The 2023 BSSD Spelling Bee reached record territory, with participants competing through 46 rounds - the longest District Bee in BSSD history. Eighth grade student Garrett Fry of Delta Woods Middle School won the overall title by outlasting fourth grader Caleb Co of James Walker Elementary.
Garrett became only the second Blue Springs School District student to advance to the semifinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. last year, reaching the final 56. Caleb was competing in his first BSSD Spelling Bee. Caleb misspelled “Pleiades” in the 45th round, and Garrett won in the 46th by correctly spelling “tetrazzini.” Dani Agate, a seventh grade student at Moreland Ridge Middle School, finished third overall.
Each BSSD building spelling bee winner now advances to the Mid-Continent Public Library’s Online Semifinal Spelling Bee from February 7-14, 2024.
2023-2024 BSSD Spelling Bee Contestants
Alex Shaw, 7th grade
Brittany Hill Middle School
Garrett Fry, 8th grade
Delta Woods Middle School
Dani Agate, 7th grade
Moreland Ridge Middle School
Henry Bledsoe, 6th grade
Paul Kinder Middle School
Siena Darnall, 5th grade
Chapel Lakes Elementary
Jack Bartlett, 4th grade
Cordill-Mason Elementary
Grace Bales, 5th grade
Daniel Young Elementary
Emmalyn Vigliaturo, 4th grade
Franklin Smith Elementary
Hadley House, 5th grade
James Lewis Elementary
Caleb Co, 4th grade
James Walker Elementary
Kevin Le, 5th grade
John Nowlin Elementary
Aria Burroughs, 5th grade
Lucy Franklin Elementary
Hadley Henderson, 4th grade
Sunny Pointe Elementary
Amelia Martinez, 5th grade
Thomas Ultican Elementary
Gavin Backhus, 5th grade
Voy Spears Jr. Elementary
Mia Caudill, 5th grade
William Bryant Elementary
Carter Bruns, 5th grade
William Yates Elementary