PITTSBORO — Among the more than three dozen spellers who qualified to compete in the district-wide Spelling Bee Monday, Margaret B. Pollard 8th-grader Ryan Serem emerged as the top speller.
It’s the second year the district has participated in the Scripps Spelling Bee, and Ryan’s victory Monday night in the Seaforth High School auditorium secured him a spot to compete in the Carolina Panthers Regional Bee in Charlotte.
“I am really excited about making it to the next level. I want to make my school and the school district proud,” Ryan said. “There were some really great spellers in our district bee, and that has helped prepare me for the Regional Bee.”
Margaret B. Pollard 8th-grader Lyra Benjamin placed second in the District Spelling Bee, and Silk Hope 8th-grader James Adkins placed third.
“I am proud of our students’ hard work and poise,” said Michael Triplett, CCS AIG instructional program facilitator and organizer of the event. “It’s amazing how much work our students and Spelling Bee Coordinators put into preparing for the event. The dedication shows, and Chatham County Schools was well-represented by our students at the spelling bee.”
Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson applauded all the students who participated. “Our schools, our families and most of all our students should be proud of the hard work these young people put in to prepare for this competition,” Jackson said. “They have put in hours and hours of preparation and I commend them for their efforts culminating in the District Spelling Bee.”
