MARATHON Spelling Bee

MARATHON
Posted on 01/29/2024

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