JJ Jones Intermediate School sent seven students to compete against middle schoolers at the district-wide spelling bee. Third graders Halen Turner and Bates Currin, fourth-graders Summer Carpenter and Jack Moore along with fifth graders Ellie Payne, Cassandra Ramirez, and Adriana Ortiz-Contreras finished at the top of their grade level bees.
Mount Airy Middle School had six students finish in the top two of their grade level bees to move on to the district-wide bee. Sixth graders Alejandro Bobadilla and Sabrina Brown, seventh-graders Luca Livengood and Tommy Simmons with eighth-graders Guadalupe Rubio and Isabella Willard earning their way to the next level.
While school and district bees are normally held in front of a packed audience, COVID-19 provided guidelines that limited the number of people who could watch in person. Students and parents were able to enjoy the competitions via an online platform. The lack of audience members was surely a relief to students as spelling in front of parents and peers can be a stressful event. Students did a great job managing social distancing and mask usage during the bee. For judges to do their job well, they needed to be able to see the mouths of the spellers. Thanks to special microphones that picked up audio from a good distance, students were able to remain safe and pull their masks down for judges to see and hear them spell.
The district bee was a sight to see as fourth-graders and a sixth grade took the titles. Fourth-grader Jack Moore won the bee with fourth-grader Summer Carpenter and sixth-grader Alejandro Bobadilla ending as runners-up.
JJ JONES INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL
3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade
Kohen Taylor Jack Moore-Runner up Max Fernandez
Tanner Goad Salem Cassell Autumn Ayers
Lenzi Cagle Camron Smeltzer Makenzie Wall
Halen Turner -Winner Skye Lipot Ana Valverde
Ellie Bohart Summer Carpenter-WinnerKylie Venable
Maizey Goins Chase Kniskern Titus Summers
Makenzie Boyd Colin Stewart Cassandra Ramirez – Runner up
Chapel Overby Brent Wright Alanna Swartz
Bates Currin-Runnerup JD Bohart Adriana Ortiz-Contreras-Runner up
Parker Brown Salem Fulk Nathan Haynes
Dan Le Kaidence Wood
Hasanah McCall Ellie Payne-Winner
Summer Hawks
Blake Barefoot
MOUNT AIRY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Sixth Jaylex Gates
Sixth Gracie O'Nan
Sixth Alejandro Bobadilla Winner
Sixth Lillie Goins
Sixth Kaebyn Avara
Sixth Katie Draughn
Sixth Sabrina Brown Runner-Up
Sixth Rebekah Freeman
Sixth Nevan Owens
Seventh Emma Rudisill
Seventh Joana Villanueva
Seventh Taylor McCormack
Seventh Tommy Simmons Runner-Up
Seventh Abraham Rivera
Seventh Garrett Willard
Seventh Nate Fulk
Seventh Luca Livengood Winner
Seventh Ryan Easter
Seventh Elijah Lambert
Eighth Jackson Hodge
Eighth Christopher Semones
Eighth Angel Ortiz
Eighth Isabella Willard Runner-Up
Eighth Chase Moore
Eighth Dyson Long
Eighth Savannah Wooten
Eighth Fletcher Gallimore
Eighth John Martin
Eighth Shockley Hiatt
Eighth Guadalupe Rubio Winner
Eighth Kieran Slate
Eighth Lucas Goins