Aristoi Classical Academy is a small charter school with a big heart. The Scripps Spelling Bee is one of the highlights in our academic school year.

The Second Annual Spelling Bee took place on January 16th and everyone is still 'a-buzzing'! Twenty-five courageous middle school students took the stage and battled through 12 rounds to an exciting, hold-your-breath finale! Battling to the end, the winning word was 'endeavor' and with the judges incessant ringing of the bell--7th grader Roderick Freeman was declared SSAC's 2018 Spelling Bee champion!

I would like to brag on Emma Bartlett. I had the pleasure of coaching her on my Spell Bowl team for two years. During her second year of competition, she earned a near perfect score. That same year, she won our local bee as a 6th grader. I always get a little more excited when one of my Spell Bowl students does well in the Spelling Bee!! This year, she won her classroom bee and came away from our local Jr. High bee as the winner. I am very glad that Emma will get to compete at the regional level again this year.

Daniel Larsen enjoyed last year's national finals so much, he was motivated to repeat as champion of the Indiana University Bee in Bloomington, Indiana. He wore his favorite lucky shirt as he correctly spelled "peccadillo" and "recidivist" to win the regional event and advance to D.C. The regional sponsor is IU's Media School and School of Education. 

Photo credit: Jonathan Streetman, The Herald Times

Brian Kenny, an Onondaga Hill Middle School eighth-grader, is following in his sister's footsteps after he won the 2018 Post-Standard | WCNY | Syracuse.com Spelling Bee. It was a marathon battle lasting more than 30 rounds before he correctly spelled "prosciutto" to win. 

Photo credit: syracuse.com | The Post-Standard – Mike Greenlar 

Ryan Himmelsbach, a 13-year-old from Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School in the Three Village school district in East Setauket, New York, is returning to the national finals after winning the Hofstra University regional bee. He was thrilled to not hear the ring of the bell when he correctly spelled “teleost.”

Photo credit: Jessica Rotkiewicz, Newsday

Fifth-grader Bao Pham from Birch Elementary School in Broomfield, Colorado, won the Barnes & Noble Spelling Bee by correctly spelling "pyroclastic." Editorial note: Bao and his fellow spellers get an additional round of applause from us for their fantastic Bee competition t-shirts.

Photo credit: Cliff Grassmick, Daily Camera

Jordi De Jong, a student at Villa Maria Academy, did not waste her second chance opportunity to win the Chester County Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Chester County Intermediate Unit. She correctly spelled preposterous and vamplate to win the title. 

Photo credit: Chester County Intermediate Unit

Nicole Patrao is the winner of the 2018 Olathe Spelling Bee. She is an eighth-grader at Chisholm Trail Middle School. The Kansas City Star is the sponsor for that region. She offered up helpful advice — “The key is always to ask for as much information as you can, even if you know the word.” 

Photo credit: Olathe Public Schools

The third time was the charm for Nathaniel Stone to win the Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee in Jamaica. The 11-year-old from Glenmuir High School correctly spelled "orotund" to take the title. He credits his mother for inspiring him to continue spelling and to achieve. 

Photo credit: Ian Allen, The Gleaner