Spellers Represent SMSD in Countywide Bee

A group of Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) students demonstrated their strong spelling skills and represented the SMSD in this year’s Johnson County Spelling Bee.

All of these competitors advanced beyond classroom and building-level competitions to earn a spot in the countywide bee, hosted this year by the Spring Hill School District on January 29. 

Mira McInnes, seventh grader at Indian Hills Middle School and Annique Gras, sixth grader at Rising Star Elementary were finalists among the nearly 70 students who participated.

County bee participants were vying for a spot in the statewide Sunflower Spelling Bee, which will be held in Wichita in March.

Rachel Joseph, eighth grader from DeSoto School District won the county championship and will move on to the state bee.

Congratulations to all students who represented the SMSD at the county bee:

Jameson Justice, Rhein Benninghoven Elementary

Manuel Suarez, Bluejacket-Flint Elementary

Hadley Rowell, Broken Arrow Elementary

Phoebe Yu, Brookwood Elementary

Beckett Dougherty, Corinth Elementary

Princess Garcia, Crestview Elementary

Quinn Tyler, East Antioch Elementary

Harrison Hall, Indian Woods Middle School

Noah Charcut, Ray Marsh Elementary

Mohammad Elnajami, Christa McAuliffe Elementary

Cannon Smith, Merriam Park Elementary

Jacob Kelso, Mill Creek Elementary

Ryder MacMillan, Roesland Elementary

Gautham Padmakumar, Rushton Elementary

Olivia Perocho, Trailridge Middle School

Evan Klingele, Westridge Middle School