High Point R-III hosts Spelling Bee

High Point R-III Spelling Bee Champions are all smiles, from left, master of ceremonies Debra Hartman, elementary champion Jillian Schmidt, middle school champion Kaylena Riggs, and organizer Galen Maples.
High Point R-III Spelling Bee Champions are all smiles, from left, master of ceremonies Debra Hartman, elementary champion Jillian Schmidt, middle school champion Kaylena Riggs, and organizer Galen Maples.

All students participated as each round intensified with more difficulty. As students were eliminated for not being able to spell such words as "pantomime, apologize and prolific" two very successful young ladies pinged back and forth with such words as "topiary, bribery, crucial and paunch" until finally it was decided by judges first and second grade teacher Ashley Groose, fifth-eighth grade language arts teacher Debra Hartman and Maples that third grader Jillian Schmidt was the elementary spelling bee champion and fifth grader Kaylena Riggs was the middle school spelling bee champion. Maples shared, "all the students did an exceptional job with all the words. I am very proud of all of them." Riggs and Schmidt sighed in relief that is was over and they both were winners.