Tallulah Falls School eighth graders Josh Lander of Lula and Morgan Ward of Alto dominated recent grade-level and school-wide spelling bee competitions. The winning words for the two spelling enthusiasts included “Vesuvian” and “preternaturally,” which helped them secure spots to compete for TFS in Round 1 of the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) Spelling Bee.
The competition was held virtually via the Scripps Online Test Platform.
Lander and Ward put in countless hours of preparation before the test, and their hard work paid off. While Ward gave it her best shot and ended her spelling bee journey with satisfaction, Lander received the news hours later that his score had qualified him for Round 2 of the GISA Spelling Bee competition alongside 29 other middle schoolers in the GISA region.
The competition will take place in person at Mount de Sales Academy in Macon, GA, on February 28.
Hannah Gibson, eighth-grade English teacher and spelling bee coordinator, expressed her excitement for the students, saying, “Josh and Morgan have blown me away with their determination preparing for each level of the bee. It is super exciting to watch Josh move on to the next round of competition. Everyone is cheering for him!”
