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Schools

Whiz Kid: Meet Maha Bilal

The Pennypack Elementary School fifth-grader is a star speller

Maha Bilal, 11, recently represented Pennypack Elementary in a Regional Spelling Bee competition held at the Pennridge High School in Perkasie. She finished 15th and has her sights set on finishing much better next year so she can advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

To get ready for the competition, Maha practiced one to two hours every evening with her mom working on the definition, origin, and, of course, spelling of a wide range of words.

An avid reader, Maha uses her favorite hobby as a means of expanding her vocabulary.

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“I read a lot of books - usually two or three at the same time,” Maha said. “My favorite books are action and adventure but I’ll read fairytales too.”

Her most recent read? The last book in the "Harry Potter" series.

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When she's not reading books, Maha plays violin for the school’s orchestra and takes piano classes to further broaden her musical interests. Maha also stays fit and active by playing her favorite sport, basketball, as often as possible.

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