2017 Spelling Bee Supplement

35th Annual Washington Informer

35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT

The Washington Informer History of the City-Wide Spelling Bee

The Washington Informer began sponsoring the D.C. Wide Spelling Bee during the 1981-82 school years. The late Dr. Mary E. White, supervising director, D.C. Public Schools Division of Instructional Services, Department of English, sought participation for D.C. Public Schools students in the Scripps National Spelling Bee held annually in Washington, D.C.

Many years prior, The Washington Daily News sponsored the local spelling bee. Subsequently, The Washington Star purchased the Daily News, and ceased sponsorship of the spelling bee. For more than 15 years, District of Columbia public, private and parochial school students could not participate in the national competition for lack of a sponsoring newspaper.

Dr. White solicited support from the Washington Post, hopeful that the publisher would agree to become the District’s official sponsor.

According to Dr. White, Post officials told her that since the daily newspaper was a regional publication; their sponsorship would have to include not only the District of Columbia, but suburban Maryland and Virginia, as well. However, at that time, the Journal newspaper chain had served as the suburban sponsor for several years, resulting in the Post’s refusal to sponsor the bee solely for students enrolled in District schools.

Dr. White then appealed to Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, a friend and supporter of the D.C. Public Schools, president and founder of the United Black Fund, Inc. and publisher of The Washington Informer newspaper, to exercise his influence over the Post officials and persuade them to agree to sponsor the spelling bee. However, as publisher of a weekly newspaper, which served more than 25,000 readers in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, Dr. Rolark volunteered his publication to serve as the sponsor. With that, he brought in his daughter, Denise Rolark, managing editor of The Washington Informer, to assist in coordinating the District’s first spelling bee along with Dr. White and other D.C. Public Schools officials.

The first city-wide spelling bee was held at Backus Junior High School in March, 1982. The winner was a sixth grade student, John Krattenmaker, who attended Mann Elementary School. Unbeknownst to Dr. Rolark, John was not permitted to participate in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee held the following May because The Washington Informer was not a daily newspaper, a requirement of the Scripps National Spelling.

Dr. Rolark, who was a member of the board of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), a trade organization of nearly 200 African American-owned newspapers across the country, concluded that the national spelling bee was maintaining an inherently discriminatory policy that prohibited African American newspapers from participating in the National Spelling Bee since there are no

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African American-owned daily newspapers in the U.S. In urban school districts, where the majority of the student population is African American, students who might otherwise be eligible to participate in the spelling bee would be precluded from doing so if the white-owned daily newspaper elected not to sponsor the local bee.

Dr. Rolark called in his legal counsel and wife, Wilhelmina J. Rolark, who threatened Scripps with an injunction that would forbid the national competition to take place in the District of Columbia until the court ruled on the merits of the case alleging discrimination.

Scripps complied, and changed its rules to allow weekly newspaper sponsorship in the national competition. That year, the Loudon County Times, a weekly newspaper based in Loudon County, Virginia and the only other weekly newspaper to participate along with the Informer in the national spelling bee that year, produced the national spelling bee winner.

Each year, more than 2,000 students enrolled in nearly 200 D.C. schools, including private, parochial, independent, charter and homeschools, participate in The Washington Informer City-Wide Spelling Bee. For the past 33 years, the City-Wide Spelling Bee has been held at the studios of NBC4, where it is taped and later aired for general viewership throughout the Washington metropolitan area.

Purpose

Scripps, a diversified multi-media company, established the National Spelling Bee to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabulary, learn concepts, and develop correct English that will help them all their lives. Spellers experience the satisfaction of learning language not only for the sake of correct spelling but also for the sake of cultural and intellectual literacy.

The Washington Informer’s participation in Scripps National Spelling Bee helps to further the goals of Scripps in the District of Columbia and to address the issue of illiteracy, particularly among African American youth. “If we want to improve the quality of life for all Americans,” said the late Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, publisher, “then we must begin by teaching our children to read, which they will not be able to achieve until they can learn to spell.” s

s NBC 4 Anchors for the spelling bee are Erica Gonzalez (fourth spelling bee) and Adam Tuss (first spelling bee) /Photo by Roy Lewis

35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Meet Our Winners

s (From left) Washington Informer Publisher, Denise Rolark Barnes, 3rd place winner Robert Foster, Winner Margaret Isacson, and 2nd place winner Jude Martin, and Tracye Funn from Washington Gas during the awards ceremony after the bee. /Photo by Roy Lewis

THE MALPRACTICE LAW FIRM JACK H. OLENDER & ASSOCIATES, P.C.

Congratulates

s Attorney Jack H Olender holds an annual reception for the winners of The Washington Informer Spelling Bee, where he gives the winners cash prizes and certificates. Shown at the reception this year, are (from left) are Winner Margaret Isacson, Attorney Olender, 2nd place winner Jude Martin, and 3rd place winner Robert Foster. /Photo by Ron Burke

First Place Margaret Isacson Oyster-Adams Bilingual School, 7th Grade Second Place Jude Martin Brent Elementary School, 5th Grade Third Place Robert Foster National Presbyterian School, 5th Grade

And all of the 35th Annual Washington Informer Spelling Bee Participants s Long time Sponsor, SW Airlines provided round trip tickets to Spelling Coordinator, Joana Benjamin, runner up, Jude Martin, and winner Margaret Isacson. /Photo by Roy Lewis

WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

888 17th St., N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006 www.olender.com (202) 879-7777 FAX (202) 393-224

35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT APRIL 6, 2017

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The promise of tomorrow...

...begins today!

WGL is a proud sponsor of the 2017 Washington Informer Spelling Bee. WGL understands that our responsibilities don’t end with serving our customers. We are committed to enhance the quality of life throughout our entire community.

To learn more, visit us at wgl.com.

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35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Prize Table

Every Speller received a trophy and the Judges, the Pronouncer and the NBC 4 producer received an award. All were provided by Champion Trophy. /Photo by Demetrious Kinney

JOIN US AT NATIONALS PARK Saturday, April 15, 2017 1:05 PM

The Washington Nationals are proud to host all of the spellers and recognize the top finalists from the 35th Annual Washington Informer Spelling Bee. The top spellers will be honored at home plate before the game.

Please join us for a day of fun and fellowship at Nats Park.

Congratulations to all of the Washington Informer Spelling Bee Participants.

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35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT APRIL 6, 2017

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THE AWARD WINNING AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER

2017 Spelling Bee Sponsors and Partners Champion Trophy Comcast / XFINITY DC Public Schools The Foundation for the Advancement of Music & Education Inc. (FAME) Giant Food Jack H Olender and Associates McMillon Communications NBC4 Pepco Southwest Air Toyota Washington Nationals WGL Please feel free to contact The Washington Informer with any questions, concerns, suggestions for next year, or if you would like to personally thank any of our sponsors.

Denise Rolark Barnes, Publisher Ron Burke, Advertising and Marketing Director The Washington Informer 3117 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE Washington DC 20032 202-888-6835 rburke@washingtoninformer.com

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We consider each and every finalist to be a winner, and our sponsors and partners have helped us to reward every one of them. We humbly ask that you support our sponsors, partners, and advertisers.

2017 Prize List First Place Winner: • First Place Trophy – courtesy by Champion Trophy • Four Tickets anywhere Southwest Airlines flies –

courtesy of Southwest Air • Check for $1000 – courtesy of Jack H. Olender and Associates • 1 hour session with Doris McMillon on effective public speaking • Hotel stay for the National bee at The Gaylord – courtesy of

The Washington Informer • Washington Nationals tickets • Invitation to be honored at Home Plate of a Nationals game

and a meet and greet with a player and Screech.

• Giant gift card • Washington Informer gift bag Second Place Winner: • Second Place Trophy – courtesy of Champion Trophy • Check for $500 – courtesy of Jack H. Olender and Associates • Invitation to be honored at Home Plate of a Nationals game

and a meet and greet with a player and Screech.

• Washington Nationals tickets • Giant gift card • Washington Informer gift bag Third Place Winner: • Third Place Trophy – courtesy of Champion Trophy • Check for $300 – courtesy of Jack H. Olender and Associates • Invitation to be honored at Home Plate of a Nationals game and a meet and greet with a player and Screech.

• Washington Nationals tickets • Giant gift card • Washington Informer gift bag All other finalists: • Finalist Trophy – courtesy of Champion Trophy • Washington Nationals tickets • Giant gift card • Washington Informer gift bag with assorted items from sponsors

The Washington Informer 3117 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE Washington DC 20032 202-888-6835 rburke@washingtoninformer.com

35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

pepco.com

ENERGIZED BY THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST. As a proud sponsor of the 35th Annual Washington Informer Spelling Bee, we salute this year’s contestants for a commitment to excellence that energizes us all. © Pepco, 2017

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35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT APRIL 6, 2017

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2017 Washington Informer Spelling Bee

s Spellers are lined up, waiting to go into the studio to tape the spelling bee.

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35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

1. Adryan Pinkerton and Vera Abbott were the consolers for the bee, who provided compassion for the spellers exiting the stage after misspelling a word. /Photo by Demetrious Kinney

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2. In addition to trophies, each speller received a gift bag courtesy of The Washington Informer. /Photo by Demetrious Kinney 3. Washington Informer publisher addresses the spellers, parents and supporters prior to the bee. /Photo by Roy Lewis 4. Anina Holley returns to her seat after correctly spelling a word. /Photo by Demetrious Kinney

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35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT APRIL 6, 2017

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The 35th Annual Washington Informer Spelling Bee

By Jade James-Gist WI Contributing Writer

A tense but exhilarating back-and-forth determined the 2017 winner of the annual Washington Informer Spelling Bee.

The District’s brightest and sharpest spellers took the stage Saturday, March 11, for the NBC4-hosted bee, as 29 students from public, private, parochial and home schools competed for the District spelling championship in front of family and friends.

In the final rounds, three students stood alone: Margaret Isacson, a seventh-grader at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School, Robert Foster, a fifth-grader at National Presbyterian School, and Jude Martin, a fifth-grader at Brent Elementary.

By this time, it was clear that the Scripps word list no longer challenged the students. So judges turned to the dictionary to help determine the winner.

To her surprise, 12-year-old Margaret correctly spelled the winning word, “totipalmate,” making her the 35th District spelling bee champion and qualifying her for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which begins May 28.

“I won a spelling bee in the third grade that asked for both English and Spanish words, which was pretty hard. So I realized then that I was pretty good at spelling,” Margaret recalled.

Her dad, Adam Isacson, was her primary spelling coach, and her mom, Catherine Gelb, helped with French words.

“All my friends were really supportive when I told them about my spelling,” she said. “They even quizzed me on my words.”

During the competition, Margaret’s father swelled with pride as she effortlessly spelled Spanish words such as “duena.” He attributed her ease with the language to her bilingual school.

“I was pretty sure I would get a participation trophy,” Margaret laughed. “I didn’t study as much as I did in fifth grade, but I wasn’t as stressed out as much either, and I think that’s what helped.”

The judges echoed this same advice to contestants on the morning of the competition: “Be confident!”

The five judges all have served as spelling bee coordinators in the past 20 years. They decided to rejoin the production “for the love of the bee.”

All describe a passion for encouraging bright, young students to spell.

“I really do it because of the fun,” said Elizabeth Primas, one of the judges. “One of the things I really love is that the students show good sportsmanship. Even when they don’t win, they cheer on those who did.”

Pronouncer Doris McMillon also expressed pride in the contestants.

“It just gives me great joy to see these kids because I know that

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s Spelling bee coordinator Donna Weston, NBC 4 CVP for ommunity Affairs was the producer of the Spelling Bee for NBC. Donna has won several Emmys for her TV production but this was her first spelling bee. /Photo by Roy Lewis they’re reading,” she said. “I am so committed to what these kids are doing and making sure that they have success.”

In an interview with NBC4, Margaret described her win as “totally weird,” adding that she had never heard the word “totipalmate” before.

Ultimately relying on her instincts, once she heard the word correctly, she swiftly spelled it for the judges.

She walked away with four tickets anywhere Southwest Airlines flies, a check for $1,000 courtesy of Jack H. Olender and Associates, Washington Nationals tickets and an invitation to be honored at home plate alongside the second- and third-place winners, Jude Martin and Robert Foster.

The two top runners-up received trophies, home plate honor at the April 15 Nationals game, Giant Food gift cards and $500 and $300 checks, respectively, from Olender and Associates.

Spelling Bee continued on Page S-11

35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Spelling Bee from Page S-10

Like Margaret, Jude Martin and Robert Foster were also in unfamiliar territory by the end.

“The Scripps website taught Jude common spellings and word forms in certain languages, which I think helped him with those dictionary words in the last rounds,” said Jude’s father, Andrew Martin.

A deeper dive into studying the words’ languages of origin may prove necessary for the National Spelling Bee, which does not provide a suggested word list to memorize.

“I’ve already started studying. They only use the dictionary, so you just have to know everything,” Margaret said.

As for Jude and Robert, both fully intend to spell again next year.

“I’ve always wanted to see the National Spelling Bee in person,” Robert said. “This year I’m going to take the day off from school and see the spellers at the Gaylord.”

Jude said that he also is motivated to make it to the national competition, but took pride in his impressive finish this year.

“I’m kind of amazed, because a lot of kids from the District take part in Scripps, and I was the second-best one this year,” he said.

Thanks to citywide bee coordinator Joanna Benjamin, students can definitively count themselves among the best spellers in the district.

“Before Joanna started in 2015, only 54 schools were registered with Scripps,” said Ron Burke, The Informer’s director of advertising and marketing. “Now 85 out of around 110 elementary and middle schools registered for the spelling bee this school year.”

Nearly 80 percent of D.C. public, private, charter, parochial and homeschooled students competed in the hopes to qualify for the District bee. The participants who made it to the March 11 competition received participation trophies, Nationals tickets and Giant gift cards as reward for their success and diligent preparation.

“You all had to be winners many times over just to get to this spot,” Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes told the contestants. “You should be proud of yourselves before ever getting on stage.”

Rolark Barnes has produced the bee since The Informer took on the endeavor in the early 1980s. For more than 15 years, D.C. schoolchildren could not participate in the national competition for lack of a sponsoring newspaper.

In the early days of the bee, her stepmother, attorney Wilhelmina Rolark, defended The Informer’s right to sponsor the bee at all. She challenged the Scripps rule, which barred weekly newspapers from sponsoring local bees, a rule that disproportionately affected African-American children. Scripps changed their rule, and the rest is history.

The Washington Informer has sent spellers to the Scripps National Spelling Bee since 1981, and this year Margaret Isacson will continue the legacy when she competes in May.

The 35th Annual Washington Informer Spelling Bee will air on WRC-TV (Channel 4) on Sunday, April 9 at noon. WI Margaret will go on to represent DC in the Scripps National Bee at National Harbor to be held during Memorial Day week at the Gaylord Hotel.

s Spelling Coordinator Joanna Benjamin and Washington Informer Publisher, Denise Rolark Barnes are interviewed prior to the bee by NBC 4 Anchors, Erica Gonzalez and Adam Tuss. /Photo by Roy Lewis

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35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT APRIL 6, 2017

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proud to sponsor the

WASHINGTON INFORMER SPELLING BEE

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35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Meet the 2016 Spellers

Photos by Demetrious Kinney

#1 Ezinne Anyanwu Paul Public Charter Middle 8th Grade

#7 Joe Finkelstein Lafayette Elementary School 5th Grade

#2 Daionna Black Whittier Education Campus 6th Grade

#8 Robert Foster National Presbyterian School 5th Grade

#3 Elsa Boehm Capitol Hill Montessori School 4th Grade

#9 Maurice Hall St. Augustine Catholic School

#4 Archer Briscoe Capitol Hill Montessori School 6th Grade

#10 Juvon Harris Center City Public Charter SchoolsCapitol Hill 5th Grade

#5 Jada Briscoe Tyler Elementary School 4th Grade

#6 Rodolfo Calzadillas Columbia Heights Education Campus 8th grade

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#11 Taha Hayee Rose L. Hardy Middle School 8th Grade

#12 Anina Holley John Eaton Elementary School 5th Grade

35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT APRIL 6, 2017

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Black History Year.

You heard it here first.

If you ever thought February was too short to celebrate Black history, we think you’re on to something. At Southwest®, we celebrate Black History Month 365 days a year. Through our committed relationships, we proudly support the many communities we call home.

© 2016 Southwest Airlines Co.

Southwest is the official airline of the Washington Informer Spelling Bee and Washington Informer Charities.

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35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Meet the 2016 Spellers

Photos by Demetrious (DB) Kinney

#13 Eddy Hoover Lafayette Elementary School 5th Grade

#14 Sydny Horge Takoma Education Campus 6th Grade

#20 Daniel OttoManzano Oyster-Adams Bilingual School 6th Grade

#15 Margaret Isacson Oyster-Adams Bilingual School 7th Grade

#21 Teddy Palmore St. Albans School 6th Grade

#16 Rebecca Khoury Rose L. Hardy Middle School 6th Grade

#22 Kate Rodriguez Murch Elementary School 5th Grade

#17 Isaac Lin Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School 5th Grade

#23 Eileen Sawyer Holy Trinity School 7th Grade

#18 Jude Martin Brent Elementary School 5th Grade

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#19 Queen Ogunshakin School Without Walls @ Francis Stevens 8th Grade

#24 D’Mitric Starke Tyler Elementary School 5th Grade

35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT APRIL 6, 2017

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35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Meet the 2016 Spellers

Photos by Demetrious (DB) Kinney

#25 Kingston Stephen Maury Elementary 5th Grade

#28 Julia Weinrod Alice Deal Middle School 6th Grade

#26 Devan Tatlow Murch Elementary School 5th Grade

#29 Paige Winbish Hope Community PCS- Tolson Campuse

#27 Aidan Urbina St. Albans School 7th Grade

s Spellers are all on the stage in the studio waiting on the competition to begin. /Photo by Roy Lewis

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35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT APRIL 6, 2017

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Meet Our Pronouncer – DORIS E. MCMILLON

Doris E. McMillon has been the pronouncer for The Washington Informer Spelling Bee for six of the last seven years. She is the President and Chief Strategic Officer of McMillon Communications, Inc. Her company provides services that help her clients effectively communicate their message and style through Media Training, Executive presentation and Image branding as well as Voice and Diction coaching.

In business for more than three decades, McMillon currently serves as a Prince George’s County Commissioner for the Cable Commission. Her communications savvy has afforded her an opportunity to teach communications skills to government employees at all levels at the Graduate School USA.

With a robust voice over business, she has been a top rated broadcast journalist for major radio and television stations in Detroit, New York and for WJLA-Channel 7 and Black Entertainment Television (BET) in Washington, D.C. In addition to her anchoring, reporting and talk show host duties, she served as the Moderator for Education News, Parents Can Use, a production for the Department of Education. McMillon has a thriving voiceover business, serving clients in all areas of message delivery. In addition, McMillon plays herself as an anchorwoman in Clint Eastwood’s Movie, IN THE LINE OF FIRE, Wesley Snipes’ movie, MURDER AT 1600, HEAD OF STATE, with Chris Rock and Bernie Mac, She also plays herself as a news anchor for the WEST WING, NCIS and the WIRE.

McMillon is the co-author of the ABC’s of Media: Turning Negative News into Positive Press and the author of the best-selling autobiography, MIXED BLESSING. It tells the story of her search for her biological parents. Her mother is German and her father was an African American G-I. The award-winning documentary entitled, Brown Babies, The Mischlingkinder Story, of which she is a part, shares the lives of these children of mixed heritage who were born in Germany and adopted by African American parents.

Meet Our Judges

In honor of our 35th year, our judges are all past and present Spelling Bee Coordinators Shown from left Joanna Benjamin Washington Informer Spelling Bee Coordinator 2015 – present Dr. Sharon Holmes Washington Informer Spelling Bee Coordinator 2012-2014 Dr. Anne Evans Washington Informer Spelling Bee Coordinator 2010-2012 Dr. Elizabeth V. Primas Washington Informer Spelling Bee Coordinator 2004-2010 Dr. Wilma Bonner Washington Informer Spelling Bee Coordinator 1998-2004 /Photos by Roy Lewis

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35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

The mission of the Washington Informer Charities is to improve 21st century literacy among children and adults in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area. In pursuit of this mission, WIC develops innovative sustaining programs and scholarship opportunities through partnerships with the public and private sector and non-profit entities.

Since its inception, WIC has provided internships, mentoring and professional training to children and adults through innovative programs aimed at improving the overall rate of literacy throughout the community. The WIC was established by Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr., in July, 1989 and received its tax exempt status as a 501(c)(3) organization in July, 2004. In furtherance of its mission, WIC partners with non-profit, corporate and community partners engaged in educational and literacy programs.

WIC’s focus on literacy, in its various forms, allows us to help children and adults fulfill their dreams and aspirations. Programs recurring on an annual basis of Washington Informer Charities are:

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Peacewalk

• Washington Informer African American Heritage Tour

• Washington Informer Spelling Bee

• The Prince George’s County Spelling Bee Presented By The Washington Informer Help us to reach more children and adults who we want to encourage to not only strive, but thrive!

Visit us at: www.washingtoninformercharities.org

Now published by Denise Rolark Barnes, The Washington Informer Newspaper Co. Inc. was founded on October 16, 1964 by Dr Calvin Rolark, in order to highlight positive images of African Americans. Having celebrated 50 years we are now a multi-media organization serving the multi-cultural community. We continue to focus on positive news, as we strive to EDUCATE, EMPOWER, and INFORM. We serve metropolitan Washington DC, including Prince George’s County, and are now reaching over 40,000 readers each week through our award winning newspaper print edition; a monthly average of 200,000 page views through our award winning website; 7,500 weekly subscribers through our weekly email newsletter, and a growing social media network. Visit us at www.washingtoninformer.com

Ron Burke • Director of Advertising and Marketing 202-561-4100 (office) • 202-888-6835 (direct/fax)

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35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT APRIL 6, 2017

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The Award Winning African American Newspaper Celebrating Our 52nd Year of Service

The Washington Informer Congratulates our 35th Annual Washington Informer Spelling Bee Winner!

First Place Margaret Isacson Oyster-Adams Bilingual School 7th Grade

The Bee will air on NBC 4 on Sunday April 9, 2017 at noon

We celebrate all of our finalists and everyone who helped make our 35th Annual Washington Informer Spelling Bee a huge success. /Photos by Roy Lewis

The Washington Informer Thanks all of our 2017 partners for making this year special

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35TH ANNUAL W.I. SPELLING BEE SUPPLEMENT WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM