MOUNT VERNON – The annual Knox County Spelling Bee will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 20, in the Mount Vernon High School auditorium.
Nineteen students in grades five through eight who won grade-level bees in their respective districts will compete. They represent Centerburg Local Schools, Danville Local Schools, East Knox Local Schools, Fredericktown Local Schools and Mount Vernon City Schools.
The Knox Educational Service Center is sponsoring the event with grant support from the Rotary Foundation. Rotary funds will pay for participant T-shirts, certificates, trophies and refreshments.
Taylor Gingery, ESC gifted and enrichment coordinator, has organized the bee with support from Teresa Strong, Mount Vernon spelling bee coach.
Gingery will be the pronouncer. The Knox County Commissioners will again serve as judges.
Participants include:
Centerburg – Audrey Carlisle, fifth grade; Maci Retherford, sixth grade; Logan Brison, seventh grade; Ally Wilhelm, eighth grade.
Fredericktown – Gwen Lavin, fifth; Isabella Broerman, sixth; Addison Keener, seventh; Caitlin Roddy, eighth.
East Knox – Reem Ezzarouli, fifth; Rhyan Williams, sixth; Michael Metcalf, seventh; Brooklyn Morand, eighth.
Danville – Stella Brecheisen, fifth; Maycee Samples, sixth; Blake Thomas and Zander Patrick, seventh-eighth.
Mount Vernon – Mason Tocheff, sixth; Jonathan Green, seventh; Natasha Jose, eighth.
The winner and runner-up at the Knox County bee will have the opportunity to take an online screening test to qualify as one of the top 50 spellers for the regional bee at Ohio University. The online test will focus on both spelling and grammar.
