-up team included students Payton Bowman, Scarlett Brittain, Harper Cronce and Madison Montaigne. Their coach was Courtney Mullins.

The reading bee's fifth grade overall winner was Graham Intermediate School and the fifth grade runner up was Abb's Valley Boissevain Elementary School.

Graham Intermediate's team included Olivia Barnett, Giuliana Protti-Lawrence, Logan Lee and Kyle Leedy. Their coach was Sarah Jones. Abb's Valley's runner-up team included students Zoey Bowling, Lillian Davis, Karalyna Green and Levi Thompson. Their coach was Staci Ross.

After going on stage to receive books, certificates and trophies recognizing their various schools, the overall winners celebrated their achievements and held their trophies high.

"It doesn't feel real," Logan Lee said of her team's overall win. "It feels like a dream."

The fourth grade overall winners were celebrating their big achievement as well.

"Very very good!" Aubree Gilbert said over the cheers when asked what it felt like to win the overall spot.

The reading bee's supporters included the Community Foundation of the Virginias, Inc.; the Chamber of Commerce of the Two Virginias; the Bluefield Daily Telegraph Literacy Fund, the William D. Evans Fund; Venture Printing, Anytime Fitness, Community Radiology of Virginia; the family of Eugenia Hancock; WVVA; Lawrence Brothers, Inc.; Lindsey Mullins Woodard, TCPS Director of Public Relations; Communities in Schools of the Appalachian Highlands; Tazewell County School Board; and the Mercer County Board of Education.

Other supporters included Craft Memorial Library, Mrs. Charles (Dafney K) Peters, First Community Bank, Bluefield WV Rotary Club, Princeton WV Rotary Club, Bluefield Va. Rotary Club, George M. Cruise Foundation and the Frank Smoot Charitable Trust.

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com

Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com