No Spell Check Needed: Park Christian 7th Grader Wins Spelling Bee

Park Christian School in Moorhead Holds Their Annual Spelling Bee

Some Moorhead students proved today that they don’t need to rely on spell check.

“Our fourth through eighth graders can all compete together at the same level and a fourth grader can take on an eighth grader,” said Kris Weinberger, a sixth grade teacher at Park Christian. “You never know what can happen.”

Seventh grader Sophia Beach ended up on top.

She said her preparation paid off.

“They give you a sheet to study off of and I tried to memorize it,” explained Sophia. “Even though the championship words weren’t on the list. So it was kind of scary because she was a really good speller.”

Although Sophia won, this is not the first time she competed.

“Last year, I spelled the word dojo wrong because I was nervous,” she explained. “So from getting out in the first year…last year to winning it this year, it’s really great.”

Park Christian teachers like to see students participate in events like this.

“We do a lot of sporting events in this gym and it’s fun to see some academic competition as well,” said Weinberger. “And to see students really excel at something academic and to be able to be in front of their peers.”

“You can’t rely on spell check in the real world,” said Sophia with a smile. “You have to be able to have the knowledge to be able to do things on your own.”

Sophia won the spelling bee with the word poutine.