Peyton Turner wins spelling bee

Published 6:00 am Friday, March 26, 2021

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Spelling Bee winner Peyton Turner correctly spells “pedestrian” to become the CuCPS Spelling Bee champion.

Individual grade level winners and runners-up included the following From left, front row: Lucas Ramsey and Aubrey Reny. Second row: Nikki Brandt, Stephen Long, Zy’Renae Allen, Greyson Peterson and Sophia Lopez. Third row: Kody Kohnen, Daryn Woodson-Trent, announcer, Lexi Blackwell, Karlee Capps and Aurian Bolden. Back row: Emily Eroh, Peyton Turner, Steven Mullins Jr. and David Sullivan, Jr.

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Peyton Turner, a sixth-grade student at Cumberland Middle School, won the Cumberland County Public Schools Spelling Bee held February 11.

Turner is the daughter of Jennifer and Michael Turner of Cumberland. She competed against other grade-level winners from grades 1-8 and successfully spelled “pedestrian” to win in the 23^rdround. The runner-up was Emily Eroh, daughter of Jeri and Ronnie Eroh. Grade level winners and runners-up are as follows:

FIRST GRADE

Winners: Lucas Ramsey and Aubrey Reny

Runners-up: Leland Mayes and Hiba Qureshi

SECOND GRADE

Winners: Zy’Renae Allen and Richard Greyson Peterson

Runners-up: Sophia Lopez and Savannah Redford

THIRD GRADE

Winners: Aurian Bolden and Steven Long

Runner-up: Adelynn Bristol

FOURTH GRADE

Winners: Alexa “Lexi” Blackwell and Nikki Brandt

Runner-up: Robby Heath

FIFTH GRADE

Winner: Karlee Capps

Runner-up: Iziah Brown

SIXTH GRADE

Winners: David Sullivan Jr., and Peyton Turner

Runners-up: Kamira Holman and Miah Richard

SEVENTH GRADE

Winner: Kody Kohnen

Runner-up: Cassandra Reny

EIGHTH GRADE

Winner: Emily Eroh

Runner-up: Steven Mullins Jr.

The spelling bee took place in the Cumberland High School/Cumberland Middle School Cafetorium. Daryn Woodson-Trent, a CES student, welcomed participants and guests to the event. Scott Gordon, a CMS/CHS teacher, called the spelling words. After the spelling bee, a reception was held for participants.

District winners receive a one-year subscription to Britannica Online for Kids, courtesy of Scripp’s National Spelling Bee and the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Turner advanced to the regional spelling bee. This year, due to COVID-19, the traditional in-person regional spelling bee was replaced with a two-part virtual program. In Part 1, students competed via the Scripps online testing platform with both spelling and vocabulary, with a 45-minute time limit to complete the test. In Part 2, the students with the five highest scores competed via a private Zoom link to determine the finalist, who would compete in the National Spelling Bee.