Renaissance Academy Students Spell for Gold and Silver

Phoenixville, PA – On Saturday, February 11th, Renaissance Academy (RA) students participated in the 6th annual Phoenixville Rotary Club Spelling Bee. This all-day event, which was held at Phoenixville Middle School, was open to all elementary schools in the Phoenixville area. The bee was divided into 3 separate divisions; Division I - 1st Graders; Division II – 2nd & 3rd Graders; Division III – 4th & 5th Graders

Virginia (Ginny) Albany, RA reading teacher and event volunteer, is proud to announce that two RA students placed in the 4th & 5th grade division. Aadit Bontha, who resides in Phoenixville, PA spelled his way to a first place win to earn the gold and Nathaniel (Nate) Grace of Pottstown, PA took the silver medal.

For Aadit this meant back to back gold medals, as he also won the gold in his division last year. Nate, on the other hand, found his first time participating in the rotary spelling be a very interesting experience. Nate said that although standing on the stage in front of such a large the audience made him a little nervous, “earning 2nd place out of 80 other kids can really be a boost to someone’s self-esteem.”

Julian McCracken, Chair of the Rotary Club of Phoenixville Spelling Bee event, reported that over 270 students registered to participate in this year’s event, 39 more students than in 2017. In addition to Renaissance Academy, participating schools included Barkley Elementary, Brooke Elementary, Charlestown Elementary, East Pikeland Elementary, East Vincent Elementary, General Wayne Elementary, Holy Family School, Oaks Elementary, PA Distance Learning Charter, and Schuylkill Elementary.

All proceeds raised from this event will be donated back to the local Phoenixville area community. Mr. McCracken said that he was pleased and grateful for the support the 2018 bee has received from the local business sector and school administrators. “Final numbers are not yet in, but it appears the Rotary Club of Phoenixville will net approximately $13,000 from this year's spelling bee. In the six years our club has put on the spelling bee, over $49,000 has been generated.”

The Renaissance Academy is a tuition free, award-winning, college prep, charter school for students in grades K-12 in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Its challenging curriculum was designed to encourage students to think objectively and to approach life thoughtfully and creatively. For more information, visit www.rak12 org.