2022
By Flagler Schools
Champion Crowned
Spencer Edelstein It took five rounds , plus a Championship word , to crown this year ’ s Flagler Schools Spelling Bee winner . After he finished spelling Richter scale , Buddy Taylor Middle School 7th grader Spencer Edelstein was all smiles . He now goes on to represent the district in the 78th Annual First Coast Regional Spelling Bee in Jacksonville on April 1 .
Spencer correctly spelled knife , brocade , quatrains and katabatic . But he says his 3rd round word , padre , was the most difficult . “ I couldn ’ t hear the pronunciation clearly on the stage . When he read the origin and repeated it again , I knew exactly what it was , but I wasn ’ t 100 % sure until then .”
Spencer ’ s mother , Cheryl Edelstein , says her son studied non-stop for the competition . She says he ’ s also planning on dual enrolling with Daytona State College next fall .
The following students represented their schools in this year ’ s District Spelling Bee :
NAME SCHOOL GRADE Sophia Esposito Belle Terre Elementary 5 Tiago De Oliveira Belle Terre Elementary 6 Spencer Edelstein Buddy Taylor Middle 7 Holly Kittrell Buddy Taylor Middle 8 Lisset Arroyo Bunnell Elementary 5 Gray Parkins Bunnell Elementary 6
Jonny Harnisch Christ the King Lutheran 5
Hannah Rimpel Christ the King Lutheran 8
Sophia Zambrano iFlagler Virtual 5 Tyler Peeples Indian Trails Middle 7
Alec Riley Indian Trails Middle 8 Lauren Rutledge Old Kings Elementary 5 Justin Gillespie Old Kings Elementary 6 Xavier Duque Rymfire Elementary 5 Zenae Mills Rymfire Elementary 6 Aubrey Marino Wadsworth Elementary 5 Holden Carleton Wadsworth Elementary 6
4 | FLAGLER PARENT M A G A Z I N E