HOULTON, Maine — Two local middle schoolers were crowned as spelling champions at their schools’ respective spelling bees last week.
Vir Singh Ranger of Greater Houlton Christian Academy and Kaelynn Little of Mill Pond School were each declared the winners of their respective school bees, earning the right to advance to the County bee.
Kaelynn Little, left, a seventh-grader at Mill Pond School in Hodgdon, was crowned this year’s school spelling champion. Reiley Wright, an eighth-grader, finished as runner up. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
The Northern District (Aroostook County) Scripps National Spelling Bee competition for middle school students will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27, in the Fox Auditorium at the University of Maine at Fort Kent.
For Singh Ranger, an eighth-grader at Greater Houlton, it marks the second straight year winning his school’s spelling competition. He was also crowned the County champ at last year’s event.
Joining Little and Singh Ranger will be the two runners-up from each school — Reiley Wright, an eighth-grader at Mill Pond School, and Stephanie Tuttle, a sixth-grader at Greater Houlton.
Interestingly, the championship word at both schools turned out to be the same.
At the Mill Pond School Bee held Jan. 15, a group of 12 spellers battled through eight rounds of words that increased in difficulty. Little successfully spelled the words “archives” and “salamanders” to capture her school’s crown.
Vir Singh Ranger, left, an eighth-grader at Greater Houlton Christian Academy, was crowned the spelling champ at his school for the second straight year on Thursday, Jan. 16. Finishing as runner up was sixth-grader Stephanie Tuttle. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
At the Greater Houlton bee on Jan. 16, Singh Ranger correctly spelled the word “multiplication” followed by “archives” to win his school’s event.
Other Mill Pond School students participating in their event were sixth-graders Delilah Jay, Kylie Campbell, Alyssa Elland and Joseph Scott; seventh-graders Alex Sherman, Chloe Polchies and George Gaddis; and eighth-graders Madison Bridges, Kyla Morrison and Meghan Peters.
Other spellers participating in the Greater Houlton school bee were: sixth-graders Jack Philbrook and Andrea Ross; seventh-graders Lily Monarca, Abby Duff and Addison Watson; and eighth-graders Aimon Simoes and Leanne Ross.
