The buzz of excitement filled the halls of Kenwood Station Elementary as 110 eager participants from grades one through five competed in the school’s third annual spelling bee, presented by the KSE PTO and Kenwood Station Elementary School between Nov. 13-20.
After winning the classroom-level and then grade-level rounds, five students faced off in the schoolwide competition Nov. 20.
Fifth grade student Emilia McCollum won after 41 rounds with the word “drawl.”
The finalists included Lucas Pinkston (first grade), Sierra Reynolds (second grade), Jacob Yonak (third grade), Hank Gardner (fourth grade — runner-up), and Emilia McCollum (fifth grade — champion).
All finalists received certificates; a book of their choice courtesy of Barnes and Noble; Walmart gift cards; and a desk reference set, comprised of a dictionary, thesaurus, and vocabulary builder.
As champion, Emilia McCollum also received a Half Price Books gift card and a free Encyclopedia Britannica online subscription.
In keeping with the KSE Spelling Bee tradition, Hank Gardner, as runner-up, randomly selected a number representing a spelling bee participant. McKenzie McGuire became the lucky recipient of another free Encyclopedia Britannica online subscription.
“Kenwood Station Elementary expresses immense pride in all participants, commending their hard work and dedication, organizers said. “Both KSE and Oldham County Schools extend their heartfelt congratulations to Emilia McCollum and wish her the best of luck in the upcoming Regional Spelling Bee on March 9 at the Louisville Free Public Library. The entire community eagerly anticipates her continued success on this linguistic journey.”