All five of Port Washington’s elementary schools recently came together for a districtwide Scrabble Tournament that wrapped up a successful year of strategy, spelling, and vocabulary-building fun.
The Scrabble Club, which ran at each school from October to April, introduced students to the classic word game while teaching them helpful tips, game strategies, and new vocabulary along the way. The program culminated on April 8 with a tournament at Daly Elementary School.
Three fourth-grade and three fifth-grade students from each school were selected to represent their buildings in the final tournament.
“What stood out the most was how supportive the students were of one another,” said Julie Katz, teacher at Salem Elementary. “It was less about who won and more about connecting with new friends and having a great time using their skills.”
While the primary focus of the tournament was to celebrate the students’ Scrabble skills, it also came with a meaningful bonus: it gave many of the fifth-graders a chance to meet peers from other schools before they all join together at Weber Middle School in the fall.
“It was so special to see students connecting across buildings,” said Heather Hoffman, teacher at Daly. “They’ll be classmates next year, and this gave them an early chance to start those friendships.”
The eight tournament winners were: Eve DelSenno (Salem), Hailey Georgatos (Guggenheim), Mallory Garber (Guggenheim), Antonia Lyristis (Salem), Keith Meehan (Salem), Austin Oh (Sousa), Leo Tito (Sousa), and Amelia Yoon (Manorhaven).
The tournament was made possible thanks to the dedicated support of teacher advisors Lisa Cangialiosi (Sousa), Heather Hoffman (Daly), Julie Katz (Salem), Melissa Koulouris (Guggenheim), and Kimberly Singh (Manorhaven).
As the culminating event of the Scrabble Club, the tournament celebrated the hard work and progress of students throughout the year. The Club is generously co-funded by the Ed. Foundation and the Port Washington School District.
Amelia Yoon, Hailey Georgatos, Eve DelSenno, Mallory Garber, Leo Tito, Austin Oh, Keith Meehan, and Antonia Lyristis.
Kimberly Singh, Melissa Koulouris, Heather Hoffman, Julie Katz, and Lisa Cangialiosi
