RCPS Home | Visit the Highlights Archive

Hannah Craun Finishes 3rd in Regional Bee

Submitted by Janet Wendelken, Director of Instructional Programs, RCPS

Congratulations to all of the RCPS Students Who Participated in the Regional Spelling Bee!

Hannah Craun from Pence Middle took third place!

Nine Rockingham County Public School students participated among the students who won the right to advance to the 2010 Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 6, at the WVPT-TV studios. The bee was broadcast live from the WVPT studios. There were 20 total students in the bee which went 12 rounds, with 81 words spelled, and lasting 39 minutes.

Andrew Taylor from Blue Ridge Christian School took first place, spelling the word "hustings." He receives the trip in May for the Scripps National Bee, a dictionary, a HP laptop computer, a $100 saving bond, a one-year subscription to the Encyclopedia Britannica Online, and a plaque commemorating the achievement. Mia Karr, a student from Thomas Harrison Middle School, placed second. Mia received a dictionary, one-year subscription to the Encyclopedia Britannica Online, $20 gift certificate to Amazon.com, and a plaque. Hannah Craun from Wilbur S. Pence Middle School took third place. Hannah received a one-year subscription to the
Encyclopedia Britannica Online, $20 gift certificate to Amazon.com, and a plaque.

All contestants in the Regional Bee received a certificate and a bobble-head bee statue. Each received a number of gift certificates from sponsoring businesses. The Rockingham County students participating are pictured below.

(Seated, left to right) Jackson Brunk, John Wayland Elementary; Drake Comer, Wilbur S. Pence Middle; Annie Nealon, J. Frank Hillyard Middle; Hannah Craun, Wilbur S. Pence Middle (Standing, left to right) Eva Lupanov, J. Frank Hillyard Middle; Allison Jefferson, River Bend Elementary; Nealan Visvalingam, Peak View Elementary; Rebecca Mullins, Wilbur S. Pence Middle; Katie Shifflett, Elkton Middle School

First Alternate - Bryton Dean, Elkton Elementary School - Thanks to Bryton for attending and being prepared to participate in case one of the others from RCPS was not able to compete.

Here are some of the words that our RCPS students were asked to spell:
huckster, mattock, paradox, mizzle, lariat, wanton, bolero, spinet, and fiasco.

More than 3,000 students in Rockingham County Schools participated in the class, school, county-wide, and regional spelling bees. Thanks to the students, parents, teachers, school spelling bee coordinators, judges, officials, sponsors, and principals who made this exciting and academic activity happen for our students.

Congratulations RCPS Spelling Bee Students! They represented RCPS well.