Mill Creek Middle Student Wins Third Straight Spelling Bee

Submitted by the Cherokee County School District

Mill Creek Middle School’s Sathvika Narasimhan correctly spelled “lethargy” last Thursday night to capture the Cherokee County Spelling Bee title for the third consecutive year.

Sathvika, who is in seventh grade, won the county contest last year as a sixth-grader at Mill Creek, and previously as fifth-grader representing Little River Elementary. In 2014, Sathvika was runner-up at the State Spelling Bee.

Thirty-one Cherokee County students put their spelling skills to the test in the Cherokee County Association of Educators’ annual competition. Macedonia Elementary School fifth-grader Julia Barfield won second place, and Freedom Middle School eighth-grader Sam Rowe came in third. All three students will compete in the GAE District Spelling Bee Feb. 28 in Cobb County.

Each elementary and middle school sent its school-level winner to the Cherokee County Spelling Bee in hopes of taking home the title and a chance to advance to the district competition.

Students in grades 4-8 are eligible for the competition. The group of spellers went through seven rounds of words before a champion was declared in the event, which was held at Cherokee High School. More than 80 words were attempted during the competition, including tricky terms like “pusillanimous,” “reconnoiter,” “jocularity” and “berserk.”

The event is sponsored each year by Cherokee County Association of Educators and the Georgia Association of Educators. Shirley Bryant welcomed the audience and spellers on behalf of GAE; Ana Pettit served as caller of the words; Kathryn Smithyman, Peta Murray and School Board Chair Janet Read were judges for the event; spotters were Elaine Daniel and School Board member Patsy Jordan.

2015 Spelling Bee School Winners: Natalie Hamm, Arnold Mill ES; Caroline Stanley, Avery ES; Shaughan Reddy, Ball Ground ES; Chloe Moon, Bascomb ES; Landon Ward, Boston ES; Liam McKinney, Canton ES; Ellie Clay, Carmel ES; Jonathan Palmer, Clark Creek ES; Tyler Kendrick, Clayton ES; Jack Wallace, Creekland MS; Emelia Sengstock, Dean Rusk MS; Kathy Lam, ET Booth MS; Jackson Ordahl, Free Home ES; Sam Rowe, Freedom MS; Summer McRoy, Hasty ES; Gahien Freeman, Hickory Flat ES; Cayley Alston, Holly Springs ES; Ashera Ly, Indian Knoll ES; Julie Hernandez, Johnston ES; Nicolette Maki, Knox ES; Ava Nesmith, Liberty ES; Lydia Lord, Little River ES; Julia Barfield, Macedonia ES; Sathvika Narasimhan, Mill Creek MS; Mike Angler, Mountain Road ES; Elijah Beverly, Oak Grove ES; Samantha Sapere, RM Moore ES; Sophia Wilson, Sixes ES; Audrey Mullen, Teasley MS; Isabella D’Cunha, Woodstock ES; and Alex Hegman, Woodstock MS.

Photo 1: Sathvika Narasimhan, seventh grade from Mill Creek MS, awaits a decision from the caller on her spelling.

Photo 2: From left, third-place winner Sam Rowe from Freedom MS; first-place winner Sathvika Narasimhan from Mill Creek MS; and second-place winner Julia Barfield from Macedonia ES. All three spellers will advance to the GAE District Bee on Feb. 28.

Photo 3: Sam Rowe, eighth grade from Freedom MS, spells a word during the bee.

Photo 4: Julia Barfield, fifth grade from Macedonia ES, smiles as the caller indicates she has spelled her word correctly.

Photo 5: Contestants, from left, Sam Rowe, Sophia Wilson, Elijah Beverly and Samantha Sapere await the start of the county spelling bee.

Photo 6: Thirty-one school winners competed for the title of CCSD’s top speller.

Credits: Cherokee County School District