PHOTOS: аæèßäapp Spelling Bee

    Our School Spelling Bee Winners

      • Belmont Middle School seventh grader wins spelling bee

        Paul Sayegh, a seventh grader at Belmont Middle School, spelled the word “taxonomic” to win the аæèßäapp Spelling Bee on January 29 at Ashbrook High School.  Out of 38 students from elementary schools and middle schools, Sayegh emerged victorious.  Nixon Sipe of Cramerton Middle School was the runner-up.

        Sayegh competed in last year’s spelling bee, but was eliminated on the word "reimbursable." "I said 'ible' instead of 'able,'" he recalls, acknowledging the simple mistake. This year, he’s been practicing daily with his dad using the Spelling Bee app. “We go over the words each day, and he highlights the ones I get right and the ones I need to work on,” Sayegh explains.

        With the Carolina Panthers Regional Spelling Bee presented by Bank of America coming up in March, Sayegh is continuing his preparations. The top four finishers at the regional bee will earn invitations to compete in the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

        Here is a list of our school-level spelling bee winners for 2024-2025:

        • H.H. Beam Elementary, Gabriela Garcia Lara
        • W.B. Beam Intermediate, Kinslee Philbeck
        • Belmont Central Elementary, Liam Aridou
        • Belmont Middle, Paul Sayegh (winner)
        • W.A. Bess Elementary, Lucas Parks
        • Bessemer City Central Elementary, Jonathan Mejia De Leon
        • Bessemer City Middle, Cassidy Allen
        • Brookside Elementary, Alyssa Nieves-Crespo
        • Carr Elementary, Johnny Aguero-Morales
        • Catawba Heights Elementary, Lydia Rumfelt
        • Chapel Grove Elementary, Bella Black
        • John Chavis Middle, Makayla Stover
        • Costner Elementary, Alejandro Tejada
        • Cramerton Middle, Nixon Sipe (runner-up)
        • W.C. Friday Middle, Raegan Haywood
        • Gardner Park Elementary, Chioma Soumare
        • аæèßäapp Virtual Academy, Solomon Gizaw
        • W.P. Grier Middle, Bria Wells
        • Hawks Nest STEAM Academy, Grace Sankowich
        • Holbrook Middle, Juan Carlos Pineda Deras
        • Kiser Elementary, Erik Garris
        • Lingerfeldt Elementary, Fatirah Hammed
        • Lowell Elementary, Shevin Barnes
        • McAdenville Elementary, Luke Parton
        • Mount Holly Middle, Bode Michael
        • New Hope Elementary, Ethan Littrell
        • North Belmont Elementary, Paislee Furrow
        • Pinewood Elementary, Harlow Case
        • Pleasant Ridge Elementary, Jericho Martin
        • Rankin Elementary, Bria Gagnon
        • Robinson Elementary, Mason Harvey
        • Sadler Elementary, America Vidal Santes
        • Sherwood Elementary, Kimaya Sanders
        • Southwest Middle, Tre’vion Surratt
        • Stanley Middle, Landon Martin
        • Tryon Elementary, Avery Irby
        • Woodhill Elementary, Esther Cortez Dominguez
        • York Chester Middle, Miya Degree-Stokes

      VIDEO: The Winning Word