The Martin County School District held its fifth annual Middle School Spelling Bee on December 13, 2022. Mr. Mark Cowles, Coordinator of Social Studies and Special Projects, Dr. Deb George, Coordinator of Title I, and Ms. Deborah Schneider, an English/ Language Arts Teacher at Hidden Oaks Middle, served as judges in this year’s competition. Ms. Shannon Armstrong, Director of Recruitment and Retention, was the enunciator for the Bee.
Thirty-six spellers from all five of the District's middle schools participated in 16 rounds of competition, with the final two spellers competing in rounds 10 – 16! Contestants tackled the spelling of words such as "balderdash," "esoteric," gibbous,” “effusive,” and “resilience." The winning word was "commodious."
The next step for the winner will be the Polk County/Regional Spelling Bee. The top 60 finalists from the Regional Spelling Bee will head to the Orange County Bee and then on to the National Spelling Bee.
Congratulations to the following winners:
· Aiden Smart - First Place - Stuart Middle School
· Nina Goyal - Second Place – Hidden Oaks Middle School
· Ellise Kleabir - Third Place – Murray Middle School
· Deven Chauhan - Fourth Place – Murray Middle School
· Landin Kodare - Fifth Place - Murray Middle School