Newburgh Girl Wins State Spelling Bee — in Spanish

Ruth Senmache is the New York Spanish Spelling Bee Champion for 2011.

Newburgh has a champion! Ruth Senmache, a bilingual fifth grade student from West Street School, defeated 74 other students to win the 2011 New York State Spanish Spelling Bee in Manhattan.

Earlier this month, Senmache successfully advanced through the preliminary rounds of the competition, spelling increasingly difficult words in Spanish.

In the final round, she correctly spelled “deshuesar” and “abyeccion” earning her first place in the bee. As the winner, Senmache received a Dell laptop, a trophy, and two round ticket vouchers from JetBlue Airlines.

“The Newburgh Enlarged City School District is extremely proud of West Street School’s Ruth Senmach, the first-place winner in the state-wide Spanish Spelling Bee. The NECSD is proud of her monumental accomplishment and the manner with which she represented our community on a state-wide level,” said NECSD Superintendent of Schools Ralph A. Pizzo.