This week, students from the Grammar School participated in the annual Westminster Academy spelling bee. The four students from each grade level who were chosen to represent their classes at the morning assembly were:

2nd grade: Drew Garrett, Amos Ozier, Sloane Ebach, Amelia Smith
3rd grade: Irene Jones, Emily Harris, Abigail Nicolas, Lizzie Sutton
4th grade: Mullin Gillentine, Elizabeth Vaughn, Gavin Locke, Henry Smith
5th grade: Noah Dickerson, Eliana Harris, Mary Tennant Folk, Anna Grace Ray
6th grade: Marin Wark, Timothy Gregory, Avery Harris, Audrey Alberson
7th grade: Lainey Turner, Billy Marsh, Julia Whitehead, Molly Wallace,
8th grade: Emma Gregory, Nathan Jones, Daniel Rhodes, Kendall Smith

The competition lasted 12 rounds, with the final round coming down to Daniel Rhodes, Julia Whitehead and Lainey Turner. Seventh grader Lainey Turner was the overall winner of the spelling bee, and she will go on to compete against roughly 150 students from area schools in the regional spelling bee in February.

“As I stood at the front, calling words out, it struck me that competing in the spelling bee is an act of incredible courage and faith,” said Mrs. Petzinger. “Every single one of our students stood bravely in front of an audience of three-hundred people and spoke with confidence and clarity. I think you would be hard-pressed to find many adults who can do that with poise and aplomb!”