The 56th Annual Putnam County School District Spelling Bee took place this morning, Thursday, January 23rd, at 10:00 AM in the PCSD School Board Meeting Room. The event, livestreamed for the community, showcased the exceptional talents of 12 spellers from schools across the district.
Executive Director of Leadership Development, SaraJean McDaniel, opened the event, while Dr. Melanie Brown, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of St. Johns River State College, served as the esteemed pronouncer.
The competition kicked off with a confident practice round before diving into the challenging rounds that tested students' spelling skills and focus. After 16 rounds, a champion emerged by correctly spelling the word astonish.
Keylan Henry, an 8th-grade student from Crescent City Jr.-Sr. High, is the 55th Annual Spelling Bee Champion and will proudly represent Putnam County in the 81st Annual First Coast Regional Spelling Bee.
Alvin Williams, a 6th-grade student from Putnam Academy of Arts & Sciences, showcased remarkable determination and skill throughout the competition.
We applaud all participants for their dedication and exceptional representation of their schools:
Elijah Ritchie, 6th Grade, Browning-Pearce Elementary
Keylan Henry, 8th Grade, Crescent City Jr.-Sr. High
Rocket Askew, 5th Grade, James A. Long Elementary
Aubree Owens, 6th Grade, Kelley Smith Elementary
Katherine Semmes, 6th Grade, Melrose Elementary
Mason Hatfield, 6th Grade, Middleton-Burney Elementary
Melody Morales, 6th Grade, Moseley Elementary
Deandre Tinker, 5th Grade, Ochwilla Elementary
Alvin Williams, 6th Grade, Putnam Academy of Arts & Sciences
Emily Voegele-Palrud, 4th Grade, Putnam Virtual School
Marcos Seda-Gonzalez, 5th Grade, Robert H. Jenkins Elementary
Brady Pinkerton, 7th Grade, Q.I. Roberts Jr.-Sr. High
Special thanks to the Flagg Family for their generous donation of trophies, as well as to judges Sandy Gilyard, Wendy Hancock, Karen Hughes, Brenda MacGibbon, and Holly Pickens for their time and expertise.
Spelling Bee Pictures can be accessed HERE.
Video can be accessed HERE.
Congratulations to Keylan Henry, Alvin Williams, and all participants for their outstanding achievements!
#ProudtošPCSD