Today in Ottawa, Diane Ablonczy had the opportunity to meet 12-year-old Preetha Gopalakrishnan, winner of the Calgary Herald Regional Spelling Bee. Preetha is in Ottawa from March 24-29 to compete at the 2010 Canwest Canspell National Spelling Bee.

There are a number of exciting tours and activities planned for Preetha and the 20 other young spellers from across Canada who will be in Ottawa to compete for the national title, including visits to the War Museum, the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, a tour of the RCMP Rockcliffe Stables and a  Senators hockey game.     

In addition, this afternoon, Preetha and the 20 other national bee finalists toured Parliament Hill and had the opportunity to sit in the public galleries during Question Period. 

Canwest Canspell is a free, grassroots initiative designed to engage middle school students (Grades 4-8) by celebrating excellence in academic achievement and encouraging positive study habits.  In 2010, Canspell engaged thousands of schools from St. John’s to Victoria with some 250,000 students registered at the entry level to compete in school, regional, and national competitions.

Congratulations and good luck Preetha!